Every morning, Flo is waiting for me on the porch, flirting, I am told. This is how she got herself into the  house several years ago after hiding in the woodshed for a very long time. We often saw her footprints or other traces, but she was skilled at keeping herself hidden.

Now, she is the Queen of the farm, I see her everywhere, up in the barn, out in the pasture, in the gardens, and lounging on the back porch on hot days. Whenever I come near, she rolls over and shows me her belly and I scratch it. She is the first cat I  have ever truly gotten close to.

One of the things i love about Flo is her schizophrenic personality. She is one of the sweetest creatures on the farm, but most mornings, she also leaves a murderous horror trail of dead chipmunk and mice and squirrel hearts and organs – rarely, she gets a bird. Sometimes moles and baby rabbits.

This is the mystery of cats, for sure, their ability to love and commit mayhem. Flo is the Queen of Love, and the Dark Princess of Mayhem