Overview

In our fast-paced modern world, quitting one's job to live off the land is a common if often unrealised dream, but Kathy Sletto and her husband Terry know that one of them will simply have to. They were both raised on farms, they own a picturesque parcel of land, and they love the sheep they are raising on the side, but the work with the animals is taking over their lives. She is the fibre arts specialist, and she jumps at the chance. Besides, they got into this predicament because of Sletto's crazy love of animals. An initial purchase of two sheep quickly grows to an entire flock with the addition of llamas, an alpaca, and way too many angora rabbits -- each treated more like family than livestock. It's a fault Sletto recognises when she can't bring herself to cull her favourite sheep for the good of the flock, put down a roaming dog, or give up on a lamb born blind. She sees in these animals distinct personalities, respects their quirks, and recounts their adventures in hilarious tales -- Tony the lonely, lamb-loving alpaca, Steve the possum-playing rabbit, Mack Dawg the llama with berserk male syndrome. When freelance grant writing promises to balance the household books, Sletto must counterpoise new demands with the old, showing how the most modern and most ancient of work can coexist in this American life.

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9780873517706

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Kathy Sletto brings new meaning to the concept of going green. I'd call it going broke, and her story will break you up, too--with laughter. Suzann Nelson, coauthor of Growing Up Lutheran Like a knitting project that cannot be put down, Keeping Watch sweeps the reader into a compelling engagement with small-scale farm life. The author deftly spins fibers and story, and her strong, warm, and resilient characters, both wooly and human, will linger as a welcome presence in your heart. Cat Bordhi, author of A Treasury of Magical Knitting Stopping just short of anthropomorphizing her woolly and furry charges, Sletto observes them closely and respects the emotions behind their dejected bleating or excited wriggling. It doesn't hurt that she has a gift for comic pacing, spinning her tales with just enough exposition, description and touches of Minnesota color. Star Tribune Keeping Watch is a lively--often hilarious, sometimes sad--account of [Sletto's] decision to become a full-time shepherdess, the difficulties she faced, the joys and pitfalls along the way, and, most of all, it's a story of the most entertaining menagerie of critters you're likely to come across this side of Dr. Doolittle. Alexandria Echo Press Here [Sletto] tells the stories of Tony the lamb-loving alpaca, Steve the possum-playing rabbit, and the dilemma of bending a fast paced freelance job with the duties of a full-time shepherdess. A great read for any animal lover. Ely Summer Times

Author Information

Kathryn A Sletto is a shepherdess and grants administrator who lives near Alexandria, Minnesota.

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