July 13, 2009 – No matter how many times I go to Kinney Road, I find something different. And it isn’t a big road.

  A brownout hit the farm and the immediate area around 7:30 and I was just transmitting the epilogue of my novel, and the heart did go pitter-patter, but it got through, and then the power just came back on a few minutes ago, and everything is working. Farms can be lonely places when the power goes out, and all kinds of problems can crop up, except I have four dogs circling anxiously as all the alarms  and detectors went off and on.
  The big news is that the novel is done, except for some minor issues and for any changes my editor wants to make. I am excited to be doing fiction. I am also tired in the head. Looking forward to several days on Cape Cod.
  I am thinking of moving the sheep to Darryl Kuehne’s farm. I think my sheepherding days are behind me, as the focus of my writing has changed. Rose is having a blast chasing frisbees, balls and the ATV, and this seems easier on her legs. Darryl says I can always have the sheep back, or get more, and this is so. I am seeking quiet and simplicity in my life. For me, it is not a question of age or energy, but focus. Maria and I both have strong creative passions, and we want to pursue them. This seemed clear to me during the brownout, when I was sitting on the porch, reading, and was not drawn to taking the sheep out to graze.
  Anyway, the blog was down, but now is up, and Kinney Road a good return point.