October 2, 2007 – Cool, dry. Thanks to Edgar Allan Poe for the verse, and to Cail Johnstone for the name idea. Lenore is a seven week old puppy from Kee-Pin Kennels in Argyle, N.Y., breeders Gretchen Pinkel and John Keeler Jr. I’ve been visiting her for a couple of weeks now, and we have fallen for each other. She is in the best tradition of Labs – calm, sweet, contemplative. I’ve enjoyed getting to know John and Gretchen. This is the way I most love to get a dog, talking for months with conscientious breeders who know what they are doing and who love to match up a human and a dog according to the needs and lives of both. I’ve always had yellow Labs, and Lenore is the first black. Thanks to Robertson Davies for writing about the power of the Black Dog. She is already fond of my lap. I see her as the Thomas Merton of Bedlam Farm dogs, reflective, contemplative, spiritual. She will also surely love the stuff the donkeys, sheep and cows leave around. And Labs and border collies compliment one another. She will be the official Bedlam Farm greeter.
  Anyway, enough gushing – Lenore is coming to Bedlam Farm this weekend and will be making her public debut at the Art Harvest at Gardenworks in Salem, N.Y., (518 854 3250) October 13 and 14. Talks will be at 2 p.m., both days, the art on display from 10 to 5 p.m. You can meet her and Izzy there (oh, me too, if anybody cares), as well as see the art of Maria Heinrich (fiber), concrete (Anthony Armstrong), poetry (Mary Kellogg) and photos (me.) You can also see the bounty of Gardenworks – produce, cheese, flowers, cider and cider donuts, and toys. BTW, Judy Flagg of Union Village in Greenwich sold a picture of mine for $100 bucks today, and it was one of the “Border Collies Meeting In the Woods” series. I guess I’m a pro now – earnings to date, $110.
 I am excited about Lenore. Izzy met her and hid under the car. Below, two pictures of Lenore, and one of Gretchen and Lenore. She might go camping with me next week in Vermont, if I can manage to carry her in. Otherwise, she is coming home Saturday, and I have to go buy some puppy stuff.

Lenore head on

With Gretchen, proud breeder