Affectionately named the Grandfathers' retreats, these sojourns into the depths of the Maine woods have inspired Gould's finest and most emotionally resonant writing to date.

With a naturalist's sensitivity to his environment, and his great good humor, Gould writes of hiking through dense forests, of fly fishing for salmon and trout in deserted creeks, of campside culinary triumphs, and of friendship and shared reflections on careers, family, and the modern world. The resulting book is a wonderful, memorable meditation on the beauty of the Maine woods and on John Gould's ever-interesting life.