Reading.......The Dogs of Bedlam Farm

One of the advantages of no longer being able to sleep at night (racing thoughts, cumbersome bellies that can't get comfortable, and innumerable trips to the bathroom - yes, this baby thinks my bladder is a trampoline!), is being able to indulge in a long overdue book binge. See, there's a silver lining to everything, right?

A few nights ago, I finished up Jon Katz's book, The Dogs of Bedlam Farm, and I loved it. I was thrilled to learn that there is a vast Katz library out there to be savored, page by page. Bring on those night time feedings baby boy! I might pass on the murder thrillers, but the dog books? Yes, please! I've always been a dog lover, but Katz elevates your average dog lover's adoration of our canine companions to a deep, almost spiritual level. The book is a simple memoir, a middle aged suburbanite spending the winter in a farmhouse in Washington County in upstate New York. The writing is clear and to the point, with incidences both bitingly funny and sometimes, deeply sad as well (although as Katz writes in the foreward, no dogs die in this book.....I would have kept reading it anyway, but that claim made me feel much safer in doing so). But the overarching promise of this book is found in the author's insights into how our relationship with dogs reveals so much about our relationship with our fellow humans, the rest of the natural world, and even ourselves. These revelations are so profound and thought provoking that, if you're like me, you'll have an entirely new respect and admiration for the precious pooch you already loved. And, again if you're like me, you'll be trying to convince your husband that it makes perfect sense to get a small herd of sheep and two border collies come spring. Negotiations are pending.