July 21, 2007 — Cool,cloudy. Visited with Meg Southerland and her father, Harold McEachron. We planned the Art Harvest weekend at Gardenworks on Columbus Day Weekend – Mary Kellogg, Maria Heinrich, Anthony and I will all be presenting some of our creatives works (Mary her poems, Maria her fiber sculptures, Anthony his concrete countertops and designs, and me some of my pictures). Amanda and Sean at Trampoline Design in Glens Falls will help us make up some posters. I have to say, I am nervous and excited – my coming out as an amateur photographer.
  Caught up with Anthony today, which was nice. Went over to take pictures of Bill and Maria. Photography is becoming a huge part of my life, thanks to good friends – Raeanne and John, and Rhea Pappas of West Photo in Minneapolis, my guru and critic and photo equipment supplier. She told me I have to get a new telephoto lens, and I know this is so, as I have been struggling with distance shots. As a long form book writer, I love the instant gratification of photography, and the sense of showing rather than telling. But it’s hard work, and I have a lot to learn, and never feel I have enough time.
  I loved my brief interlude on the farm, visiting with goats, donkeys, and shortly, with Elvis up in the far pasture. We herded sheep, walked in the woods (dogs and I) and calmed down. But as usual with a book tour, I am sick with bronchitis. The big difference this year is bigger crowds, more publicity, and nightmarish air travel. I am heading tommorrow for Pittsburgh, then to Ohio (Dayton and Cincinnati) and then to Lexington, Ky. where I will see Dr. Debra Katz and Tagalie Heister, great friends who work at the University of Kentucky and who have been so generous and helpful to me in my research into people and companion animals. I will get to have dinner with them before my reading Thursday at Joseph Beth’s in Lexington.
  I will be gone all week, and the tour still has several more weeks to go. I am lucky to be getting this kind of book tour, and I know it. But I will miss the farm, the animals and taking picture. And I miss Paula, who I have not seen for a couple of weeks, and Emma, who I  have  not seen for longer than that. Be back towards the end of the week.