Went to Market Block Books in Troy, a neat independent bookstore in that city’s eclectic downtown. Across the street, the staff of Psychedelic Bagels was in the windows, painting and drawing. I couldn’t pass up that photo.

There was  nice crowd in the bookstore, a lot of blog readers, winter has landed on this cloudy and gray November day, but we had a good talk about the book, the future of animals in our world, the different ways the owners of pets and the owners of animals look at their world.

Bookstores have changed a great deal in the past few years, there is no introduction, supervision or attention to authors and their talks, you just come in, take off your coat and figure out what you want to do. It is liberating, for sure. The crowd had a lot of questions about Simon and donkeys, it is great fun and quite worthwhile to spread the word about them and their remarkable history with human beings.

If you feel like talking, you can, if you’d rather not, you don’t have to. It is important to meet readers, see them and talk to them. Some familiar names on the blog showed up, as they often do, and it was great to meet them.

Next Sunday, the “Saving Simon” book tour moves to the Wilton, Conn. Public Library – 3 p.m. I plan to bring Red along. People are calling Battenkill Books every day (518 677-2515.  to order “Saving Simon,” and I thank you. I think it is beginning to catch on as a Christmas book. If you order it from Battenkill Books, my local bookstore, I will sign and personalize it. A signed photo postcard of Simon is enclosed.