A Year in the Fields

In the opening pages we meet a keen‑eyed observer who grew up amid the rolling Catskill hills, his childhood home a modest stone house set against a patchwork of woods and pastures. Early memories of evenings by the kitchen fire, of shadows that sent his hair standing, hint at a vivid imagination that later fuels his love of the natural world. As a young man he crawls between farm chores and teaching gigs, eventually finding a battered copy of Audubon that sparks a restless curiosity about birds and the surrounding landscape.

The narrative follows his first steps into fieldwork, describing solitary walks along the Hudson and the quiet thrill of spotting a hawk in the sky. Through simple, lyrical sketches he shares the rhythms of seasonal change—snow‑lined tracks, budding apple trees, and the soft murmur of woodland brooks. These early observations lay the groundwork for a lifelong reverence for the environment, inviting listeners to pause and notice the wonders that surround us every day.