So, I’m that lady. The one with poop bags (unused) in jacket
and jean pockets just in case. The one dragging a reluctant dog around the
block when it’s raining. The one jogging down the street trying not to trip
over the leash because she is late for school pick up…again. The one waking up
at 2 a.m. to let her out (and back in). The one cleaning out the crate if she
doesn’t.
Being a new pet owner drew me to James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. Published
in 1972, this book also fits the Reading Challenge category “Read a book originally
published in the decade you were born.” When I picked up this book I was
expecting something along the lines of Carson’s Silent Spring or Thoreau’s Walden.
It is not. Instead, imagine Bill Bryson
writing in 1930s Yorkshire.
Herriot recounts his misadventures as a new vet. Ranging
from middle of the night births to mid-afternoon visits to treat dogs with indigestion,
each chapter is a new case. Herriot wryly admits his mistakes and modestly
summarizes his victories. He revels in the countryside on spring afternoons and
curses it on frigid winter nights. His attempts to convince stodgy farmers to
accept his modern treatments may be hit and miss, but always amusing. This book
is a comfort read in all senses of the word.
So, I’m that lady. The one content to curl up with a book
while the dog naps at her feet. Even though I’m not the one buying Halloween
costumes or baking homemade dog treats, it may only be a matter of time.
3 comments:
My kids would love a dog- but I can't do the things you are doing. (Poop, especially!) James Herriot was a favorite in the community of my childhood- I think there are a couple more books.
I was reminded recently of another animal expert favorite writer- Gerald Durrell- His book,"My Family and Other Animals" has been made into a BBC production, which I hope lives up to the hilarity of the books, in which he writes about his childhood on Corfu, observing his family's foibles much as he observes the natural world around him.
When Josephine started guitar lessons a few years ago, we said she could get a dog after 10 recitals...or if we made her move half way across the country away from her family and friends. Thanks for your recommendation. I'll check to see if our library has his books.
That's quite a bribe. My kids long for a pet- but the closest they'll get for now is the lizard that snuck in the door.
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