I think many people are the same in that we enjoy relationships with nature and animals. When I think of getting healthy I think of back to the basics; nature as it was intended. Maybe an appreciation for our planet and the life on it is increased through our enjoyment of our pets..it is for me. If you love and care for your animals and get to see their needs and personalities, by extendtion don't you have to love our world, people in it and ourselves? I think so.

I moved to Manitoba from living an apartment in Ontario. I moved here with my partner who has had years of farming experience and dog and cat. This is my first time living in a rural area...and where we are in Manitoba is quite remote. There is just the two of us so we depend on each other a lot.
We are both trying to live more naturally. We are learning and due to w/d, we have both become more conscious about the choices we make.
Financially things are difficult for us so living modestly helps in that regard too.

Through the course of events I was so very fortunate to get two horses at the end of December 2012. We had 5 piglets too, with the plan to eat them..however that plan didn't go so well. We have only had them a month but we love them, so we gave 2 away and have 3 left...and I think they will be pampered piggies. There was also a barn cat on the property when we got here. He was a younger cat and stared in the windows but bolted as soon as I would open the door. We fed him and coaxed him in. Ok, some coaxing and then I grabbed him and pulled him inside where he went ballistic. But gradually over the course of the long winter he softened and now he is the biggest softie you could ever meet and he runs in as soon as we open the door to let the dogs out. We can't keep him out. My former apartment cat who is declawed, wont stay in. He is out all the time...but the barn cat..well, he just doesn't want to leave. He digs in his heels and refuses to go out the door.

I love rural life.