Red’s Day: Many miles, all kinds of work.

6 a.m. Red is waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me when I come down. We go outside to feet the cats and let the chickens out of the yarn.

6:30. Red takes a walk on the path.

7:00 a.m. Red goes out again to walk us to to the barn where we check on the donkeys. He circles the pasture looking for sheep, who are no longer in residence at Bedlam. I send him or two or three jaunts around to keep him occupied.

8:00 a.m. Red lies down by my desk while I blog and write. While I am at the computer, he does not move. Two interviews for “Dancing Dogs.”

8:30: I have to stop working. Red goes with me to Matthews Automotive in Salem to get an oil change. Red gets out of the car, greets Adam, the owner, and circles around the garage to visit the mechanics. He doesn’t like the screw gun noise and comes back to me. We sit outside and wait and when the car is done, he hops in.

9:00 a.m. We drive to the new house to meet with Ben, check on the fences, check on the sheep, give Rocky some grain, polish the old wood stove a bit.

9:10 a.m. Red and I do some sheepherding. We work on our voice commands and movements together. I go to the farm corner of the pasture and he brings the sheep to me. I am  getting him to slow down a bit.

10: a.m. I go into Cambridge to get a massage. Red lies down on the floor and doesn’t move for an hour.

ll a.m. Back to the new house to talk with Ben, drop off some furniture that was in the car.

1130: Red comes with me to the hardware store to get some paint. Walks the aisles, greets shoppers and staff.

Noon. Stop at Sheldon’s market, Red gets out to greet his girlfriends behind the register.

l p.m. Lunch at Bedlam Farm with Maria. Red sits on the porch looking in.

2 p.m. Interviews. Red sits by my side while I give interviews on the phone for “Dancing Dogs.” Won’t get much of my own work done on the book tour.

3 p.m. Go out for some photos. Red and Lenore come.

4 p.m. Red and I go to Battenkill Books to sign copies of “Dancing Dogs.” Red greets Connie, Marilyn, customers, then curls up on the floor and goes to sleep.

5 p.m. Back to the new farm for more sheepherding practice, check on the Studio renovations, send photos to Maria.

6 p.m. Back home to eat, walk on the path with Lenore and Frieda and Maria. Barn and farm chores, closing up the chickens, feeding the barn cats, checking water and fences.

7 p.m. Dinner, blogging, last walk.

8 p.m. Machines are turned off, reading, meditation, quiet. Red vanishes under the table, is not seen or heard until bedtime.