In Pennsylvania and all states of this nation, there are places that were once vital but are now locally beloved by-ways that hold memories of ancestors and former days. Here is a general account of the early residents of the Big Spring area of Cumberland County, and how families lived there before the advent of gas-powered machinery. Beginning before Cumberland County was created, settlers claimed land for farming on both sides of the spring and around 1800, villages were established at each end of the six-mile spring. One village lives on as the fully-functioning, history-rich, well-documented town of Newville. This book pays particular attention to the other village, Springfield (alternately known as Big Spring), which was laid out on a hill near the head of the Big Spring. Springfield faded away over the course of 150 years, leaving only a few original houses, stone foundations and fences to mark the spot. It lives on in nostalgia, along with the drovers, artisans, wagons, horses, mills, taverns and the turnpike which sustained it during the age of the horse.

In Texas blood is bond and oil is king.

Kitch-iti-kipi (The Big Spring) is one of Michigan's most popular tourist attractions. Many folk tales exist about this natural wonder found deep in the woods of the Upper Peninsula. Many of those stories were admittedly made up by John I. Bellair, a local businessman in the 1920s, in an effort to attract more visitors to the area. But what is the authentic Native American legend of Kitch-iti-kipi?The story in this book has been passed down orally in the author's Native American family for more than one hundred years. Although Natives seldom write down their folklore, the author's great-great-aunt actually did write this legend in a published booklet which was found when she passed away in 1969. That booklet was the author's inspiration for this book.The Legend of Kitch-iti-kipi reads like a Native version of Romeo and Juliet. In it, the deep love between a handsome brave and a young maiden drives a powerful chief to act out his jealousy. The results are tragic for all three!

This text explores the natural history of Texas and more than 2900 springs in 183 Texas counties. It also includes an in-depth discussion of the general characteristics of springs - their physical and prehistoric settings, their historical significance, and their associated flora and fauna.

The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever. It started as an assignment... Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one. That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives. In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends—and better people—through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it.

This classroom resource provides clear, concise scientific information in an understandable and enjoyable way about water and aquatic life. Spanning the hydrologic cycle from rain to watersheds, aquifers to springs, rivers to estuaries, ample illustrations promote understanding of important concepts and clarify major ideas. Aquatic science is covered comprehensively, with relevant principles of chemistry, physics, geology, geography, ecology, and biology included throughout the text. Emphasizing water sustainability and conservation, the book tells us what we can do personally to conserve for the future and presents job and volunteer opportunities in the hope that some students will pursue careers in aquatic science. Texas Aquatic Science, originally developed as part of a multi-faceted education project for middle and high school students, can also be used at the college level for non-science majors, in the home-school environment, and by anyone who educates kids about nature and water. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.

Fleeing a failed marriage and haunted by ghosts of his past, Luis Alberto Urrea jumped into his car several years ago and headed west. Driving cross-country with a cat named Rest Stop, Urrea wandered the West from one year's Spring through the next. Hiking into aspen forests where leaves "shiver and tinkle like bells" and poking alongside creeks in the Rockies, he sought solace and wisdom. In the forested mountains he learned not only the names of trees—he learned how to live. As nature opened Urrea's eyes, writing opened his heart. In journal entries that sparkle with discovery, Urrea ruminates on music, poetry, and the landscape. With wonder and spontaneity, he relates tales of marmots, geese, bears, and fellow travelers. He makes readers feel mountain air "so crisp you feel you could crunch it in your mouth" and reminds us all to experience the magic and healing of small gestures, ordinary people, and common creatures. Urrea has been heralded as one of the most talented writers of his generation. In poems, novels, and nonfiction, he has explored issues of family, race, language, and poverty with candor, compassion, and often astonishing power. Wandering Time offers his most intimate work to date, a luminous account of his own search for healing and redemption.