My mom always refused to empty the pockets of my jeans.  Because she never knew what might lurk within: river pebbles, June bugs, clover blossom, mouse skull, praying mantis egg case, garter snake.  My fascination with nature began early.  Dad taught me how to track turkeys, call foxes in with a bobwhite whistle, know a black vulture from a turkey vulture while they soared overhead.  Then there were the horses.  Books, dreams, paintings, drawings and photographs.  A living part of me when I wrapped my legs around them and rode.

At the age of 42 I achieved a life long yearning and entered NC State University Veterinary College.  I was in heaven and hell.  Veterinary school was intense, draining and illuminating.  In 1993 I became a licensed veterinarian and setup Hoof Beats Veterinary Practice, with an emphasis on horses.  For 14 years I lived with the horses, my patients, and their owners.  Contentment was mine.  Then in 2007 I was badly injured in a vehicle accident.  At the end of almost 3 years of treatments and therapy, I found that I could no longer practice my veterinary profession as a full time pursuit.

I took up a camera in 2009, mostly to force myself to use my damaged arm.  To my surprise, people liked the photos I was sharing in emails.  There grew a steady request to buy my photographic portraits of nature.  Often I was satisfied to hear that the viewer enjoyed the candid views in which I specialized – dad would have been pleased to see his lessons translated into portraits.

I hope you too enjoy my forays into the world awaiting us both whenever I step out the front door.

peace and grace,   doc ellen