Day: March 20, 2017

In my mind, this ought to be the postcard photo of Bedlam Farm (it isn’t, the donkeys are). When I think of the farm, I often think of Maria taking manure out of the barn and shoveling it onto the impressive manure pile, now big enough for the sheep to stand on.

Our neighbors are taking some of the manure for compost, Scott Carrino will take the rest for his beautiful garden at Pompanuck Farm. Maria and I shovel out the barn together, but somehow, Maria has taken over the manure pile, she is like that about certain chores, they are simply hers.

Chores are like that, I always scrape snow off the cards, I fill the water buckets, she tends to the chickens, we both feed the animals, I take the dogs out for their last walk at night.

Because we have a pony right now, the pile is much bigger than usual. We also have four new sheep, the Gang of Four. Maria is faithful to her manure pile, as she is to the work on the fiber chairs. Chores are spiritual, even artistic thing for her, and I happen to love her farm dress, it is different from most women who live and work on farms.

When Maria was in India, I piled the manure on it in the afternoons, it is an impressive thing. It is pretty wonderful for gardens, and we are happy to recycle and re-use it.

So I think of this as Maria’s Manure Pile, it has become a favorite thing of ours, we watch it grow and feed it daily.

We went out as the sun came blazing over the hill to announce the first day of Spring, the dogs were ready, the animals were read,life is happening all over the farm. Everyone here loves their work, the only essential requirement for life here.

Today is the first day of Spring, we can feel it in the morning sun even if can’t quite see it on the ground yet. The snow from the blizzard is beginning to melt, the sun is strong and powerful, it is not a winter sun, and Spring is exciting around here. In a few weeks the animals will be grazing, and we will be preparing our gardens. Our Spring Open House, from June 10-11th is just a few months away.

My next book, Talking To Animals, will be out in seven weeks. This coming Sunday, Chloe will go off to live with Treasure Wilkinson and her family, a good place for a pony to be. We will miss her, but feel very solid about our decision. Next weekend, we will go off to Vermont to pick up the first wool that includes the Romneys.

This afternoon, I will go to the Mansion to drop off their new Deluxe Scrabble game and Tuesday, the new van arrives, thanks to you. Wednesday, Maria and I are taking our friend Camilia to an immigration lawyer in the hopes of finding a way to help her stay safely in this country, where she has lived most of her life. Looks like a good week.

For me, Spring is the return to color and light, important elements in my life. I woke up anxious this morning, not sure about what, but the morning sun over the pasture, and my wife’s warm  heart melted it all away.

I think it only fair if Fate chews on my hand, I can threaten to chew on her leg. I would bite it, except I don’t want all that dog hair in my mouth, and I know where that leg has been all day. I admit it’s an odd game, but what can I tell you? Fate and I just touch the mad parts of one another sometimes, and we would both miss it. In the news business, they often say it’s no news when dog bites man, but big news when man bites dog.

Some animal people are quite humorless about these things, but a good friend told me recently that my mission in life is to poke and prod. That sounds obnoxious, I said, yes, he replied, it is.

Every evening, Fate crawls into my lap, and torments me in her pirate way. Sometimes, she grabs my hand and takes it in her mouth. Then I scratch her belly and she falls asleep for a minute or two, and then wakes up and we wrestle some more. We both love this game, I don’t really know why, Fate is very gentle and never harms or scratches me.

I think it is her way of showing affection, perhaps something she did in the litter. We have a good time, I am always laughing, says Maria who took this photo. And this is one of Fate’s favorite, if strange, games. I do not usually ever allow a dog to put their mouth on any part of me, but Fate is quite unique in many ways, she is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever had.

I love the idea of her and Maria hanging out with each other all day in Maria’s studio. They just click. Maria says Fate and I have a pirate connection, and I think this is true.

I have my own way of retaliating as you can see in the next photo.