When Frieda came to the farm, Lenore was terrified of her, as were the other dogs, not to mention sheep and donkeys and barn cats and chickens. Lenore decided to charm her, and started hanging out with her, and Frieda, like Frankenstein, decided what she really wanted was some love. Lenore is absolutely irresistible and it is touching to see the friendship between the two of them. They love to hang out on the cool concrete of Maria’s studio barn, taking in the world.
  Hard to believe Frieda is the same dog, and I give Lenore a lot of credit.
  But then, Maria says I give Lenore credit for everything.

___

  So finally people can stop asking me when the movie is coming out. “A Dog Year” will be on HBO on September 3. Congrats to George Lavoo, the director who fought to make it and get it out. I have to be honest, I have mixed feelings about it. It seems another lifetime since I wrote that book, but it was only a few years ago. My life is very different, as are the dogs in my life. The movie will come out in the middle of the tour for “Soul Of A Dog,” so that will be  pretty chaotic. I guess I will be getting some publicity, since the movie stars Jeff Bridges, cast because we look so much alike.

   Ordered a photo display stand for Saturday, when Maria and I are going to be hanging out much of the day at the Saratoga (Art In The Park) Art Show in Congress Park, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. I ordered the stand online, but couldn’t figure out how to put it up. Maria put it together in about five minutes, plagued by swarming bees.
  Good to have a handy woman around.
  My printer isn’t sure he’ll have my photos ready by Saturday, but if they are, I’ll put them in this stand and wheel them around. If not, I’ll just annoy Maria by touting her quilts. She has her own new display stand, so we’ll be hauling a lot of stuff, including her mother (also named Maria) who is bringing sandwiches and moral support.
 Maria and I will also be at the Poultney Crafts Fair in East Poultney, Vt. on August 8. We can bring dogs to that fair, but they are banned in Saratoga, which is a notoriously snootier place.

  Walking through the forest, with Maria and the dogs, me eye repeatedly touched on the shadows of the sun off of these overhanging leaves in the deep forest. Fortunately, I had a portrait lens, an 85 mm lens with me. Leaves are the most common thing in the woods, and it is easy to simply not see them. I’ve been after this shadow for awhile. It is quite lovely.

  I love photography because it forces my sorry eyes to open, and to see. These flowers are in the Bedlam Farm garden, and I don’t know what they are, but I lay out in the rain to get close to them, and marveled at their construction. Sad that I paid so little attention to beauty for most of my life, wondrous that I am finally doing so. What you pay attention to is important. We each create our own news, in our own way, and open ourselves up to what we want to hear, for better or worse. My news is changing.