Raven Meet Raven. She has been with me for 13 years now. As a kitten she would curl up in my hair to go to sleep. She still tries it at bedtime. Raven has traveled everywhere I have gone and is a great travel companion. She has tons of personality with a "I am the Queen" attitude. You wil not pet her unless she wants to be petted, and it's not up for debate! She now has white whiskers and is losing a few of her teeth. She hasn't slowed down any. . .she keeps Iris on her toes! She is definitley my bud. . .she knows somehow when I am mad or sad, etc. I am lucky to have her. Iris Here is Iris. The dork, the goober. She is about four years old now. I got her because some asshole dumped her. She was cold, hungry and had a serious skin problem and a messed up eye. I was leaving to go on a week long trip and I sure didn't need her or want her with my cats not knowing what all was wrong with her. I took her to the local shelter and they said she would be put to sleep immediately. What a bunch of jackasses. Needless to say, I took her to the vet and boarded her until I got back. By the time all was said and done it was close to $400 for her. Dang!! But, she makes me smile everyday and shows me everyday how appreciative she is just to be alive. She is a happy animal and she has been nothing but pure joy in her antics and affection. Lily Here is Lily. She is about ten or eleven years old and what an absolute sweetheart she is! She is the quiet one that patiently awaits for her attention. She never demands or fusses. She came to me at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas as a cold, skinny, wild as hell, teeny, tiny ball of fur. It took over a month of feeding her before she would even let me touch her. Of course when it got cold outside I had to take her home. She is generous with affection and she talks ever so softly with her little purring meow. She is an absolute doll.

	May 25th, 1978-June 26th, 1996.   This is Sham. I was honored to have him in my life for 18 years. He was my first horse and he saved me from myself and if it had not been for him I would probably be dead by now. He was my companion, friend and teacher. I took his name from one of my favorite childhood books "King of the Wind." Sham would do anything I asked him from horse shows, to riding bareback all day and going through the drive through at McDonalds, parades, swimming in the pond, being groomed for hours and me sleeping in his stall with him. He was a fantastic athlete and could jump anything and I even got him up to a 5 foot oxer one day goofing around. In 1996 I was at Arlington Park in Chicago galloping and ponying the afternoon races. He was being used one morning to pony a few horses and when I got back to the barn on a horse I had just galloped the grooms in the barn told me my horse had fallen on the horse path. I get to the path and Sham was down, people everywhere. I had seen where the vet had treated him but it was no use and I remember it like it happened yesterday, it was like there was no sound and I was outside myself watching all this. I got down and held his head and talked to him and he was looking at me when he closed his eyes for the last time.  I was told that he waited on me to get there before he died, I guess that could be true. He died from an apparent heart attack. I miss him everyday and I smile when I think of him but of course I will still cry. I have the shoes he had on that day and some of his tail hair, my Mom took the shoes and had them framed with his photo so I can see them everyday. He was the epitome of class, character, devotion and unconditional love. I miss him endlessly, I was truly blessed and I thank God I was lucky enough to have him in my life for 18 years.

	March 19th, 2006-December 14th, 2006.   Devin had a pasture accident on December 12th, 2006 and he did not respond to the treatment and medication to save him. I still have no idea what he did. Nothing was out of place in the paddock and there was not a hair out of place on him. He passed away in the early morning hours of December 14th, 2006. I had him buried in a special place that afternoon. He brightened my day everyday and he was a remarkable horse that made an impression on anyone that met him. I was very fortunate to have him 8 months but of course I wished it had been much longer. He truly loved life and I miss him terribly.