by Karen Weir-Jimerson
If you’ve ever dreamed about living in the country, surrounded by cats, dogs, donkeys, chickens, horses, and other assorted furry and feathered friends, you might find some inspiration in Karen Weir-Jimerson’s new book of essays, Slow Lane. A follow-up to her first book, So Much Sky, this new volume of essays documents Weir-Jimerson’s rural adventures as she, her husband, and two sons continue to transform their 3-acre Iowa farmstead into a haven for plants, animals, and a rural family of four. Many of these essays were originally published in Country Gardens magazine, so the book includes a generous helping of prose about gardening and the natural world. It also includes a cast of animal characters indoors and out. Although Weir-Jimerson did not grow up in the country, it’s clear she adapted quickly, relying on her wit and wisdom to discover humor in trying situations, such as attempting to retrieve the family's precocious Jack Russell terrier Snap from the morning school bus. And, how she looked to her Border collie Tweed for advice when a confused wild turkey tangled itself into the antenna of her vintage Airstream trailer in the middle of the night. Weir-Jimerson’s animals play starring roles, too. Some favorites include: Chursky, a 4-horned ram with anger issues; Nell, a sweet Border Collie who traveled home with the family after a vacation in Scotland; Boots, the extra-toed cat who was more ghost than pet in the Jimerson farmhouse; and Riley, Cisco, and Peso, three curious miniature donkeys with big attitudes
