Just after Jean Baur adopted a rescue dog, Bella, she lost her job at sixty-five. She decided to enroll Bella in a certified therapy-dog class. This new work, visiting hospital patients with her therapy job, gave Jean hope and purpose.   As Bella’s work expanded to nursing homes and elementary schools, the journey into the world of therapy-dog work allowed Jean and Bella to help others. They met an Alzheimer’s patient who learned to smile again after Bella took a treat from her hand. They befriended a six-year-old boy with autism who previously had a deep fear of dogs. Bella also coaxed an uncommunicative hospital patient to open up again after she jumped into bed with him.   National award-winning author Kim Kavin says Joy Unleashed “isn’t just another book about a dog and a person rescuing one another. It’s about how, together, Jean and Bella share their beautiful gift with countless other people who so desperately need to smile.”

    Oliver's poems begin in the small everyday moments familiar to all dog lovers, but through her extraordinary vision these observations become higher meditations on the world and our place in it.Dog Songs includes visits with old friends, like Oliver's beloved Percy, and introduces still others in poems of love and laughter, heartbreak and grief. Throughout, the many dogs of Oliver's life emerge as fellow travelers and guides, uniquely able to open our eyes to the lessons of the moment and the joys of nature and connection.

    Photographer Glen Denny was a key figure in this golden age of climbing, capturing pioneering feats on camera while tackling challenging ascents himself.In entertaining short pieces enlivened by his iconic black-and-white images of Yosemite's big wall legends, Denny reveals a young man's coming of age and provides a vivid look at Yosemite’s early climbing culture. He relates such precarious achievements as hauling water in glass gallon jugs up the east face of Washington Column, nailing the 750-foot Rostrum in a punishing heat wave, and dangling overnight on El Capitan’s Dihedral Wall in a lightning storm. Each true tale captures the spirit of historic Camp 4, where Denny and others plan the next big climb while living on the cheap and dodging park rangers.

    This particularly delicious guide--filled with lovely line drawings and illuminating commentary about that most mysterious and compelling species--offers a fitting tribute to the animal that provokes the imagination and touches the spirit more deeply than any other on Earth. As subtle and sly and often as funny as cats themselves.--Alice Adams.

    Her characters—Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, and all the rest—exist in a charmed world filled with flowers and gardens. In Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, bestselling author Marta McDowell explores the origins of Beatrix Potter’s love of gardening and plants and shows how this passion came to be reflected in her work. The book begins with a gardener’s biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her. Next, follow Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview of what is blooming that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler’s guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter’s gardens today.

    But there's more to these skin-crawling creatures than meets the eye, and as zoologist Jess Keating explains, sometimes it's the very things that make us gag that allow these animals to survive in the wild.

    In addition to his day job in the Oxfordshire countryside treating cows, dogs, pigs and cats, he's also worked with an astonishing range of species around the world, including crocodiles, rhinos and pandas. In this charming collection he introduces us to some of his favourite patients, ranging from beloved family pets through to magnificent creatures of the wild. Whether microchipping armadillos, anaesthetising giraffes or advising the makers of the Jurassic World series on exactly how to operate on a velociraptor, Jonathan's love for his work and the entire animal kingdom is infectious. From the preposterous (castrating a sugar glider) to the poignant (encountering victims of rhino poaching), the stories in The Travelling Vet will delight and enthral every animal lover.

    

    It describes a childhood that takes place on a vast Wyoming landscape--more than 6,000 acres near near Jackson Hole and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park--where the author grew up with adventure-crazed, raucous brothers and friends, and a colorful collection of Western characters, most particularly her own mother. Mead-Ferro's desire to move back to her childhood homeland from the city is weighed with how she felt when she did live on the cattle ranch, always unsure if she fit in.   When Mead-Ferro's mother is killed in a freak horse accident while herding cattle, Mead-Ferro faces the loss not only of this profoundly influential person but of the entire ranching operation: a century-old legacy. After she and her brothers sell the family ranch Mead-Ferro attempts to recreate the landscape of her childhood--particularly the privileges and responsibilities of land, animals, and real work--as a bequest to her own children.

    Her tales of the season and the Irish countryside sparkle with magic -- from the gathering of holly to the capturing of geese. Taylor beautifully recalls the wondrous innocence of youth, where every snow-dusted corner of the landscape holds a joyful surprise.

    Inspired by pioneer Mary Ann Goodnight, Fern and Castillo offer the story of how one woman helped to save the buffalo in the late 1800s.

    The nature of her work inherently draws the eye inwards, as each element has to be connected to the one next to it in some way, creating a fragile network of shapes and lines. Nikki McClure makes serene pictures of nature and her lilting portraits of animals offer a peaceful oasis from the visual overload of city life. Her work also depicts the virtues of hard labour and patience, which is inherent in her process as well as in the images themselves: weathered hands, washing dishes, people sweeping, mothers caring for their babies and farmers working the land. There is also a large element of celebration. McClure encourages taking the time to roll around in the grass and getting wet from the early morning dew; sitting down on the ground and grabbing hold of the earth; and looking up at the stars to dream. In Collect Raindrops, McClure magnifies the importance of simple things, like the change of seasons. parenting and appreciating both the urban and rural landscape, undoubtedly influenced by her home in the Northwest and specifically Olympia.

    The book provides insight into what makes veterinary medicine such a rewarding profession through a series of heartwarming stories.Praise for Adventures in Veterinary Medicine:“As a ‘veteran veterinarian’ with more than 30 years in practice, I found myself nodding in recognition throughout Ingrid King’s heartwarming book. Take a look behind the scenes at my beloved profession, and the people and pets who make veterinary medicine a rewarding adventure. You won’t regret it, I promise.” - Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian” and resident veterinarian for “Good Morning America“Ingrid King offers a unique glimpse beyond the waiting-room door into the inner workings of a veterinary hospital. This collection of essays–each spotlighting a special animal friend from her past–shares smiles and poignant lessons learned from her years working in the profession. From the emergency vet care “dance” to respectfully performed “poop-duty,” this purr-fectly charming book will make you appreciate your pets’ clinic caretakers even more. Highly recommended!” - Amy Shojai, award winning author of 26 pet care and behavior books

    Berra, whose "Darwin: The Man" lectures are in high demand worldwide, tells the fascinating story of the person and the idea that changed everything. Berra discusses Darwin’s revolutionary scientific work, its impact on modern-day biological science, and the influence of Darwin’s evolutionary theory on Western thought. But Berra digs deeper to reveal Darwin the man by combining anecdotes with carefully selected illustrations and photographs.This small gem of a book includes 20 color plates and 60 black-and-white illustrations, along with an annotated list of Darwin’s publications and a chronology of his life.

    This well presented book guides the reader through the ins and outs of clicker training with graphic step by step illustrations that are ideal for beginners and intermediate clicker trainers. These books will show you the clicker way to train your dog to: Sit to greet people instead of jumping up Walk on the lead without pulling Come when called - everytime Stay home alone quietly Find the right place to "go" Play hide and seek and other fun games and tricks