Richard LeBlond has had quite a life-he's been stranded on a Montana mountaintop, chased by a bear in Labrador, splashed through torrential downpours to document the unsuccessful mating game of the spadefoot toad, crossed a union picket line as a teenager in Oregon, and wrangled errant lovers on a Cape Cod dune as a park ranger.

LeBlond travels across North America with his eyes and ears open, and reports in these essays with clarity and humor on the natural world and the two- and four-legged animals who inhabit it. His wit and compassion for the foibles and blessings of being human shine through in each chapter. He also shares what he has learned about the supportive role writing can play in the aging process.