It turns out I am easily distracted, especially when it comes to kittens and small children. I learned this while standing under the low ceilings of David Kline’s barn. I was there to learn! But I will not lie to you, I was knocked off track by a small mewing kitten that somehow ended up in my arms. I managed to pull myself back to listening intently to David Kline’s voice but I did not let go of my new cat friend. As David Kline finished speaking inside the barn I stroked the soft purring ball of fluff that I was holding and wondered if I would ever be able to convince myself to put it down so that I could continue on with my group. As I was contemplating my options my group disappeared around the corner of the barn. David Kline was talking to Liz so I quickly asked if I could bring the kitten with me to our next destination. He told me to put it in my pocket and take it home with me! I was very tempted to do just that, but it seemed the kitten did not want to leave the barn. So I put him down and ran to catch up with the rest of the class.
While visiting his farm I was amazed to see that the author of the book I had been reading was real! And he was nice! There was no condescension behind his voice. He seemed happy to tell us about his experiences and wanted to hear about our own. His writing was rich with personality and voice and it was fantastic to see it in real life. I noticed that as he was explaining how his book got it’s name one grandson was peaking through the holes in the barn door, trying to get a good look at the strangers gathered in front of his grandfather. The door shifted and banged against the post over and over again as the boy peeked in, but David Kline didn’t pay him any mind. Another grandson had climbed on top of a stack of hay and was watching us from the shadows, as interested in us as we were with his grandfather.
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