Pogo and Winnie in the back of our Subaru, their own personal doghouse. I've heard you can buy a doghouse for around $100 or even build one yourself, but our dogs have more expensive tastes.
P.S. Subarus are the Vermont state car. They're everywhere, because they have 4-wheel drive.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT WINNIE AND POGO, OUR BELOVED DOGS
Q: What kind of dog was Winnie?
A: Half Newfoundland and half St. Bernard. When she was six and a half weeks old, she was the cutest puppy anyone had ever seen on the entire planet. That's the truth.
Q: How much did she weigh?
A: 110 pounds, and not a pound of fat.
Q: Did she get along with her little brother, Pogo?
A: They loved each other to pieces, but for the first six months that Pogo was here she wouldn't go within five feet of him.
Q: What kind of dog is Pogo?
A: He's a Goldendoodle. We had never heard of this mix when we went "just to look" at puppies, half Standard Poodle and half Golden Retriever. Turns out they're much in demand these days, but nobody knew about them then. He weighs quite a bit himself, by the way.
Q: What is Pogo like?
A: He's very funny, very sweet, and doesn't have much of a brain. Winnie, though, was smarter than most people.
Q: Really?
A: Really. Would I kid you?
Q: Can we ask you a question about Winnie or Pogo?
A: Any time.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT "BALLET OF THE ELEPHANTS"
Q. Why did you write this book?
A. It's all in the book's notes, but I'll give you a hint: I danced as the sugarplum fairy when I was 5 or 6, my periodontist told me I had to floss my teeth, and I am in awe of elephants.
More significantly, I loved the idea of these three geniuses (in different fields)and all the elephants coming together to create something so playful. I wanted to learn all about it. So I did!
Q. Does it bother you to see elephants in tutus?
A. Yes. But elephants in tutus are sometimes in a better situation than elephants in the wild. I think if human beings could solve the problems we've created for elephants, we'd be making a big step toward solving the problems we're creating for ourselves. To be honest, I sometimes care more about the elephants.
Recently I bought a piece of art painted by an elephant--I kid you not-- to support conservation and reeducation programs for elephants. It's lovely.
And what about all the many domesticated animals we take for granted? Is it just that we're more used to seeing horses used in such a variety of situations? I'm not being flippant; it's all so complicated.
P.S. I don't eat anything that has four legs. I sometimes eat chicken and fish, but less all the time. Maybe I could live on bread.
Q. Have you ever been to St. Petersburg, Russia?
A. No. But I would love to go. What a beautiful city.
Send me your own questions!
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT "HERE COMES DARRELL"
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: Darrell Farnham was a wonderful man and I knew him (not as well as I wish I had) for many years. He always made sure my driveway was plowed in snowstorms in time for me to get to work. He dug our pond, which now has bullfrogs and a snapping turtle and lots of ooze (and maybe even leeches), but the dogs still love to swim in it. He was a good man; the kind of person you wish there were more of. A local hero.
And one day I thought I should write about him.
Q: Did all the things in the book really happen?
A: No. But Darrell did love to carve or whittle, he cared about animals and people, and he had a whole bunch of trucks. I made up all the families, the situations, the conversations, and all the stuff about the barn roof.
Q: How long did it take you to write HERE COMES DARRELL?
A: Longer than you might think. Months and months. I revised the story many, many times. After it was accepted for publication, I revised it even more with the helpful suggestions of my editor at Houghton. I could revise forever!
Q: How do you feel about Mary Azarian's illustrations?
A: I could not be happier. As I wrote the book, I kept imagining her distinctive woodblock artwork! Didn't she do a wonderful job?
Here are some of Pogo's surgical experiments. Every one of these animals is missing a body part, I am sorry to say. Look carefully and see if you can identify the missing part (an eye, an ear, a leg, etc.). Sorry to be so gruesome, but remember, he is studying to be a surgeon!
I was unable to find the photo I once took of all of the stuffing we had collected. It was enough to stuff a small chair.
A new WINNIE story
During a school visit to the Park St. school in Springfield, Vt, the second/third grades wrote this story:
Winnie wants to go to school, but no animals are allowed.
Winnie dresses like a person.
Winnie puts on pants and a shirt.
Winnie puts on shoes.
Winnie puts on sunglasses.
Winnie puts on a wig.
Winnie gets in a line of kids.
The teacher asks Winnie a question.
Winnie goes, "Woof!"
hee hee hee
And the K/1 classes wrote this:
Winnie wants to go to school.
Winnie barks, but she can't read.
Annie will teach her to read.
Annie gives her books.
Winnie rips the books and eats them.
Annie says, "Don't eat the books!"
Annie gets Winnie in the car.
Winnie goes to school. The teachers will teach Winnie.
