Minnie seems more open and engaged than she was before she lost her leg a few weeks ago in some sort of animal attack. In a sense, she was a quiet presence in the farm, little noticed by me, rarely photographed, and in my mind, just not an animal I was drawn to write about. Misfortune changes perspective, and the attack and the resultant attention brought Minnie to the fore.

She is quite a character, vocal, confident, and quite affectionate. She wanted to return to her life as a barn cat, and this is also what we wished for her and what is happening. She is still spending nights in the farmhouse, but I suspect that will change as she is finding her own hiding places, moving freely about and gaining confidence. Minnie is quite the presence in the house, taking over dog beds, cuddling up with Maria in the evening, sometimes taking a nap with me.

She begins her day touring the backyard, visiting the barn, sunning herself in the yard, hanging out with chickens, napping in hay bales. Then she finds me or Maria to eat an afternoon snack and usually comes into the house. She is healing well, her wounds beginning to be obscured by growing fur. She is walking steadily and climbing pretty tall spaces. She seems to be in no pain, and today was a very good day for her.

(Thanks for your notecards and letters, you can write me (or Maria) care of Bedlam Farm, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.)