There is an old and lonely snow plow truck from Hartford, N.Y., for sale in a farm field in Argyle, and the truck looks lonely and poingnant to me, its big plow sitting out there in this open field. I visited with it today.
Frieda loves to pose with Maria’s potholder. She is a working dog, through and through and loves to be photographed, and help earn her keep. She even posed with one of Maria’s newest creations, a cat-themed potholder. Maria’s potholders are changing, evolving, in ways I can’t quite describe. They seem different to me, more coherent somehow. But Maria says they are always changing, always a little different. I’m not objective, really. We went to Glens Falls today to hang some in the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe. Also visited the Red Fox Bookshop to see Naftali and Susan. Also went to LARAC (The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council, where I will be conducting two story-telling workshops and showing my “Last Days Of A Dairy Barn” photos) to see Patrice.
It was great walking through Glens Falls with Maria and her mother. We had vegetarian chili and bread at the Rockhill Bakehouse. I ran into an old friend who came to disapprove of my life a year or so again and has stayed away. It was a painful but nice encounter.
Tonight, we are going out to dinner. Tomorrow, I’m taking Maria’s mom to the Union Village shop on Main Street in Greenwich, from 1 to 3 p.m. with Izzy to sign copies of the ASA Calendar and also sign my books.
Darryl and Maria loading his truck
November 21, 2009 – Darryl Kuehne came from Vermont to take the last of the hay feeders. The sheep and donkeys are at his farm. Darryl is a good man and hard-working farmer. He came for some gates, buckets, three hay feeders, a tail docker and something he wanted for Christmas – a hay fork. It was a pleasure to see these things go to a working farm, and back to the animals who used them and shaped much of my life for some years. Today, I missed them, and remembered the many moments of donkey-communing, sheep-herding, and the mournful clucking of the hens. I also missed Winston, my charismatic and officious rooster.
I am not big on looking back. I think nostalgia is an indulgence. But I felt a pang of sadness today. I am so eager to move ahead with my new work,my fiction, photography and children’s books, but neither do I want to forget those remarkable years on Bedlam Farm, Rose and I plowing through blizzards, storms, coyote assaults to feed and care for sheep, donkeys, cows and goats. It was madness, for sure, but creative and productive madness. Time to live more sanely and creatively, but Darryl’s visit opened a vein of remembrance, and it was good to mourn the passing of that part of my life, even as I look ahead to the shining city on the hill.
November 21, 2009 – November is coming slowly to Bunker Hill Road. Last year at this time, it had already been snowing, and was bitter cold and wet. This year is different. Last year, a cloud of fear seemed to hang over the world, and this year it is better.
Last year, I was just beginning a new relationship. This year, it is better.
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I’m making headway on my struggle to figure out how to frame, print and sell my photos at my “Portraits Of My Life” exhibit January 9, 2011 at the Redux Gallery in Dorset, Vt. Christine Nemec came up with the idea of printing the smaller photos in standard size, and buying cheaper frames. I am also eliminating two or three of the larger photos. That will save more than $1,500 and allow us to sell some of the photos for around $200.
Today, Maria and I are going to the Rock Hill Bake House in Glens Falls, N.Y., where Maria is hanging her quilts and potholders for Christmas. Tonight, we are heading out to a Vermont Inn for dinner with Maria’s mom. We had a great breakfast, arguing about the sports culture in suburbia and Sarah Palin. First, a walk.
