Excerpts

Burroville Back in 1974, when I was in my early twenties, I befriended a group of hikers who were mapping a desert trail from the Mexican to the Canadian border. Offering to try a few routes for them through Death Valley, I made the drive to a base camp near Ulida Flat, where I camped for the night. At first light, I started my trek up an alluvial fan into an unnamed canyon in the Cottonwood Mountains. After about an hour of hiking through the rock-strewn wash, I made my way deeper into the shadows and the bray of a burro told me I wasn't alone. With slow, careful steps, I rounded a bend and found myself in Burrovilleù Population: 100. I looked around and saw that the majority stood in little groups along the slopes while several others were perched atop the perpendicular cliff walls. I continued walking and was soon met by an imposing welcoming committeeùa dozen big Jacks with massive heads, standing shoulder to shoulder and daring me to approach. Though they stood a good thirty feet away, their resolute stance and effective blockade of the canyon ahead made me pause a while to consider my next move. I'd never heard of anyone being killed by a burro, but it was clear they had no plans to let me pass. Several moments went by until one of the big Jacks pawed at the ground with his hooves and another looked behind him, as if to check the rear for a surprise attack. That's when I saw what the burro was actually looking atùa Jenny and nursing foal standing close beside the canyon wall about twenty feet back. Our eyes met and the femaleÆs flanks shuddered as she watched me with a wariness that only a true wild thing can display. When I lifted my gaze to scan the slopes behind her, I was surprised to see other females and their young, planted in groups of two and three all around me. Suddenly I realized it was the time of year for foals to drop, and the big males were merely protecting their mates and babies. I must have let out a big sigh, because one of them pricked up his ears and raised his head as if waiting for me to speak. ôDon't worry, guys, I'm just passing through,ö I called gently. No response, just a flutter of flanks and a few ear twitches. Clearly, the subtle approach wasn't working, so I picked up a rock and lobbed it near the biggest Jack. It fell at his feet and he lowered his head to sniff it. Clearly the burro had no intention of moving, so I reluctantly turned and began to make my way back down the wash in defeat. That was when a loud bray made me about-face once more. To my surprise, the big jacks were lumbering out of the wash and making their way toward the northern walls of the canyon. Now, only the biggest of them remained at the edge of the bank, staring at me. Suddenly, the way was clear; I'd won the standoff. I started up the canyon but was stopped by the look in the burroÆs great brown eyes. As we stood there staring at each other, a shudder passed through me. In that instant the message he sent me Excerpted from Chicken Soup for the Nature Lover's Soul: Inspiring Stories of Joy, Insight and Adventure in the Great Outdoors by Jack L. Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Steve Zikman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Charles KuraltLinda BallouSuzanne English-WalkerT. Edward NickensDoug RennieNancy BlakeyTom LuskLin SutherlandJohn SoennichsenGarth GilchristJewel PalovakLisa CavanaughJames HertDelia OwensGermaine W. ShamesJim WhittakerKristin HostetterLinda BallouJoyce JohnsonLinda Swartz BakkarWilla MavisLinda ArmstrongStan R. KidBrenda TimpsonStephen GeezHeather Trexler RemoffBruce MastermanJosh CohenMel LeesLinda MihatovZach WahlDonald LouriaAllegra TaylorStar WeissCharles DoerschDiane Graff ConneyCarol TroeschGil ParkerGuy LustigBlaine BonnarNancy SweetlandJim WhittakerGarth GilchristDan BuettnerNorman AugustineDelia OwensMarie SylvesterBill IrwinFerris RobinsonLisa PriceWendy KnightCharles KuraltJennifer OlssonAnne GoodrichJon TurkSharon R. HaynesJanice DuvallStephen LeggattChristine WattJune LemenLinda M. HasselstromLynne CoxPenny PorterLinda MihatovLois DonahueSteve ZikmanPatricia LorenzVirginia FratiHope SaxtonKaren Lynn WilliamsLaura EvansSally Wendkos OldsJamling Tenzing NorgayDr. Norman HouzeCarolyn VaughanNancy Coulter-ParkerDerek LundyBarbara Earl ThomasRobert HeddermanGregory J. RummoCarolyn GriffinMary EmerickRobert FulghumBruce NorthamRobin Andrews, age 11

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiv
Introduction	p. xix
Share with Us	p. xxii
1. Powerful Places
Don Sheldon	p. 2
Manatee Meeting	p. 9
Roaring River	p. 13
The Beech	p. 17
A Place Called Summer	p. 22
Alaska Time	p. 25
Goose Island	p. 28
Catfishing with Mama	p. 30
Burroville	p. 35
2. Wild and Free
River Baptism	p. 40
Pumpkin	p. 43
Camp Air	p. 45
Last Outing	p. 47
Pepper	p. 50
A World Transformed	p. 53
The Tooth	p. 55
3. Our Common Bond
What Shade of Lipstick Goes with Dirt?	p. 60
Jump, Mullet, Jump	p. 67
A Different Kind of Mother's Day	p. 69
Daddy's Garden	p. 71
What Best Friends Do	p. 73
The Perfect Lake	p. 76
The Two Old Fishermen	p. 81
My Canoeing Exam	p. 84
Tanya's Kite	p. 88
What Makes Grace Run	p. 92
4. On Love
One More Cast	p. 98
Ah-nuld the Monkey	p. 101
The Promise	p. 104
Sonar	p. 107
The Okay Signal	p. 111
The Tale of the Goose	p. 114
5. Through the Eyes of a Child
Swimming with Dolphins	p. 122
Kristi and Holly	p. 127
Walking with Jenni	p. 130
On Top of the World	p. 132
The Emily Tree	p. 135
Paddling Down North	p. 137
Mosquitoes	p. 141
Cassie	p. 142
Picking Marshmallows	p. 146
6. A Matter of Perspective
Climbing with the Kennedys	p. 150
The Big Tree	p. 155
In the Hills of Africa	p. 158
Maps	p. 162
Wild Turkeys and Cat Calls	p. 163
Snow Days	p. 166
Trouble on the Rips	p. 169
Fishing with Robby	p. 174
Bypass	p. 176
Visiting the Edge of Death	p. 179
Bill Magie	p. 184
7. The Healing Path
Summer Son	p. 190
Heaven on Earth	p. 195
Hold Your Breath	p. 198
Hemlock Trail	p. 203
Lake Therapy	p. 206
Back to Nature	p. 210
Plodging in the Pacific	p. 215
Breaking Up the Ice	p. 219
Bells in the Night	p. 221
8. Making a Difference
The Pelican	p. 226
A Coyote Named Promise	p. 231
Mr. Bucky	p. 238
Ladybug and Cricket	p. 244
The Solo Club	p. 248
Terrified on Timpanogos Mountain	p. 251
Nice Bird	p. 257
Marigolds and Memories	p. 260
To Plant a Tree	p. 265
9. To the Limit
Expedition Inspiration	p. 270
Going Like Sixty	p. 275
In My Father's Footsteps	p. 280
Faith of a Child	p. 285
Mount Vaughan	p. 291
Mud Trials	p. 296
Two at Sea	p. 301
Making Peace	p. 305
10. Nature's Wisdom
A Fresh Start	p. 312
The Secret to Fishing	p. 315
Mother Duck's Miracle	p. 323
Walking Passage	p. 327
Donnie	p. 330
What a Difference a Walk Makes	p. 334
River Recipe	p. 336
More Chicken Soup?	p. 339
What Is the National Audubon Society?	p. 340
Who Is Jack Canfield?	p. 341
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?	p. 342
Who Is Steve Zikman?	p. 343
Contributors	p. 344
Permissions (continued)	p. 355