Join the fight against cancer by purchasing this fund-raiser by authors Jan Chandler, Shawna R. Van Arum, Huda Orfali, Duane Simolke, Timothy Morris Taylor, and Bill Wetzel. All author and editor royalties go to funding cancer research! These stories range from gritty and controversial to gentle and touching. Starting with the West Texas setting from Duane Simolke's collection The Acorn Stories, this new anthology takes readers across several landscapes, during times of trouble, change, hope, and triumph. Visit http://tagreviews.blogspot.com/ to read reviews.

A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories. -Kirkus Discoveries Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. -Amos Lassen, Literary Pride The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character's breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer. -E. Conley, Betty's Books "A well-crafted collection of short stories." -L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula "It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, Texas, and get to meet all the different and varied people that Mr. Simolke so eloquently fleshed out." -Mark Kendrick, author of Desert Sons Visit the West Texas town of Acorn! Enjoy the German festival, a high school football game, homemade apple pie from the Turner Street Café, and the cool shade of a hundred-year-old oak tree. Meet dedicated teachers, unusual artists, shrewd business owners, closeted gays, and concerned neighbors. See how lives become intertwined in moments of humor or tragedy. Just be careful, because in Acorn, the sky is always falling! From romantic comedy to razor-sharp satire to moments of quiet reflection, Duane Simolke's award-winning tales transform a fictional West Texas town into a tapestry of human experiences.

An intimate blend of personal field notes, rich natural history, and stunning photographs in the wild, this perfect holiday book for all bird-watchers provides an in-depth look at two of our most iconic--and important-- bird species. Great for photography lovers, conservationists and backyard enthusiasts alike, it includes an overview map of habitats and a foreword by award-winning artist and writer Tony Angell.Every wild place and urban area in North America hosts an owl or a woodpecker species, while healthy natural places often boast representatives of both. The diversity of these two families of birds, and the ways in which they define and enrich the ecosystems they inhabit, are the subject of this vivid new book by photographer and naturalist Paul Bannick. The Owl and the Woodpecker showcases a sense of these birds' natural rhythms, as well as the integral spirit of our wild places. Based on hundreds of hours in the field photographing these fascinating and wily birds, Bannick evokes all 41 North American species of owls and woodpeckers, across 11 key habitats. And by revealing the impact of two of our most iconic birds, Bannick has created a wholly unique approach to birding and conservation.

Marcie Mayer has worked with acorns for over 20 years and is the first person in the Western Hemisphere to conduct large scale acorn harvesting & processing. Marcie founded OAKMEAL, the world's only gourmet food production company based on acorn flour. Marcie has a keen desire to share her acorn knowledge and help the world remember acorns for our daily diets. Eating Acorns explains the tools and steps necessary for successful acorn gathering, leaching, drying, and storing. There are steps for beginners as well as inspirational ideas for veteran acorn gatherers who want to take their hobby to the next level. Eating Acorns provides nutritional information for acorn as well as 69 delicious recipes to reintroduce this ancient ingredient and get you started experimenting with acorns.Review: Marcie Mayer's acorn-based business has grown beyond the vision of a hobby and has evolved into a model for regional economic development and the renewal of an ages-old, perennial culture. Her new book "Eating Acorns" is a fascinating read from cover to cover. In it you will find a wealth of information from the history of acorn foods around the world, to different kinds of oak trees, the harvesting and processing of acorn and then, FOOD! Marcie Mayer has compiled the most delicious acorn cookbook that you will ever find ANYWHERE on this planet. Whether you are trying something new, or are a seasoned "balanophage" (one who eats acorns) you will not be disappointed by what you find in these pages.Humanity has come to the time in its history when our agriculture and our diets are being reinvented in order to address the challenges of our times. By eating acorns, every one of us can become an active participant in the creation of a green new world with renewed rural economies in healthy perennial ecosystems, one cookie and oak tree at a time. My (acorn!) cap is off to Marcie Mayer for this timeless treasure.Mark Shepard, author Restoration Agriculture: Real World Permaculture For Farmers

Chester Raccoon's good friend Skiddel Squirrel has had an accident and will not be returning - ever. Chester is upset that he won't get to play with his friend anymore. Mrs. Raccoon suggests that Chester and his friends create some memories of Skiddel, so that they will have good memories when they miss him. Chester, his brother Ronny, and their friends decide to gather at the pond, where they combine their memories and create a touching celebration of their friend's life. Many young children must face the loss of loved ones or the need to attend a funeral. This sweet story will help children to understand the positive purpose behind memorial services and how "making memories" can provide cheer and comfort when missing an absent loved one.

For over twenty years visitors to Yosemite National Park have watched with fascination as Julia Parker demonstrates the Yosemite Miwok/Paiute skill of preparing acorn. In this intimate book, now in its revised second edition, Julia describes every step of this intricate and astoundingly nuanced process.

Winner of the Society for Economic Botany’s Mary W. Klinger Book Award The seemingly inhospitable Sonoran Desert has provided sustenance to indigenous peoples for centuries. Although it is to all appearances a land bereft of useful plants, fully one-fifth of the desert's flora are edible. This volume presents information on nearly 540 edible plants used by people of more than fifty traditional cultures of the Sonoran Desert and peripheral areas. Drawing on thirty years of research, Wendy C. Hodgson has synthesized the widely scattered literature and added her own experiences to create an exhaustive catalog of desert plants and their many and varied uses. Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert includes not only plants such as gourds and legumes but also unexpected food sources such as palms, lilies, and cattails, all of which provided nutrition to desert peoples. Each species entry lists recorded names and describes indigenous uses, which often include nonfood therapeutic and commodity applications. The agave, for example, is cited for its use as food and for alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, syrup, fiber, cordage, clothing, sandals, nets, blankets, lances, fire hearths, musical instruments, hedgerows, soap, and medicine, and for ceremonial purposes. The agave entry includes information on harvesting, roasting, and consumption—and on distinguishing between edible and inedible varieties. No other source provides such a vast amount of information on traditional plant uses for this region. Accessible to general readers, this book is an invaluable compendium for anyone interested in the desert’s hidden bounty.