When author J. D. Porter retired after a forty-year career managing parks, zoos, and museums, he found a new adventure as the pilot of a mule wagon for a local quail hunting lodge. This fascinating gig led to yet another job title for Porter: newspaper columnist, for his local paper, the
Albany Herald
. This charming collection of essays, anecdotes, and tales is the result.
Being tasked with writing about his work on the mule wagon prompted Porter to explore with humor and poignancy a wide variety of topics, from how shotguns can be works of art to the art of the walk, from a bridgebuilding slave to a tortoise and a billionaire, and from a dog named Joy to contemplating tombstones.
Fans of Southern writers like Rick Bragg and Roy Blount, Jr., and nature writers like E.B. White and Wendell Berry, will find much to love packed into this collection of essays.