Off Leash in the Woods

Here is a photo I took yesterday from the parking lot of the studio building. People always wonder how such an amazing building can have such cheap rent. It is a mystery. One of the gallery members, Bo, made the sculptures in the foreground. Yesterday was particularly fun in the studio as we were all there other than Otto (lives in Berlin) and Lucy(traveling all month -- I miss her so!). Roxy brought her cameras and filmed us as we worked. We were all super-charged!

I drove out West last night with Sasha. It was very dark and rainy -- I don't like driving much at night by myself and much less in those conditions -- but got here in one piece. Mark had driven out Thursday night to try to work on Michael stuff, ie open bank account and continue to look for a job and a place to live. So far nothing. Which means that I'll be heading back to the city tomorrow night and will have a "stay-cation". My strong preference would be to stay here in the country all week, to work in the studio and hike in the woods. I'm actually pretty angry about it. I want my life back. But am making the best of it.

I woke up early (Sasha sleep through the night regularly lately), made coffee and read a book. How lovely and decadent. A friend at work suggested a fantastic book, The Age of Iron by J.M. Coetzee, a South African writer. The main character has cancer and the story is a long, long (book-length) letter to her daughter who lives in America. It is a fantastic book, written in 1990. I just mailed another of his book to Chitra in Bangalore which was also excellent -- The Life and Times of Michael K.

Then I took Sasha for a long walk in the woods, about 2 hours. Initially I had her on a 10-foot leash, then decided to let her loose. She was excellent. I didn't have any treats with me, but she came every time I called. I've never seen her so happy. Jumping in the air, running in circles. Totally joyous, totally free.