My angel texted me this morning from her new job as a Web Designer working part-time for Apple. This could be it, she said. They even have yoga in the parking lot each morning. I always loved Steve Jobs. How was the weekend, she asked? Beautiful, I said, wonderful to see Maria manage her art show, so many good people came to say goodbye to the farm.

And this amazing thing, this dog, Red appeared out of nowhere.

Not out of nowhere, she said. Think about it. What are the odds of a dog like that appearing at this moment?

High, I said.

Not if you have an angel. We still have a lot of mojo. Did you lose faith in me?

You mean you sent Red?

Well, me and the big guy. Like Karen said, God wanted you to have him.

Why?

He’s a transition dog, she said. A transition animal. Don’t you read your Joseph Campbell? You are always prattling on about the Hero’s Journey…Well. Think about it? Animals appear as magical helpers to take you to the next place along the journey. There was Orson, Rose, Simon..you know.

Red is in transition. So are you and Maria. Like mirrors. So he appears out of the ether to mark the passage from one place to another, one time to another, one part of life to another. When you look back on this time in a couple of years, you’ll say your angel sent Red to guide you to the next place, to mark the transition.

That’s heavy, I said. I have to think about it. Maria and I talked this morning and we decided to have an art show in the Fall at the New Bedlam Farm to begin our time there. All the artists we know, all the animals we have, including Rocky. How does that sound?

Good work, she said. You are getting it.