It is morning at Ravensfield Farm. The ducks are up early. They quack as they waddle down the hall, out the barn door and into the pond. Ducks are comical and boisterous while the chickens are sober and a bit fussy. They prefer to sleep late. When they awaken, the rooster crows and the hens follow him, clucking quietly, into the yard.

Another day begins. I gather eggs, freshen the drinking water, and sweep out the stalls. I set out food for the barn cats. We shouldn't feed them. They should earn their keep by catching mice. But when a hungry mother cat and her kittens come up to us, well...So not to worry, the mouse population is thriving.

As I walk back from the barn, eagles fly overhead returning to their nest by our lake. A pileated woodpecker scales a tree looking for insects, and blue jays squabble over peanuts.

Back at the house, our three Labrador retrievers, Charlotte Mae, Ben, and Oliver, keep us busy with walks, fetch, and training. Well, mainly, we just feed them treats. We also have indoor cats--ten of them. Two are purebred, and the others are cats rescued as orphaned kittens or hungry strays that came to our door.

And so to work. Animals. They are the focus of my life and the inspiration for my work.