BROKEN LAWN MOWERS brought Janie Law and Malcolm Cook together. "We both enrolled for a small engine repair course back in 1999 at Murdoch MacKay High School in Winnipeg," says Law, an independent woman who enjoyed looking after herself, her property and assorted four-legged companions. She had 15 wooded acres in the Rural Municipality of Springfield, near Winnipeg. It was only a few kilometres from Cook's property, but the two had never met. The couple fell in love and soon joined forces. "Because I had my place fenced off and wasn't about to move my three horses, it was easier for Malcolm to move in here," Law explains. "Plus we both have bad knees, and my place was on one level, as opposed to Malcolm's house, which was newer and larger, but on two levels." Cook had been on his acreage for nine years. "I was enjoying the country life and just met Janie by accident. It's fun to live out here with all our animals." In addition to the horses, there are two pygmy goats, 20 jungle fowl, two dogs, three indoor cats and two outdoor cats. "Animals come here because they need to be here," says Law. "I don't say no to any animal, including any two-legged animal!" She prefers dogs; she had a Giant Schnauzer and a Papillon before teaming up with Cook, a self-professed cat person. Fortunately, all the critters seem to get along. "Our biggest challenge was to consolidate our two households and get everything and everyone under one roof," Law says. Both are now in their 50s and had been previously married. When they met, Law was in a 630-square-foot cottage built in the 1930s. "The squirrels were taking it apart piece by piece," she says. "We liked the property because of the wonderful aged trees - some of the oaks were 150 years old - and the lovely private setting." Soon, though, they began making plans for a bigger home. "We needed more room, and a bigger kitchen," says Cook, who enjoys creating new recipes. After they'd been together a year, they built their new house. "We decided on an open concept house, because we both love entertaining," Law says. Many of their ideas about the perfect haven came from courses she had taken over the years. A home designer helped them plan a 2,000-square-foot, manor-style home. They were intent on leaving the smallest possible footprint. They appreciate their surroundings and want to be environmentally responsible. "We're humans," Law says. "We have to live in a house. But we don't have to enclose ourselves entirely." A deck surrounds the house on three sides, and they plan to expand it to the west side, too, so they can follow the sun's path through the day. "We love being outdoors and we love natural light," Cook says. "We have a lot of fun with our privacy and our unique hobbies." He enjoys birdwatching and creative welding. A decorative wrought iron gate on their main deck is his creation. He also collects tractor miniatures, tractors and antique tractor seats. Law likes carpentry, home and yard projects, and some artistic pursuits. They are proud of their home and what they've accomplished in the three years of their marriage. As with most acreage owners, they also have a long list of projects they'd like to do. "Right now," says Law, "I'm renovating our master bedroom, and Malcolm is building a new barn door and a new chicken coop for our fancy chickens. Next, we'd like to build a 40-by-60 Quonset to store hay and give Malcolm room to work on his antique tractors. "Our biggest challenge is the same challenge everyone faces: finding enough time to do it all!" Several years ago, they bought a Winnipeg-based insurance agency. Cook works there full-time and Law part-time. "I get my human contact during the day," he says. "We really enjoy our privacy the rest of the time." "It's not that we don't love people," his wife adds. "But we really love our privacy, and having a good-sized acreage allows us that." Once, someone asked her if she'd prefer having a bigger house or a larger property. "Even though we already have 15 acres, I'd have to say more acreage."