So now you probably want the story behind the “DAWN” cover photo, too. Your wish is my command!
From 1977 to 1978 I lived in the Los Angeles area acting as a go-fer for my dad’s construction company. (He was building and remodeling high-profile restaurants across the country and I was along for the ride for about seven of those years.) I discovered that I could take Wild Animal Affection Training classes in Colton and Riverside during this time, so I jumped at the chance. The animals at this ranch were movie and TV animals that were hired out to do various stunts.
My first critter to train was a pygmy goat. Goats are easy to train. Build it and they will climb! So I passed that test fast.
Then I got a serval named Sneakers to “tame.” He was a challenge. In fact, they didn’t think it was do-able, frankly. He’d been misused and hassled and was in no frame of mind to interact with human beings at all, so my challenge was simply to see if I could settle him down enough to allow simple petting.
Just eight weeks later Sneakers fell asleep in my arms under a tree, happy as a clam. I passed that test, too.
During my time at the ranch, I spent time with, and handled, lots of critters. (Some of their stories are inside the book.) But this particular tiger cub was a favorite of mine. Her name was Rahni. As you can see, we were buds. She was a delightful soul. My poem, Tiger Cub, was written about her when she was a lot smaller than she is the the cover photo. You’ll find it inside the book.
