It seems to be the real thing this winter. Lots of snow, bitter cold – it’s 3 degrees right now – and the donkeys are going into the barn most nights to keep them dry and their hooves warm. Their coat is getting thicker. Cold for the foreseeable future. Library tour starts next week, Sunday the 23 of January in Granville, N.Y., at the Pember Library. Monday the 24th, an evening talk at the Cobleskill Library, Cobleskill, N.Y. Tuesday, an evening talk in Salisbury, Conn. Wednesday, the Free Library of Northampton, Richboro, Pa., an evening talk. Thursday the 27th, the Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public Library, 7 p.m. (my hometown library). Friday, 2 p.m. talk at the Osterville Library, Osterville, Mass. Friday evening, 7 p.m., the Scituate Library, Scituate, Mass. Saturday afternoon, 2 p.m., Edgartown Library, Martha’s Vineyard. Check your libraries for the precise time, as they are subject to change.

This tour is in support of our libraries, beset by budget cutters and short-sighted citizens. I will talk about libraries, “Rose In A Storm,” my first novel in ten years, and my next book, “Going Home: Finding Peace When Animals Die.” But libraries are the point. If we can save banks, we can save libraries, one of the greatest triumps of the American experience. I’m looking forward to the tour. Maria is coming along with me.