Two days after being spayed, Fate shows no signs of every having had any surgery. We stopped the pain killers Wednesday morning, she has never bothered her stitches, she quickly disposed of the cone, and this morning we went out to the Pole Barn and glowered at the sheep, testing them, giving eye. No running, but she raced back to the house like a jack rabbit.

Maria is putting her study back together again after the Open House, so Fate is sleeping next to me while I wrote, Red on the other side of the chair. I love watching dogs adapt to what we need them to be. For all her energy, she grasps Maria’s need to work in her studio, my need to write in peace. If we let them, they will be what we need them to be, that is what they do.

Fate is still very puppy’ish, but I can see the demeanor of the young lady, the dignified working dog and animal companion.