Day: July 27, 2013

I closed my eyes,

and took a breath,

and took a leap,

and held a hand,

and lit a lamp,

inside my heart.

Nikolene, the Bedlam Farm Barn Fairy, came to help trim the donkey’s hooves with her parents, Eli and Ken Norman, the farriers and friends. Nikolene has spent her whole life around equines and gave each of the donkey’s a hug and kiss, Simon the biggest hug of all. I’ll put up more photos of the Bedlam Farm Barn Fairy over the next few days, she is a special visitor her, she spreads magic and angel dust everywhere, shines her loving spirit on the barn and all the animals in it. She has a lot of power, she sows love and smiles.

I went to the Battenkill Bookstore today with Red to do my recommending-in-chief, it is always a nice time, always meeting nice people, helping to sell some books. Connie is busy, she is having a good summer, I am lucky to be a part of it. I brought Red and around noon three children came in, and in the accepting and trusting way of children, especially country children, they each grabbed a book while their parents browsed and came over sat down next to Red, surrounded him. I was concerned at first, because Red was never around children much in his former life and I wasn’t certain how he would handle it.

My border collie Izzy, a wonderful hospice dog was always uneasy around kids, they moved in strange ways, made him uneasy. Red showed no discomfort, he sat quietly as all three reached out and touched him, they surrounded him, petted him, stroked his ears, talked to him while reading their books talking to one another.  He had nowhere to move, was enclosed, not always a comfortable position for dogs. I didn’t say a word, didn’t say “be gentle,” “be careful,” the four of them were in sync. I stayed quiet, reached for the camera. It was all completely natural, they were all so easy with one another, Red was so sweet, so calm and accepting I just stood and watched this tableau of innocence and affection and wondered what happens to human beings as they grow older that they forget how their lives began. Red is a very special dog.

It is now woven into our daily lives, this ritual, this morning brushing of the donkeys, out in the pole barn. We get up, let the chickens out of the coop, feed the dogs and cats, clean the manure out of the barn. Then, the donkeys silently present themselves, glide over to us, wait for us quietly, as we brush them, one by one. This began as something that was an occasional thing, it has become something that has been imprinted on them, it is important to them. Us too. Each waits while the others are brushed, Fanny gets impatient and noses us gently to pay more attention to her, Simon stands glacially, patiently, waiting his turn, loving the attention, Lulu more vigilant, a little restless but still wanting to be brushed. Something we never thought of for most of our lives, now something we would not miss, a healing, calming, peaceful thing.

Jim Sutton from Elhannon Wholesale Nurseries of Petersborough, N.Y. came by this morning with two water birches and planted them on the Northeast corner of the house. He is bringing a third in September, forming a group of birches that will help circle the house with trees, shrubs, bushes and flowers. I call it the wall of life, the plan is to envelop our beautiful old  farmhouse in shade and beauty, offer us more privacy from the traffic and build some beautiful landscaping for the future, long after we are gone. Jim has become a good friend, he is a brilliant landscape designer and an honest and compassionate man. We are lucky to know him and his wife Ruth.