Woolly Wonders a Delight at Counting Sheep Inn By Chris McBeath Virginia had instructed me to be up at dawn and although I'm not a morning person, this morning was going to be worth the effort. I was to be Virginia's 'shepherd designate' and as lambing season was well underway, I was determined to make Virginia proud. As a working sheep farm, The Counting Sheep Inn is a rare delight because it embraces all manner of city folk and urbanites with a weekend of country life that for many people, is only experienced in pages of Hobby Farming Magazine or TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small. Located at Hatzic Lake in the Fraser Valley, Counting Sheep Inn is surrounded by farmlands, orchards and fields. It has three suites overlooking the pastoral landscape where literally, you can count sheep to help you sleep. Although there only a dozen ewes - Rambouillet sheep that are prized for their soft white fleece - it's a scene that is serenity itself. But at lambing, counting sheep takes on a whole new meaning and in Spring, as the weather warms and meadows fill with wild flowers, it becomes an especially memorable experience. It was 5:30 am when I crept out of the suite, donned a pair of green Wellington boots and strode across the yard to the barn. Virginia was already there, beaming at yet another delivery wobbling its way through the straw like a drunken sailor. "He makes four so far" she counted, "with at least eight more to go". Virginia's timing was impeccable - almost 150 days to the day and her ewes were delivering on schedule. There's a rhythm to farm life that connects you to nature in a very real way and while this farm is very small, the chores of feeding the sheep, mucking out the barn, stacking hay and collecting freshly laid eggs are refreshingly new. That's probably because all work is entirely voluntary and that after an early afternoon snooze, my husband and I had plans to explore the countryside. That's the joy of Counting Sheep Inn. As a guest, you can take it or leave it. Snuggle up under cozy down-filled quilts beside the fireplace with nothing more than a great book; go fishing in a mountain lake all day or stay around the farm to help sort fleeces, pick apples or bottle feed young lambs. The other joy is that the Inn welcomes families, horses and dogs so that no member of the family need be left ehind. "We get many city folk here", says Virginia, "because it's a very safe way to let young children really experience country life. Parents with urban lifestyles want their children to know what it's like to collect eggs from a hen-house or smell a barn full of hay. We create some very special memories for them here". Virginia's wool and gift shop is another venture that's filled with woolly memorabilia: sweaters and hand woven socks from the farm's wool supply as well as Ally McBeal Sheep pajamas and robes, sheep skin slippers, pottery and other nick knacks made by local artisans. It's a treasure trove of sheepish items and countryside antiques. The surrounding Fraser Valley is wonderful to explore and offers lots to do from fishing and horse back riding to canoeing and bird watching galore. At Harrison Lake, there's swimming, boating and meandering mountain trails. The Kettleworth Tunnels, near Hope, is an easy, awe-inspiring walk at the river's edge. The Flintstones Park and Vancouver Zoo are must-dos if you're travelling with youngsters and Minter Gardens is a year round destination that appeals to all ages. For me, any plans for sightseeing were going to have to wait. I had my arms full of Jessie, a six hour old wooly wonder who was having a hard time coming to terms with his new world. Virginia had thrust a bottle of warmed milk into one hand and the lamb in the other. My shepherding duties had begun. Besides, Virginia had other things on her mind: number five was on its way. If You Go: The Counting Sheep Inn 8715 Eagle Road Mission, BC V2V 4J1 Tel: (604) 820-5148 Fax: (604) 820-5149 email: vcesheep@uniserve.com Web site: www.countingsheep.com Host: Virginia Edwards From Vancouver, take the Lougheed Highway towards Mission Go through Mission for approx 5 km until you come to Eagle Road and then turn left.