Day: December 19, 2012

When Maria and I got together, we went through a challenging winter. The weather was brutal, storm after storm, and as sometimes happens with divorce or tragedy, our friends seemed uncomfortable with us and seemed to melt away. It was a wonderful time, but also a lonely time. Divorce was an awful thing for both of us, and were struggling to deal with it. We were very much by ourselves in a world that did not seem friendly or fathomable. We were also broke. We learned of a beautiful inn in Vermont that was offering some special rates and we fled there for one night. We had to get away. The inn could not have been more comfortable or safer. We had a wonderful meal there, gathered some strength and came home to deal with our lives.

We went back to the inn for our honeymoon – they wouldn’t let us pay for dinner – and whenever we get one of those e-mails offering some sweetheart deal in the quiet seasons (one night cheap, the other free) we say yes and head out there. We are leaving today, returning Friday. I will come back to a number of things to face – a new book, the realities of having two farms, new challenges in publishing, and yes, a sad and disconnected country. I will face these things, Maria and I. I have grown stronger this year, learned more about myself, faced up to still more things that needed facing up to.

But our plan is to stay in the moment these next two days. No e-mail, devices, just some good books, my camera and one another in our place of safety and refuge. When all is said and done, I am nothing but lucky. I will not be posting on the blog until Friday and I always miss the blog when I shut down for a bit. But it is good for me to give my voice and fingers and writing mind a rest, and it is, I suspect, good for you as well. See you Friday. Happy days to each of you.

How lucky I am to be able to watch, learn from and pass along the stories of real animals in their real lives. Simon has tried to crush Red more than once. He has bitten him, charged at him, tried to stomp him. Red has responded with his usual professionalism and focus – my big fear for Red is that something will threaten him while he is working, and I think he would definitely go down with the ship rather than run. In the past month, Simon has changed, and Red has also. Red positions himself near Simon, and Simon – these are two dominant males in the pasture – leans over to sniff him, then stands alongside of  him.

I am relieved to see this and fascinated by it. The two seem in some strange way to respect one another. Both take their animal identities seriously, neither one quits or backs down. Simon watches Red carefully but seems to have made some good decision about him. I think this photo captures the new relationship as well or better than I can describe it.