A Swan Valley Journal

by Edward L. Foss

Thirty years ago, Edward Foss settled down to improve a small ranch in Montana's Swan Valley. He still lives there, between the Swan and Mission Mountains, in his cabin at Condon. His observations of lovely and turbulent events in the valley he calls home are preserved here, in A Swan Valley Journal. This collection of nine essay-chapters illuminates Foss's days at the edge of wilderness, exploring the connections between humans, our animal companions, and the wild creatures whose lives we encroach upon. Stringing journal entries together with philosophy and beautiful prose, Foss touches on the emotions stirred up by our surroundings and the effects we rough humans have, knowingly and not, on such marvels as deer, elk, hummingbirds, and loons. If anyone may be called a naturalist, Ed Foss qualifies. He notes that although much can be learned while sitting at a cabin window, more can be discovered from a life afield. Taking a reader across the meadows and high ridges of the Swan country, Foss's thoughtful works defend our shrinking wilderness and find niche for humans in a land that changes with the years and the seasons.

232 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994