I have to admit this brightened my morning. Maria got up early and when I looked out the window, she was blogging on the back porch, surrounded, as always, by members of her animal fan club.

Wherever Maria goes on the farm, animals follow – cats, dogs, sheep, and donkeys, if they can get there. If you are a Bedlam Farm animal, Maria is the harbinger of good things – food, love, snacks, and attention.

Animals are no fools.