It has been a joy to see Maria and the donkeys connect to one another. I think Maria has a lot of emotion that animals can sense. I am not sure I have that much emotion, or that it is yet available to me. I am working on it. They come rushing to her, and just lean into her, and this chemistry passes between them. I have long thought that many women are simply more open to emotion than men, and some animals can access that, and this is the language that passes between some women and some animals. It is a theme of “Rose In A Storm” and also of the short stories I am finishing up.