Through anecdotes and 200 drawings, she shares her delight in discovering the small wonders of the natural world. Wandering the island’s beaches, forests and lakes, she gathers seaweeds, mushrooms and berries. Ever curious, she expands her knowledge of wild-flowers, lichens, lowly beetles and more. Her encounters with deer, bats, raccoons, frogs, snakes, birds and other wildlife are, by turns, humorous, exasperating and poignant. And she constantly works at enhancing her three acres of garden, meadow and forest jungle. Hilary Stewart also offers glimpses of the people and events that make up island life: learning local ways and history, attending Native peoples’ ceremonies, observing the water dowser, helping to discover petroglyphs, circumnavigating Quadra by boat, coping with wild winter storms, taking part in the annual eagle count—and drumming up the full moon. Here are the many pleasures and occasional frustrations of life on a small island. It’s a life attuned to the natural world, sparked by the joy of discovery, flowing with the seasons, the weather and the tides—on island time.