In this book of essays on his explorations and observations in nature, Joseph Colwell shares his insights, reflections and personal understanding about the natural world. Drawn to the West at an early age, he spent his summers working in state and national parks while earning a degree in wildlife management. His careers as Forest Service Manager and Fire Information Officer on wildland fires took him to every state in the West, while his curiosity kept him seeking answers about this mysterious and magical world. Influenced by John Muir, Sigurd Olson, Aldo Leopold, Loren Eiseley and others, Colwell's 45 years of observing wildlife and listening to the secrets held within our landscapes-coastal bluff, mountain, rock formation, or desert - is an inspired adventure.