"Pickering's "little flings" with language - his fleeting, well-turned phrases that sparkle for a moment and make one forget weighty significance - fill the essays. With a style renowned for humor and craft, Pickering writes essays that he likens to three-legged stools, equally supported by observations of nature, commentaries on family activities, and anecdotes drawn from memory."--BOOK JACKET. "Through his close observations, Pickering reminds us how varied the world is and how it can restore the spirit, examining things we often overlook, like moss or beetles or the quality of November light."--BOOK JACKET.