Tavistock couple keeps their fall flowers blooming bright

Janice and Bill McIntosh stand beside the front flower bed of their Tavistock home last week, taking advantage of the sunny weather. We congratulated Janice for doing most of the weeding, but Bill added with a grin, “I’m here for moral support — and advice when needed.” Gary West photo

By Gary West

Bill and Janice McIntosh of Tavistock aren’t letting fall slow them down when it comes to keeping their gardens looking their best.

The longtime farming couple, who spent their working years on Maplewood Sideroad in East Zorra Township, were spotted last week tending to the colourful flower beds surrounding their Woodstock Street South home — weeding, trimming and making sure everything stayed in top shape while the sun still shines.

In 2001, Bill and Janice McIntosh swapped homes with their son, Brad, and his wife, Tara, moving from the family dairy farm into town. They’ve enjoyed every minute of their retirement ever since.

“Milking cows was a way of life for us,” Bill McIntosh said, “but we always had a big garden and plenty of flowers around the house, too.”

Over the years, Bill McIntosh has been a familiar face in the Tavistock agricultural community. A former director with the Tavistock Agricultural Society, he was presented with an award of merit for his dedication to organizing the popular horse show at the annual Tavistock Fall Fair.

Janice McIntosh shares that same spirit of hard work and pride in her surroundings.

“With all the good weather we’ve been having, that’s what gets me up in the morning,” she said with a smile.

Their son, Brad, and his family continue to run the McIntosh dairy operation, now using a robotic milking system in a modern, free-stall barn built in 2017. Brad and Tara’s sons, Brandon and Evan, both work off the farm — Brandon as a junior engineer at Nuhn Industries in Sebringville, and Evan in sales at Ziebart-Uniglass.

Bill McIntosh still enjoys following horse shows, a passion he developed in his younger years showing commercial horses.

“It’s nice to watch from the stands now,” he said with a laugh.

Married 63 years, the McIntoshes haven’t let health challenges slow them down. They remain grateful for the visits from friends, neighbours and family that brighten their days.

“We’ve been blessed,” Bill McIntosh said. “We’re thankful for everything the good Lord has given us.”