I grew up in the rather sterile environment of a post-World War II tract home subdivision in southern California. I was an only child and we did not have pets: my parents had grown up on poor tenant farms in the rural south of the 1920's, and to them animals were a burden and a chore, not to be enjoyed. Yet from an early age, animals of all kinds came repeatedly to me in dreams...many of these took the form of nightmares, with the animal in some sort of trouble and me trying to help. My relationships with animals in my adult life have been informed to a great extent by these dreams: I see animals in trouble and I help in whatever way I can. I have never "bought" a pet (with the exception of my horses, all of whom are rescued- horses are property and all have a monetary value; even those who are beaten and starved must be purchased from their abusers!)- all the creatures with me now or in the past are rescued: from abuse or neglect situations, or from shelters. This includes my chickens, ducks, and geese. I provide them all with a safe haven for as long as they live (I do not adopt out animals I take in.) Also, (and this is very important to me), my companions are never kept in pens: we have a secure well fenced acreage and they free-range. This alone was one very important reason I recently aquired a larger piece of land in rural New Mexico. I am and will continue to be a very outspoken advocate for the ethical treatment of animals; and I will continue for all of my life to offer comfort and assistance to those who first called out to me in my dreams...

IN MEMORIAM

In my 40+ years with animals many have come into my life, lived out their span of years, and passed on. Some lived many years, like my dear old tomcat Uncle Bun, who lived to the ripe old age of 18! Sometimes those I've taken in have lived much shorter lives, due to a history of illness, inbreeding, or abuse. And so before I go on I would like to honor those who are no longer with us, who have moved on to the next world, by recording their names:...Night Grazer, Uncle Bun, Striped Trousers, D'iamee, La Pinta Negra, Little Turtle, Pretty Boy, Thomas T. Dancer, Thump-Thump Wide Feet, Wak-Wak Slurpy Bill, Smoky Mirror, V'ger, Foggy Grey Sky, Velvet Moon, Traveler, Lord Bowler, Silver Opal Moon Bracelet, Rustling Buds, Noirdle, Pepe, Stormy, Jeannie, Banjo Buddy, First Scratcher, Sun Sleeper, Nightlight Gazer, Persephone Patch-Pocket Pie, Peachy Pumpkin Patch Pie, Ashley, Milk Mustache, Wisdom, Shy Chin, Slow Lorus, Pansy Petal, Our Lady of the Masks, Yard Sale Monkey, Birdie, Maggie, Foxy, YipYap, Roly-Poly-Puddin, Painted Face, Spotted Corn Girl, Begging for Yucca Fruit, Monsoon Morning, Sunflower Moon, Shadie Sadie, Cumulonimbus, Joanie's Finest Silver, Lt. Commander Chicken, Mr. Feathers, Gherkin Birkenstock, Perkin Birkenstock, Peanut, LadyHawk, Kirsten, Brisco, Dixie, Punkin Pants, Chicago Foots, Cappy, Bonnet Betty, the Heifer, Tigger Tot, Ocelot Spot, Longstocking, Baffling Donna, Bewildered Bo, Midnight Moon, Stilts, Goldenrod Narcissus, Girl of the Golden West, Little Green, Soft Brown, Soft Clouds Dark, Eagle Egg, Golden Gardener, Pearl, Cactus Cloud, Starface, Rosie, Asking for Cactus Seeds, Dovey, Blueberry Skies, Elvira Dark Mantle, Morticia Night Cloak, Bit-O-Chin, Cloud Journey, Pinky Lee, Frank Sinatra Jones, Half-White, Flycatcher, Crook, Leon Jones, Justus, Caterpillar Tail, Chester Vester, The Little Unit, Speckle, Muddy Monkey, The Little Guy, Day-Bird, Glyphord, Mama Bear, Wolf, Critter Sitter, Slow Flo, Little Son, Little Evel, BattleShip (Gandalf), LittleStar, Bright Patch, just Tommy, Thinks He's Handsome, WaterMark, Fur Growler, Corn Dark 1, Edgar Allen, Sphinx, Skunk, HuffPuff...

MY COMPANIONS

Right now I have two mares: Surprise, a 1972 Roan Appendix horse, and Sonora, a 1989 Bay Morab.Their pictures are at left.....Both were rescued: poor Surprise, in fact, was a victim of abuse to the extent that several discs is her spine are ruptured due to being beaten across the back with metal pipes! Sonora fared a little better: she was "only" starved before she came to me, not beaten!...I'll write a bit more about them here soon...

I have 22 cats; love them all dearly; don't see how I can possibly take in any more...most came to me because many many cats were "dropped off" in Catalina all the time that I lived there! Of course being in New Mexico is a respite from this- but I'm just maxed out on cats now! Won't you please spay or neuter your cats (dogs, too)? That way there won't be so many kittens that people will adopt on a whim and then abandon later! I hope soon to have some photos of my dear kitties on this page.

I've got about 25 chickens, plus a pair of dawn-and-white runner ducks and a pair of African geese I call simply "Mother and Father Goose". (Photo of Mother Goose taking a nap above left). They are all 3 years old as of this writing. Mother Goose lays so many eggs (an egg every other day during the cooler months) and I couldn't figure out what to do with 'em all...I finally decided to start blowing them out and painting them! At first I wondered how long I'd be interested in doing this- now I see them as a whole new kind of "canvas" on which to create affordable little paintings! These have been very well-received by my customers at art shows and right now I'm looking around to see if I can find a couple more female geese who need a home! Also I just have to say that I really love geese: with a little hand-raising and affection they are not the squawking creatures who chase you that most folks fear so much!