When he had joined the RAF, he was recently married and his son was only just born, so they were constantly on his mind. Herriot also had a deep love for Yorkshire, England and the hillside view he always had, where he had just moved and started living before serving. This is also where most of his veterinarian work had taken place due to all the farms there. .
In one chapter, Herriot has a dream of a cow he worked with that was sick and eventually sold from its home farm. The cow escapes its new home and somehow finds its way back home. He feels like he can relate to the cow, because he too wants to go home and go back to the life he loves. In chapter 26, he is with a farmer where he finds himself helping to bring in a harvest of crops. He cannot do it properly because he doesn't know how, so the farmer shows him how and helps him. Later on the farmer's cow is giving birth and the farmer cannot deliver it right. Herriot delivers the calf, and here is where he realizes that you need to know the proper procedures to do something rather than just having strength. These are two examples of connections he makes and the lessons he learned when he was living in his life. James Herriot is a man who likes to observe different situations and see the relationships between men and animals. With different characters throughout the story, since he is a vet and sees a lot of different cases, it is easy for him to write about the different personalities he runs in to and what these people do. Herriot's penmanship skills allow him to use very descriptive language and detail to describe his neighbors. With this, he is able to keep the attention of readers of all kinds and ages and keep them connected with the life that he lived. .
As the story progresses, he is in between his vet life and air force life. He is in basic training as his wife is pregnant, and has to visit her twice before she gives birth and he gets some leave time.