A trip to Lion Springs Farm...

Seamus is my favorite dog. If I could time-share him with Lee, I would in an instant and then spend all my time drawing him. He gullumphs around in a vague, almost drowsy way, as if he knows he's the perfect hero for a comic novel.

Brianaugha (or however you spell that) is only three and still, essentially, a puppy which means that she could easily knock you down. Lee explained that someone she'd heard about had broken a hip when an Irish Wolfhound banged into her. I didn't need to hear this story before hiding behind Lee whenever the dog came bounding over.

There was some hope that B. would successfully become impregnated, but it didn't happen. He, Seamus, came from a litter of nine surviving puppies, if I remember correctly. Evidentally, the uterus is bifurcated, with the puppies in each section, one born from one side, then another. There is more problems with the birth if there are only one or two pups...rather than a huge litter. Seems like a very impractical arrangement to me....

They kill wolves by biting their necks and are almost as large, but not as sturdy, as Romeo who is a minnie horse, a stallion who serves as bait to excite female thoroughbreds before the thoroughbred stallion is led into the paddock. He is around 30, with a large stomach, but still perfectly gorgeous. The long hair of his forelock would have served well to protect his face against flies. Other horses have their forelocks and manes clipped, so that they don't function practically.

For some reason, I really wanted to show K and Smith Lee's farm and she was obliging, spending several hours with us. It was built in 1706, a remarkable barn and house. And I got to see Harry who is one of the nicer people in the world. He works for Lee, taking care of the horses, stalls, gardens, the lamas. I met him when he was training one of her horses at the track and that's where I made my decision about his character....Any situation, from academic life to the backside of the racetrack, gives plenty of room for deciding who is honorable, or at least on your side of any fence, can be trusted to live up to values you think are important, even if they might not be the norm of the institution. And that's where I made my decision about Harry...

K and I got out to photograph pigs that are part of a teaching farm, or something like that, which provides boxes of food for community members who pay a summer or an annual fee. Right now these pigs are being used to strip of field of weeds. A sign warns not to touch or feed them, not to go inside the gate. They were rooting around when we drove by, but came up to greet us.