October 18, 2010 – A brave crowd braved a nasty, windy Northeaster to come to the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls last night, led by Regina and Mark Helm who came all the way from Waco, Texas, to hear me talk about “Rose In A Storm” and to meet Izzy. So I inaugurated a new photo book tour feature, People On the Tour. Regina and Mark came with a sack of just about every book I had ever written to sign and I spent some time talking to them about Texas, and about the farm. THey loved hanging around with Izzy.
Regina said she follows the blog several times a day and talked about the photography, and I was a bit numb at the idea that somebody would come all the way from Texas to hear me talk at a book signing. It was great to meet them, two of the warmest, loveliest people one might imagine. I gave them some Family Farm notecards – they have 110 acres near Waco – and I hope to meet them again. It’s tough to generalize, but people who love animals often seem very loving to me.
A nasty storm blew all day and soaked the area and I was surprised to see so many people there. I talked about the novel and one person asked me if the changes in my life – getting divorced, re-married, Maria – had affected the novel. Yes, I said. “Rose In A Storm is an awakening story, about a sentient being’s coming to consciousness. It was happening both to me and Maria – we were unhappy and lonely, and we awakened to a different way of living together. This is all over the book, as many people have seen.
Izzy was his stellar self, working the aisles and crowds, sweet-smelling from his day at Muddy Paw’s in Shushan N.Y.. Eileen did an amazing job, and Rose was licking her hand when I came in, a bit of a surprise. She loved Rose, said she was one of the sweetest dogs she had ever seen, and she said Izzy was no problem. So Izzy and Maria and I head for the Halfmoon Library in Clifton Park tomorrow afternoon (2 p.m.) and then set out for Ohio. We stopped at a Benson’s Pet Center and got some stuff for Izzy: food, a ball, a tick collar, a frisbee for the road. He had a lot of biscuits from the audience, and I have to remind people not to give him so many, as it isn’t healthy for him. It is hard for people who love dogs not to spoil them. Another great night on the tour. Going to bed, my fifth talk in less than a week.