Sometimes Maria goes farm chores in her wedding dress, but today she reverted to her artistic soul and went out in a nightshirt with pink books, a scarf and green hoodie. When we do the chores, I go out with my camera, and then I put the camera down and we bring hay out, make several water bucket trips and muck out the Pole Barn, ripe with the leavings of six sheep and three hearty donkeys. I love the way Maria  dresses – but then I love everything about Maria – she is actually quite a ferociously engaged farm person, she actually loves cleaning out chicken roosts, talking to birds, communicating with the donkeys.

As always she brings her own style to whatever she does. And she is always understanding of my photography, I will sometimes get lost in a subject or transfixed by the light, she has never complained about it or made me feel uncomfortable, and I do the same for her. This is a creative connection, even while doing farm chores. And today it was 40 degrees! Even the outside faucets thawed.