This was my first day alone in a long time. I did not get to have the day of quiet and spiritual reflection I  have been needing and seeking. I didn’t have much time to miss Maria, I wrote all morning and into the night, I took a break to go to the gym and work out for an  hour or so, I went to dinner with our friends Kim and Jack Macmillan, Scott Carrino invited me over to his sugar house tonight, but I had to finish work on a long piece about the animal rights movement.

My plan tomorrow is to drive down to Blue-Star Equiculture to see Maria, talk with Paul and Pamela, take some photos of the horses. I am drawn to that place, important things are happening there. I’ll see how I feel in the morning, but my head is tired, I need a break. It’s a lot of driving but the weather looks warm and good and I feel the itch to travel. I’ve done a lot of writing this week and my head tells me to move.

There is an emptiness here without Maria, for sure, yet it was also lovely to experience the farm by myself, at the second feeling I stood out by the gate and did my daily check of animal care. Is the water fresh and clean? Is the hay soft and green? Are the animals hooves good? Are their eyes clear? Are their coats healthy?  Is the Pole Barn clean and dry? Do the chickens have water? Cracked corn? Have the barn cats eaten? Has Red eaten?

Every day I check the grass. It is always a tricky thing to figure the precise day when we stop feeding hay and let the animals graze. They are grazing now, the grass is still brown, mostly leftover grass from the fall. Some farmers stop putting hay out when the animals see the ground, but that is a little harsh for me. I’d say we are about a month away. We have enough hay.

I didn’t keep the wood stoves going today, it was over 60 degrees. Time to start ordering firewood for the winter.

Maria called, she is tired but happy, she had a long and hard today taking care of the horses, grooming them, cleaning out their stables, going for a ride. The horses have entered her heart and her spirit, an exciting thing to watch and learn from. Maria and I are much about encouragement, she always wants me to do what I love, I always want her to do what she loves.

We have come so far together. We have such a long way to go. There is something sweet and peaceful and free about being alone. It is also sweet to miss something you love.