Living in a world circumscribed by up-to-the-minute news and electronic tools we barely master before they are out-of-date, we attempt to shield ourselves from environmental events which threaten to overturn our constructed reality. Naturally, in such fast-paced and topsy-turvy surroundings we watch the sky and earth for signs of regularity; looking to the changing seasons for hope and rejuvenation, and seeking out the voices of those who speak of constancy in the changes of the natural world. Hal Borland was such a voice. Every week, beginning in 1941, in the editorial pages of The New York Times he would speak of living on the land—this natural world we all try to understand. In this collection of 365 of his essays, arranged daily within the twelve months, he writes with a familiarity of the ways of the country that is at once humble and resiliently knowledgeable. In Sundial of the Seasons you will find page-long ruminations on such topics as “Fog” (“a unique blend of mood and weather“), “The Bumblebee” (“Bumblebees tolerate man, up to a point”), “Dandelions” (“Neither flood nor drouth seems to discourage it”), and “Fishing” (“The fish caught are only a lesser part of the catch”), all in celebration of the everyday events of life in the country. Begin each day with the gentle wit and wisdom of the person who, for nearly four decades, wrote his “outdoor editorials” in an engaging and inimitable fashion eagerly read by thousands.

In Book of Days, beloved nature writer Hal Borland takes readers on an eye-opening day-by-day journey through a year of the outdoor world around us. Neither calendar nor almanac, this delightful natural history "daybook" of mini essays is a treasure trove of fascinating philosophical insights, astute wisdoms, and environmental wonders.

Explains how the earth's movements around the sun and the resulting movement of shadows have been used to tell time. Includes illustrations that pop up or fold out to demonstrate how sundials work.

In the "quietest magnificent book IUve ever read" (Jim Harrison, author of "Legends of the Fall") Ted Kooser describes with exquisite detail and humor the place he calls home in the rolling hills of southeastern Nebraska--an area known as the Bohemian Alps--where nothing is too big or too small for his attention.

In Sundial of the Seasons, beloved New York Times nature writer Hal Borland (1900-1978) guides readers day-by-day through the seasonal changes of the natural world. With humility, wit, and wisdom he celebrates the everyday events of life in the country. This collection of his "outdoor editorials" will bring you daily joy and inspiration.