I thank Maria for this photo of two asses on the road, again. Simon is doing very well on our daily walks. I have convinced him that the walks are not only about eating grass and leaves, although they are about that in part, and part of the fun is just walking around, and he is getting into that. He is a patient, gentle, and intelligent soul. He is a working animal now, a voice for the complexity of animal rescue, a spark for thoughts about compassion and mercy inside and out of the animal culture, a companion for me in ways that surprise me.

I didn’t mean for it to be this way, but Simon is an inspirational figure to many people, in different parts of the world, and that is extremely important work for any animal, and we both take it seriously.  Simon loves people, loves attention, and he has that special quality animals who have been to the edge of life sometimes have, of conveying a deep sense of appreciation and connection. I am looking forward to letting people meet him at Maria’s Art Show At Bedlam Farm, to be held Columbus Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 11 to 4. I will be there also, signing copies of “Going Home: Finding Peace When Animals Die,” which can be purchased locally either at Battenkill Books (518 677-2515) or at Gardenworks, (518 854-3250). Maria will be showing the functional an inexpensive art of nine local artists. Details on her website.

Christine Nemec and I have agreed to print up a Simon notecard series to go with the other notecards available for Fall and Christmas – chickens, donkeys, dogs, snow-covered barns, flowers. You can check them out on her site, www.reduxart.com. The Simon series will be available in a few weeks.