I grew up in Providence, R.I. I’ve lived in New York City three different times, also Atlantic City, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Dallas and Montclair, N.J., where we moved when Emma was born. In 2000, I bought a cabin up here to write “Running To The Mountain.” Dogs entered my life in a bigger way and I started writing about them and animal and moved upstate full-time and bought a farm in 2003 so I could exploring and study working dogs, learn how to herd sheep with border collies, have animals like donkeys and sheep and cows and learn about them.

I spent a lifetime in American cities, we moved to New Jersey  because we thought the schools would be good and the town affordable. It was a mistake, at least for me. I never belonged there. The minute I got to Washington County, N.Y., I knew I belonged here and I feel it still. I’ve been here long enough to have some very good and trusted friends, they mean a lot to me.

We moved to our current farm three years ago. We go out every morning to check on the animals, clean up the barn, fill the water tanks and lately I am working to train Fate in sheep-herding. It is going very well. We are planning to show off, Fate and I, this weekend at the Open House.

Sometimes I will look up, see a sight like this morning, Red and Chloe waiting at the top of the hill to go into the side pasture, Red to work, Chloe to graze, and I will have to blink. I’m a city boy,  really, I grew up in the gritty industrial part of New England, that which survives but have now been living on a farm for about 15 years. I should get used to seeing a beautiful border collie and a Haflinger-Welsh pony standing together looking down.

In a way, they are symbols of our life her, our passion for being creative, living creative lives and hopefully inspiring some others to do the same.

I found the sight stirring, it made me feel good about my life. I sometimes wonder where I am, how I got here. I don’t question it, I just give thanks for it.