Making Magic

Five years ago, when Milé and I decided to start this crazy adventure that would become Small Pond, we began looking for the perfect place to build our dream. A friend suggested Prince Edward County, and the first time we came here we knew this was the place for us. Yet it wasn't easy finding the perfect spot. Over a period of months, we looked at dozens of properties from one end of the County to the other. We had certain criteria that we were looking for: the house had to have a number of guest bedrooms for our resident artists; there had to be enough land for all sorts of artistic antics; the property had to have outbuildings for studios and storage...and it had to be secluded enough that these antics wouldn't bother anyone. But the most important thing we were looking for was the hardest one to describe to our real estate agent. With each property we visited, Milé and I would ask ourselves, "Could this be a magical wonderland?"

Now I know this might sound silly, but what we were looking for was a special place that would enchant and inspire artists. Aesthetics are important to people like us. We looked at some beautiful houses, quirky farms, and cathedral barns... but nothing was quite right. When we finally found this 160-year old house on Clarke Road, the answer was Yes. Yes, this could be the magical wonderland we were seeking. 

This year we're entering our fifth summer at Small Pond. I recently took a flip through our guest book, reflecting on all the wonderful artists who have passed through our lives over these last four years; and one word kept popping out at me. Magic. When our guests described Small Pond, the word they used was 'magical.' Time and again they wrote messages telling us that what we have here is magic.

Excerpts scanned from the Small Pond guest book

We did it! We found our magical wonderland! And we found it not just for ourselves, but in order to share it with other artists who need that hint of magic to spur them forward in their creative pursuits. Come see for yourself - there's plenty of magic in this wonderland for everybody.

Find your happy place.