E.C. helps take care of the tennis courts at an old country club. He also plays tennis and teaches tennis in the parks. These are his reflections on his work, his life, and the game of tennis. And it includes ideas from talking with a wise old tennis player.

Many years ago, John Graves said goodbye to a wild river that tumbled out of the Hill Country and was forever changed by dams and people. In this book we say hello to that same river farther down its course, in the valley that carries its name. When naming the signature landscapes of Texas, if you have never said “Brazos Valley” in the same breath as “Hill Country” or “Big Bend,” this book could change your mind. In the fine, penetrating photography of D. Gentry Steele and the revealing, affectionate reflections of M. Jimmie Killingsworth, the Brazos Valley has found its champions in two adopted sons who have learned to love its quiet, uncelebrated beauty. In words and pictures, Killingsworth and Steele remind us that this valley was the birthplace of a republic, was once the agricultural heart of Texas, and was the ancestral home of a great alluvial river. Here, the Brazos is—and isn’t—John Graves’s river, the one with clear-running waters flowing beneath limestone cliffs. A little south of Waco, the river gets bigger, slower, muddier. In its middle reaches it creates a wide swath of bottomlands and prairies where, if you take the time to look, you will discover the natural virtues of this place: peaceful glens, watered forests, flowers, birds, and backyard wildlife. This book will inspire all who live and work here—and those who just visit—to see the Brazos Valley anew and form a fuller appreciation of what it offers.

A pictorial essay that showcases the natural beauty of the Palmetto State and its inhabitants From the Appalachians to the Atlantic, South Carolina's awe-inspiring beauty is revealed in this visually stirring and heart-warming tribute to one of America's favorite vacation destinations. Rich with more than 250 stunning photographs, this second volume of Reflections of South Carolina uncovers the geological, natural, and cultural grandeur the Palmetto State packs into 32,000 square miles. A foreword by New York Times best-selling author Mary Alice Monroe complements the photographs and text. In a landscape abundant with waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and surf, South Carolina overflows with flora and fauna, as well as astonishing vistas. On their new journey, photographer Robert C. Clark and writer Tom Poland set out on a path of discovery that reveals charming country stores, water-powered gristmills, enchanting meadows, and extraordinary people and places. From angles high and low, this keepsake book illuminates the state's summits, swamps, shores, and islands that brim with life, beauty, and culture. Turn the pages and explore the mountain majesties, fruited plain, and shining sea—South Carolina holds so much of what makes this country "America the Beautiful." Reflections of South Carolina, Volume 2 documents the state's surprising variety as well. You can stand atop Sassafras Mountain in August and yet feel fall's chill or walk Charleston's cobblestone streets in shorts in the middle of February. Clark and Poland advise visitors and residents alike to take their time exploring South Carolina and whenever possible to take the road less traveled—for the next turn might reveal an antebellum-era slave chapel, a farmer peddling honey and tomatoes, a mountain's reflection in a sparkling lake, or a peach orchard exploding pink. What could be next? A praise house? An unforgettable character? Art on an abandoned boat? Discovery makes a great companion.

A pictorial journey down South Carolina's astounding array of rivers with insightful essays that bring them to life.