Naming your Farm and B&B - What's in a Name?

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.

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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.  

• H.A. (Henry) Stone built the house.

• It was situate in a community built on Vancouver’s North Shore by Francis William Caulfeild in the flavour of an old English village – reminiscent of that historic Scottish Town.
• Scotland’s Stonehaven is a seaside town – so is Caulfeild.
• The architecture of the house incorporated vast amounts of large river rock (stone) in massive fireplaces and chimneys (one of them soaring 3 storeys).

Memorial honouring Francis William Caulfeild, West Vancouver, BC

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 Augie in the sweet little Chestnut Playmate

In fact, I live with Mr. Canoehead.  

Gary purchased his first canoe when he was 10 years old – a beautiful canvas and planked 14 foot Chestnut Playmate.  It cost $110. He earned it with paper route money, matched by his father.

Gary still has that little red canoe and adores it.   He particularly enjoys evening paddles with his best friend, Augie Doggy.

I came to canoeing later in life (when I met Gary).

Our honeymoon was a 1,000 mile canoe journey from Hazelton to Victoria – the original Vision Quest canoe journey.  Vision Quest 1997 was a combined RCMP/First Nations initiative to raise awareness and funds to build an addiction recovery centre. 

"Pulling Together" by Ed Hill

The trip coincided with 1997 Tribal Journeys, a resurgence and celebration of the coastal First Nations people as a traditional canoe culture.

Our three Vision Quest canoes joined Tribal Journeys at Fort Rupert (near Port Hardy) and continued on to Victoria.  We had a flotilla of 40 great canoes by the time we reached Victoria's harbour and the opening ceremonies of the Indigenous Games being held in Victoria that year. 

I jokingly tell people that I spent my honeymoon with 75 cops and indians.  

Victoria Harbour - 1997 Tribal Journeys

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. 

Montreal style Voyageur canoe - Gary in the stern and me in the bow.

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. 

The word itself fairly rolls off the tongue as if invented by a.a. milne or J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Both Gary and I liked the sound of it right away. 

We sort of tumbled onto our little property and feel as if we’ve landed home.  We invite our bed and breakfast guests to tumble home to a comfortable evening’s rest after spending a relaxing and fun day on Hornby Island -- perhaps even come paddling with us sometime. 

And so Tumblehome Farm got its name…