Sky Time in Gray's River

October 16, 2006
Gray's River, one of the earliest settled communities near the mouth of rural Washington's Columbia River, remains a relatively isolated place, connected to the rest of the state by just one narrow highway. Pyle (author of 14 books, including Chasing Monarchs
and Where Bigfoot Walks
) has lived there for almost 30 years, gradually fitting into the self-reliant community. There, villagers recently rallied, unsuccessfully, to save the local post office, located for decades on an elderly resident's enclosed front porch, and still take pleasure in phone service provided by a local company founded in 1927 and now run by the first owner's son. This luxuriant account of an ordinary year among the flora, fauna and folks of the countryside—where the author's daily walk to the compost heap "is the closest thing I know to sacrament"—focuses as much on bats, butterflies and the pleasure of fresh berries as it does on people. His pensive account of the role the Grange (once a radical farmer's movement, dating back to 1867) continues to play in village affairs includes a nugget of celebrity reporting: Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic is a stalwart member of the association.

November 1, 2006
Twenty years ago, in "Wintergreen", his first book about the Willapa Hills in southwestern Washington State, nature writer Pyle ("Chasing Monarchs") noted that the forests of Willapa, though ravaged by logging, still "offer surprisingly much to the observant naturalist whose expectations are not too high." Now Pyle once again writes about the wildlife and plant life of his place of residence for the past 30 years. While the earlier book painted a broad picture, this one focuses on small details and everyday experiences. In 12 chapters spanning January through December, Pyle takes us on long walks, showing us what is growing each season and what the many different birds are doing at any given time. Inside his house, he tells us stories about the bees in the wall, describes how he found a small dehydrated bat in the bedroom and nourished it back to health, and gives an exhaustive inventory of the contents of an old rat's nest in the rafters. We encounter an assortment of neighbors and attend local festivals and meetings. Pyle has the ability to find wonder in the mundane and beauty in the unpretentious. His appreciation of nature helps us look at the world around us with more wonder. Highly recommended for Pacific Northwest and natural history collections.Ilse Heidmann, Washington State Lib., Olympia

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.