Red’s World is a simple, beautiful, intense and inaccessible place. Red and I are right, but he is a border collie and I understand border collies, having lived with them for 15 years. They love whatever and whoever brings them to work, to sheep and since I brign Red to sheep every day, he and I are right. I have no need for illusions, when I am away and Maria brings Red to sheep, he loves her just as much, and he would love you too, if it came to that and you had some work for him.

Red is either working or waiting to work. His work takes different forms – sheep, therapy work, riding along in the car on my many rounds and chores, sitting by my feet when I write. I am always touched in the morning, when I open the door and let him out. It would not occur to me to worry about him running to the busy street on the other side of the farmhouse, he goes straight to the pasture gate and waits for me to come out and open it so he can work. Red has great passion for work, I imagine him to be running and re-running work reels in his head, like some  coach after a game.

Red lives inside of his own head, inside of his own world, it is a flame that never flickers.