Precerpt from In with the East Wind: A Mary Poppins Kind of Life (Leaver) - Animals of Acton
Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication from the forthcoming memoir, In with the East: A Mary Poppins Kind of Life by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver
Animals of Acton: Sanctuary, Scavengers, and Sentiment
Acton had its share of animals—some wild, some domesticated, all woven into the rhythm of our lives. The deer were the most majestic, but in a humbler way than the moose. During hunting season, they’d gather in our swale, grand creatures with 8-point racks among them. Somehow, they knew our land was safe. It was posted No Hunting, and so was my uncle’s. But that didn’t stop the out-of-town fools from skulking in the woods and firing into the fields. One year, one of them shot my uncle’s prize Guernsey cow—brown, unmistakably not a deer. My uncle caught the man trying to make off with the carcass, certain that he had just bagged a deer, and grabbed him by the ear. And then the captive had to listen to a tongue-lashing!
We paid a price for being a deer sanctuary. The deer adored the tender leaves of our budding green beans. We had to shake bloodmeal over the plants to keep them safe. It worked—mostly.
The raccoons were another story. When the corn ripened, they’d descend like mischievous bandits. Not content to eat a cob or two, they’d go down the rows, nibbling just a few kernels off each ear, ruining the whole crop. The farmers had a ritual: nighttime patrols with headlamps and rifles, going farm to farm to thin the raccoon population. My father joined them, reluctantly. He kept his rifle in the parlor closet, in two pieces, bullets hidden somewhere we never found. He never taught us to shoot. That came later—in Army weapons training, with the M-16, standard issue in the Vietnam Era.
Truth be told, I don’t think Dad could’ve shot a raccoon even if he caught it red-handed with corn in its mouth. We didn’t begrudge them a few ears. But they didn’t eat ears—they vandalized them. Eventually, Dad found a better way. He strung a low electric fence around the cornfield. The raccoons stayed out. He disassembled the rifle—and stayed home at night.
We had brown bears, too—mostly harmless, though they scared my sister half to death. Her bedroom faced the barn, and more than once she woke to the sound of a bear snuffling at her window, looking for scraps. That face pressed against the glass? Not her favorite memory.
And then there were our farm animals—pigs, turkeys, chickens. They were our companions, and they were our food. That duality was hard for a child to reconcile. We loved them. We named them. And then, we let go—or tried to.
Book Description:
From the barefoot freedom of rural Maine to the diplomatic halls of Central Asia, from rescuing a dying child in Siberia to training astronauts in Houston and Star City, In with the East Wind traces an extraordinary life lived in service, not strategy.
Unlike those who chase opportunity, the author responded to it—boarding planes, crossing borders, and stepping into urgent roles she never sought but never declined. Over 75 years and 26 countries, she worked as a teacher, soldier, linguist, professor, diplomat, and cultural ambassador. Whether guiding Turkmen diplomats, mentoring Russian scholars, or founding academic programs in unlikely places, her journey unfolded through a steady stream of voices asking: Can you come help us?
Told through an alphabetical journey across places that shaped her—from Acton, Maine to Uzbekistan—this memoir is rich with insight, adventure, and deep humanity. At its heart lies the quiet power of answering the call to serve, wherever it may lead.
Like Mary Poppins, she drifted in with the East Wind—bringing what was needed, staying just long enough, and leaving behind transformation. Then she returned home, until the next wind called.
by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver
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