The Dalai Ollie

If you happen to visit the farm and see a black cat dashing from woods to barn, don't be alarmed: it's not Poe's ghost (though his spirit is very much alive at Walnut Grove). We actually have a new addition to our menagerie. Oliver ("Ollie") came to us via one of my friends at the English Department. At first, we were reluctant to adopt another cat since Poe's death was so fresh in our memory, but as soon as we met Ollie, we knew he belonged on the farm. Strangely enough, he looks and acts very much like Poe, and we like to think that Poe has come back to us in another form--like the Buddha of Compassion who embodies each new Dalai Lama. Unlike Poe, though, who ruled the farm with a reserved wisdom, Ollie takes a more aggressive, even pompous, approach: "herding" the chickens and horses, strong "pawing" Pippin, our other barn cat, and perching on my shoulder while I do my chores. He even does an inspection of Mike's work at the end of the day!