Every morning, as the sun rises, Red and I enter the pasture, and I sent Red out to circle the sheep and, if necessary, move them to maintain order. His work is a daily call to life for me, just as Simon’s bray is. It challenges me to prepare for work, to be inspired, to know what it is I do and what it is I want to do.

Red and I share this commitment to purpose, to a meaningful life. Work is important to both of us, in very different ways. His is instinctive, the product of breeding and training and instinct, mine is different, a conscientious and conscious choice, a way of looking at the world.

When I see Red out in the pasture and take a photo of him working, then our two worlds seem fused, are the same thing, are connected in a powerful and timeless way. This is the ancient bond of the working animal and the working human being.