The Second Podcast

I'm happy to offer my second podcast, this one on animal grieving, inspired by yesterdays' blogpost on the memorial service for Leo, my friend's beloved Lab/Mix who dies in his sleep at age 12. Many people wrote me and asked me to talk about this subject more. I think the podcast is a good forum for an occasional discussion of grieving, I wrote about my life with dogs as a "river of joy," and expressed a desire not to turn that joy into misery and lament. I've been writing about this subject for years, from "New Work Of Dogs" to "Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die." We love animals more and more and need them more and more and so their death becomes more important to us. I appreciate the exchange of ideas and hope to draw from your comments and ideas for the podcasts. Next week I'll be podcasting about life on the farm, on a lighter note, I think I'll do it on Simon and the donkeys. Then one on Flo, the barn cat.

There is a podcast box at the top of the Farm Journal page and you can subscribe to my podcasts there. Here's the second podcast.

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Waiting for train

Going to NYC Friday to visit my daughter Emma.

Last Light

Every afternoon, around 6 o'clock, the sun drops down across the hill in front of the farmhouse, shining straight into my study window and when I think of it, I put a dahlia or a geranium in front of the window, and the bright light illuminates the curtain and it looks sometimes to me like a stained glass window, it is a quiet and simple beauty. It signals the end of the day for me.

Magnolia

We got a magnolia tree Sunday and planted it in front of the farmhouse, part of our garden riot and reclamation project. I was not familiar with the proud Magnolia, I am dazzled by its blooms. I sat on the porch and watched the sun set with Red and Lenore – Maria is off at yoga – and I saw the sun light up the blossoms. I'm going to like this tree.