Since our little homestead will boast a small-scale farm operation as well as a bed & breakfast, it needed a name. I grew up in a house with a name. I really liked it. Somehow a name turns bricks and mortar into the lead character in a story. It gave depth to my experience in that house. So, I began my search in earnest. ![]() I must have vetted hundreds of names – Mr. Google helped. Most of them made reference to weather, water, plants, or wildlife. You know -- plant a wisteria vine and now you have “Wisteria Cottage” -- Ouch! I vowed that none of those references would creep into our name. Since we are building our dream, learning about ourselves, and reinventing our way of life, the name had to be right. It had to be fun, easy to remember, but most importantly have special meaning for us. My childhood home was called “Stonehaven”. At first glance, perhaps not that imaginative – the quaint use of the name of an historic Scottish town. However, dig a little deeper and it really was quite clever.
Taking a cue from Stonehaven, I deepened my search. Gary and I have strong interests that bind us together – music, dancing, canoeing, just to name a few.
Gary and I have spent many hours “pulling together” in great canoes and those of lesser size too. I recently discovered that we are featured on the Clipper Canoe website. That’s me in the bow and Mr. Canoehead in the stern. You’ll always find a smile plastered on Gary’s face when he’s paddling. So, I started running canoe terminology through my head. All of a sudden it came to me – “Tumblehome” -- an old English nautical term describing the inward curve of a ship’s side above the waterline. For the canoeist this means an easier paddling position, but more chance of catching a wave in your lap – comfortable, but you might get a bit wet.
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Linda Manzer
Sharing life with Gary, Augie Dog, and Pico the cat on beautiful Hornby Island, BC Archives
August 2015
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