This morning we woke up to the first cool morning in memory, it felt like Fall, there was crisp October Light coming over the barn, we all felt it, the people the animals. Animals have moods, they are very distinct. They behave one way when they are hungry, another when they are fed, they are different in the heat than they are in the cold, edgy during fly season, calmer afterwards. This morning, all of the people and animals on Bedlam Farm seemed excited, alert, revived, energetic. And affectionate. The farm was in a good mood. I love Fall, my favorite season, I can taste it coming.

My writing life is changing, but the publication of a book is always a miraculous thing for me. Fall is always publication time for me, and Nov. 5 is the publication date for “Second Change Dog: A Love Story,” the story of me, Maria and Frieda.

I’ll kick off the book at the Battenkill Bookstore in Cambridge, N.Y., on November 5, and then Northshire Books in Saratoga on November 8. Galleys came today. If anyone wishes to have the book signed by me and Maria, please order it through a special page at the Battenkill Books website. They ship anywhere in the world and take Paypal as well as major credit cards.