What a Day Brings

Written By: Sue Blair - Carpe Diem Farms | Issue: August 2024

What an incredible summer we’re having at Carpe Diem Farms!

Our Momma Bear, who lives in the woods behind my house and has never been seen just sent her newest offspring – Cub Number Four.

Momma Bear has been appearing with a new cub every year since 2021. This one is much smaller than those in years past. Very curious and brave. We will look forward to seeing her again.

Last year’s cub, now a juvenile has been visiting, too.  In addition to the bears, we have two raccoons and their friend, a possum who are the evening cleanup crew! Nature abounds.

The excitement at the farm isn’t just the wildlife. It’s “wildly” alive with the sounds of young people having fun; swimming in the creeks and a variety of games in the fields, creating journals and artwork in Dead Eye’s Barn, playing  and enjoying each other. Every Friday afternoon a group joins me in the stables to learn and care for the horses of Carpe Diem.

The staff of the Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau are amazing! Their summer camp program, which was originally scheduled to take place at their Cashiers location and their newly-rented and freshly-renovated Highlands space, hit a roadblock.

Some of you may have attended the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony or saw the photos in The Highlander. Just a few days before camp was to begin, they were notified by the Fire Marshall that the existing fire wall built originally was no longer up to code, had to be rebuilt and they were denied a CO (Certificate of Occupancy.) What do you do when 400-plus kids are signed up and will show up in a matter of days?

The dedicated, creative team took on the task. They reached out to me on Friday and set a meeting for that afternoon with me at CDF. Camp was starting Monday! They explained what had happened and asked if there was anything I could offer to them at Carpe Diem. In addition to our prescheduled Fridays with the horses it looked like additional children might be here every day for ten weeks. I decided that the kids needed us and together we could make it work.

I offered them the Pavilion, cleared space and tables in the Easy’s Slipper production center and asked them if they could also get a big tent to add to the indoor activity space, they did, it’s up and in use!

We also had to work out who could use the fields when since seven horses need play time too. The horses have the morning for grazing and kids in the afternoon for field games. It’s all working Great!

Carpe Diem Farms Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation – Exploring the Human Potential Through Equines.