The crew from Albany arrived just after 11:30 and everybody trooped into the Studio Barn for Maria’s first-ever interview about her work. The reporter, Elaine Houston does a regular segment for Channel 12 in Albany called “Today’s Woman,” about women who love their work, who love what they do. Maria was not nervous for her first interview, she loves to talk about her work, and I think she loved the recognition too. I took some photos and got out of the way – I have been interviewed enough to know it’s usually better without family and friends around.

The crew might want to film Red and the sheep or the donkeys – they all froze when Simon belted out one of his bone-curdling brays, it was not a sound any of them had ever heard before.

It is not a huge big deal, but it is a huge big deal, it feels like that to me, I am circling around like the Proud Papa, trying not to get in the way. Maria’s work is so important to her, she has worked so hard to build her community around her life and her blog, it’s just nice to see her getting some space in the spotlight. She seems quite at ease with it, handling herself like a pro. A good thing, I told her because this afternoon we will all be back at Battenkill signing books.