Making an afternoon of making cheese
We gave Grace and Ella a choice this past weekend – watch paint dry or watch cheese being made. They opted for the cheese, but, as the folks at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks are fonding of joking, there’s not a lot of difference. However, seeing all the animals at the cheeseworks and hearing about how the cheese is made was a lot of fun!
Ella was fascinated by the fact that they stir the cheese with a large shovel, though we explained it’s different than our garden shovel! Grace had a ball petting the very friendly goats and watching them walk overhead on the special ramps that 
have been lovingly built for them. We also saw the area where the pregnant cows were waiting to give birth to 80 lb. calves. Grace turns to me: I guess you had it pretty easy with us, eh mom? I turn quickly and point “Oh look, isn’t that a Red Highland over there?” cleverly avoiding an answer.
Their self-guided tours let you roam through the barns and milking sheds to see what’s behind the wonderful cheeses and meats found in their store. Or if you put together a group of 8 or more you can get a guided tour. Then it’s off to the store where you can sample some of the delicious cheeses. Grace loved the Berry and the Normal, while I was particularly partial to the Brie. Lactose-intolerant Ella was 
compensated with some of their famous bacon and some jerky.
We didn’t get a chance to walk the trail or see all of the animals, but we’ll be back for a full afternoon, perhaps during Spring Break. And hopefully we’ll get a clear day for the spectacular views of Mount Arrowsmith.
