Critter Way

Category: Biography

Publishing Information: 2007 by Stoneydale

ISBN: 1931291632

Binding: Paper

In a sequence of colorful and amusing stories relating to his ì new neighbors, their animals, and the characters in the awesome ì mountain setting of western Montana's picturesque Bitterroot ì Valley, author Don Buelke of Victor, Montana, has written a book ì titled Critter Waythat literally and metaphorically takes ì the reader along on the life journey of a young veterinarian ì thrust by his new practice into a remote and unfamiliar ì environment.

The book represents an expanded dimension of themes published ì by Stoneydale Press over the past 30 years, including books on ì outdoor recreation, regional histories, biographies and warm ì reminisces of life experiences in Montana and the Pacific ì Northwest. It is the first published work by Buelke, who recently ì retired from a long career as a veterinarian in the Bitterroot ì Valley.

While the story of Critter Way is set in a fictional ì community of Pine Cone, Montana, it represents a continuum of ì tales reminiscent of those written by an English veterinarian a ì generation ago that evolved into the PBS television series "All ì Creatures Great and Small." In Critter Way, Buelke tells ì the story of a young veterinarian with a few years' prior ì practice experience who has just completed a two-year stint in ì the Air Force and packed his family into their station wagon to ì move across the country to the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. It ì was the spring of 1970 and the young veterinarian was about to ì embark on an unknown future where he'd face austere conditions, ì cold weather, and a unique culture in a community locked in a ì time decades behind.

"This isn't another `heart-string' story about a veterinarian ì heroically saving patients, or a `how-to' book on veterinary ì care. It's a book focused on rendering refreshing tales about ì engaging people involved in enticing situations," publisher Dale ì Burk of Stoneydale Press, said. "The author skillfully embroiders ì them onto a breathtaking tapestry of a time-locked Montana ì wilderness valley with their vernacular, customs, and ì down-to-earth personalities in a manner that will compel readers ì to relive the situations just as though they were there. It's an ì entertaining, lighthearted, and refreshing alternative to the ì self-help books, political diatribes, and social critiques ì filling bookstore shelves today. Anyone with an interest in ì animals, even young readers, will adore these delightful tales ì from the not too distant past."

Critter Waystarts with the veterinarian's first ì emergency call, an unusual request to repair the broken leg of a ì canary whose owner was an aggressive, but softhearted lawyer. It ì wasn't long before the "line-shack" that served as his family's ì first abode compelled them to undertake a house-hunting adventure ì with a savvy old realtor who enlightened them about some of the ì cultural characteristics and simple values of the fascinating ì people in Pine Cone. When his little girls wanted a pony, he ì found himself dealing with an irascible old horse wrangler who ì gave him clues not only about horses, but about life in the ì Valley as well. Other anecdotes range from assisting a hardy ì stockman delivering a calf in a winter storm, to a spectacular ì trek with new friends into the vast wilderness outside this ì enchanted hamlet. The characters he encounters and the situations ì in which they become involved provide chapter after chapter of ì colorful reading, interspersed with heartwarming sagas of special ì animals and unique people. In every case, the characters and ì situations imbue an element of charm to the book. From the ì preface through the last sentence, this book compels readers to ì seriously await the author's next release. "Critter Way" was ì issued in 6x9-inch softcover format. It contains 160 pages, a ì number of illustrations by Sean Mallow of Stevensville, Montana, ì and a colorful cover design by Neal Wiegert of Missoula, Monana.

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Quantity currently in Stock: 1

Categories: -3830-1030-1140-4900-3832-