Flo and her box have become a fixture on our back porch and farm; I love photographing her. We have no idea where Flo came from or how she got here, but she became the first cat to flirt with me and win me over.

Flo opened me up to the mystery and independence of cats.

Minnie is a sweetheart, but she was always Maria’s cat, and I spent more time with dogs. The cats kept their distance.

Flo used to nap in my lap in the winter, but that didn’t work with Bud, who is not trustworthy around cats.

We have our private cuddling time outside. From May to December, Flo lives outside, sleeping on her cushion on the front porch, in her porch box, or on stormy nights, up in the eaves of the woodshed, where she hid for a year or two before she revealed herself to Maria in a snowstorm.

If you are an animal in need of attention, you can’t do better than revealing yourself to Maria. I love Flo; she is getting older but still loves to hunt during the night. She is asleep in her box most of the day, which Maria created for her.

She and Minnie curl up on cold days, two independent barn cats teaming up to keep one another warm. She loves to pose for me; she knows it will get my attention, and she will get some love.