For the past three years, Kennard, with his wife, Debbie, and their
\t\t three children, has owned and managed a 150-acre sheep farm in England's rural
\t\t North Devon. This account focuses both on the difficulties of maintaining a
\t\t vanishing way of life and on five border collies Kennard (A Shepherd's Watch) has expertly trained to assist him
\t\t in tending his flock. From late fall through the summer, the author deals with
\t\t the specter of foot-and-mouth disease, a broken tractor, lice misdiagnosed as
\t\t sheep scab and the ups and downs of birthing new lambs. When it becomes clear
\t\t that Greg, the lead dog, is getting too old for his job, Kennard acquires an
\t\t unusual-looking puppy that his children name Jake, a collie who will prove his
\t\t worth. Pressed by mounting expenses, the Kennards decide to hold sheepdog
\t\t demonstrations on their farm, which garner increasingly bigger and more
\t\t responsive audiences. Kennard's commitment to sheep farming, despite the
\t\t hardships, comes through clearly, but his low-key style lacks detail, and while
\t\t anecdotes bring Kennard's children to life, his wife remains a cardboard
\t\t figure. 24 b&w photos. (Mar.)
