Day: March 31, 2011

When I first met Frieda, she wanted to eat me, something she tried to repeatedly in those first months and even years. She ran down deer, vaulted the fence, ran off, and terrorized neighbors and visitors. Frieda has changed, and we have changed together. She is a very happy dog. She still has her wild side, but her loving and loyal nature – she is a great dog – have really emerged. Today was a special day in our lives with Frieda. Chris Barrett came over to help us clear out one of the barns. I brought Frieda along and she sat inside the barn quietly.

Then it was time for play, and I shot some video on my Ipad 2 to show the very good day that Frieda had. And the very great pleasure I had recording a short minute of it. I love Frieda, and she shows the great power of the human animal bond, and the even greater power of love and patience. Frieda is nobody’s “furbaby” – I would hate to have a furbaby. She is a great dog, and she is loving her Second Chance in life, as am I. She is so lucky she found Maria, or rather, that Maria found her.

I’m going to finish my next Bedlam Farm Diary over the next few days, a trip to Kinney Road with Izzy: “Bedlam Farm Diary, Vol. 2. Intersection of My Life.” Sara Friedman of Social Momentum.org a teacher of new technology to organizations, people and families, showed me how to separate audio and video so I can lay down some track. Sara is amazing.

Izzy as always, got into the spirit of things, which is part of the part. The video will go up late Sunday night or Monday. Lots of work to do. Got my video and sound problems worked out, at least for now.

I’ve also begin taking video with the Ipad 2 I just got. It works very well. I’ll be posting a video about Frieda and her joyful day shortly.

The “Meet The Dogs Of Bedlam Farm” Page is now live on the website. This is my first children’s book, out at the end of April, and I’m excited about it. Thanks to Brendan LaRock and Mannix Marketing for their help with this multi-media page, a step forward for me. The book is available for pre-ordering.

Cows are intensely curious creatures. If you go up to their pastures with a camera, they will cautiously but steadily approach, hoping, perhaps, that you are bringing some food. I like to stare back  at them, and tell them stories of my life. They seem interested.

Izzy on Kinney Road

Dog are not cute things to me. They are not children, nor are they objects of rescue and abuse, to be pitied,  medicated, emotionalized, although they often suffer greatly at our hands and need our help. The power of dogs to me is that they can enter our lives at critical times and shape, guide us through life,  and mark our time on the earth. I have four wonderful dogs, and am lucky in that way. Rose marked my coming to Bedlam Farm and helped make it possible. Lenore kept love alive when I needed that, and Frieda brought me the most precious gift, Maria.

Izzy..well, what can I say about Izzy? He brought me to hospice work when I desperately needed to reconnect to human beings. He sat by my side when I began taking photos, and was there day and night, heat and cold, when this creative spirit inside of me erupted into the light. I am almost without words to describe the many cold and bitter nights when Izzy sat with me on Kinney Road, when I got divorced, began taking photographs and started my climb back to life. I do not feel sorry for myself in the least. Quite the opposite. I am nothing but lucky, blessed through and through to have the chance to give rebirth to my life. Izzy was such a big part of that, and partially in tribute to that, the next Bedlam Farm Diary, Vol. 3, will appear on Monday. It’s titled “Me, Izzy and Kinney Road: Intersection Of My Life.” Got my video camera fixed and will polish it up over the weekend. Big snow storm coming Friday.

You have to give winter some points. It is determined.