Maria and Fate joined Zinnia and me for our daily walk in the woods and to the lake.

We sat down to have a quiet few minutes by the melting water, and Zinnia lay down in front of us.

Fate jumped up onto the picnic table – there was no one else around –  and sat by Maria as she always does when Maria stops in the woods.

The two have evolved into one of those beautiful human-dog love affairs; they are each almost ideally suited to one another. They have bonded in a way that works so well for them.

Fate is a beautiful dog, intuitive and loyal, and full of energy. She has become the dog Maria needed after Frieda died. She sits quietly in Maria’s studio when she is working, avoiding quilts or fabrics on the floor.

She and Rose are the two smartest dogs I have ever known. They seem to know what their people are thinking and what they need.

When she gets restless, she goes to the door and gets to sit outside in the sun, or by the pasture gate staring at the sheep. When they walk in the woods, Fate stays close by Maria, and when she stops, Fate stops and waits patiently for her.

Fate is something of a wild child, herding dog from Wales who loves sheep but doesn’t want to herd them. I backed off on training her; I just couldn’t figure her out. Maria stepped in, and the two seemed to have been waiting for each other.

I loved this image of Maria staring out at the water and Fate sitting by her side. It is a portrait of dog love.