It is a sweet thing to see an animal making a real connection to a human being. Food helps. Lulu comes charging down the hill when she sees Maria and I and this week Maria is offering apples from an apple tree in our front yard. Before that, it was sweet corn. Lulu appreciates it, and so does Fanny.

When leaves

Walking on the path, I saw this beautiful dying leaf, a sure sign that fall is close, despite the nasty and sticky summer. Fall has its own rythyms. I have hay in the barn, and the water is almost ready. The sheep will leave shortly, the donkey will stay. Fall is my favorite time. Not only are there beautiful leaves, but “Rose In A Storm” comes out in October.  Fall is good.

New: Placements from Maria

Maria emerged from the sweltering Studio Barn with new placemats from Full Moon Fiber Arts. I am trying to order some, but I have to get to the bottom of the line. These and other artworks will be sold at our Creative Union/Affordable Art 2 Show to be held at the Redux Gallery in Dorset, Vt., along with the paintings of Christine Nemec on Saturday, November 13, from one to four p.m. Good stuff cheap for Christmas – notecards, placemats, potholders, e-book bags, and who knows what else might come out of there? Signed Bedlam Farm notecards, including the new flower and light series, are also up for viewing and sale on Redux. Or orderable by phone: 802-867-4211.

In the past few weeks, I’ve come nose to nose with the ghost of Andrew Wyeth. On Friday and Saturday, at 7 p.m., the Hyde Museum in Glens Falls is hosting a performance, “Andrew Wyeth in Music, Poetry and Dance,” in conjunction with an exhibit of Wyeth’s works, “Andrew Wyeth – An American Legend.” The performance will be by Catherine Reid. The producers of the concert were not able to get permission to use images of Wyeth’s works, so they asked me if I would provide some photographs. The performance is in no way about my work, it is about Wyeth’s and Catherine Reid’s interpretation of him.

I’m not sure how many photos are being used, or  in what way, but I am happy to see them used in conjunction with Wyeth’s work. I’ve been reading about Wyeth and studying some of his paintings and I feel a strong connection. I do not compare my photos to his paintings, but I do see that some of the same kinds of things touched each of us emotionally, and that is a powerful thing. So I am going be there Friday night, and it will be an important night for me. To meet Wyeth’s ghost.

Happy Birthday, Layla

Ed says he wouldn’t raise a kid anywhere else but on a farm. When the milking is done, he rushes up to the farmhouse on the ATV to fetch Layla, who helps him get the cows across the road and into the pasture. Today was Layla’s second birthday, and they had some cake and Ed sang “Happy Birthday” as they pushed the cows into the pasture and through the gate. This is already Layla’s life.