I went out to take a photo of Cassandra doing the chores, and she laughed and asked if I really need to take a photo of her shoveling manure out of the barn, and I said, absolutely, I am open on the blog, that was the promise I made and she shrugged. She came into the farmhouse to check on the firewood and i told her I had brought some in myself, and she said, “listen, Maria will kill me if you have a heart attack while she is gone.”

Okay, i said, that was clear and direct. I am still working out this new program, where I sit on my butt in my warm office and somebody else comes her in the cold to do my chores.

Cassandra is not into drama and does not beat around the bush. The farm is nothing if not adaptable, and the animals are just as happy to see her bring the  hay in the morning as me. She opens the door when she comes, and the border collies, whores for work, happily rush out the door, leaving me in the house without so much as a backward look.

Red rushes to the gate to look for me, but Fate could care less. Cassandra grew up on a farm, she moves quickly and efficiently through the chores, checking on the chickens and their feed, asking about the cats. She even asked me about Fate and her elimination habits.

This is not a small thing, Fate loves work so much she is known to forget about tending to her business, and sometimes needs to be reminded: as in “get busy,” one of my best and most useful commands.

Still, while Maria is off on her great adventure, I am here on the farm working on mine. I did too many things this morning – firewood, the laundry, water for the animals, the dishes. There is a lot to do here, Maria and I split a lot of it, but she has a more energy than I do, and moves a lot faster.

I did ask for  help in the shoveling today, that is a sign of maturity. I am also grateful that I could so much shoveling and feel fine. I will learn some things about myself while Maria is away. Solitude can be healing and educating.

The idea is for me to focus on my work, not on the farm.

So I have to adjust to this.The farm is very different without Maria, I am many things, but not radiant. She is missed.

Cassandra is the perfect person to be here, she knows the importance of things – gates, the proper amount of hay (it comes from her parents farm.). She is strong, like most of the women around me these days. She is professional and misses nothing.

A ton of snow slid off of the roof and onto the porch, just after I had shoveled for hours. Cassandra cleared it off in about five minutes, then carried a load of firewood in in her arms. Creatively, I am seeing the possibilities. Tomorrow, no work of any kind int he morning but writing.

I’ll get up at four, my usual time, and shower and dress and hit the keyboards. I did get started on my next chapter. Talked briefly with Maria from Dubai, where she has a day to fill. We are both a bit disoriented, but she more than me, I am not halfway around the world with nothing to do in a strange place. She should be in Kolkata early in the morning Wednesday, then her journey really begins.