I am loving my work in black and white, and still experimenting with my IR camera. In the woods, I took this photo of Maria and the dogs, and I loved the Secret Garden feel it brought to the image.

My birthday is Monday, Maria is taking me off to Vermont to a beautiful inn we have heard a lot about from friends. We’ll be gone one night, Monday. I’ve planned a modest pre-birthday thing for Sunday, I’m taking Maria to see a Wendy Wasserstein play at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

The farm is running like a top this summer. We have firewood in the shed for winter, Ed Gulley will soon be bringing us some hay to store in the barn, our new system of rotational grazing has kept the animals fed and healthy (and Chloe from overeating) and we will have enough grass to get us to late October.

Whatever struck Deb has not infected the other sheep, everyone looks healthy. We have decided not to get a goat now, we have enough animals. This summer, we have acquired two new Romney sheep (beautiful wool for yard), rejected a cow, Guinea hens, more sheep, and a goat.

I think we are happy just where we are. This summer, a leap forward in my photography with the new IR camera sent me by Dan at maxmax.com, and the monochrome camera you all helped me to buy. I am especially loving black and white photography.

Maria is on a creative tear, she is making wonderful new potholders, hanging pieces and quilts and selling them quickly. Our gardens have matured and are especially beautiful this year. I am healthy and happy and much in love.

So a good mood for my 69th birthday, as Thomas Merton said, I am beginning to be old, but am not yet there. I am so much better at being old than being young. I am not living in great pain and fear, perhaps for the first time in my lengthening life. I am grateful for that. There is help, and it works.

This afternoon, we’re going to see George Forss who is printing up the photos for my portrait show at the Round House Cafe in September. Another gallery is interested in my showing the portraits there. George says the photos are obviously of people I love, and this is true.

I’ll check in later.