The mountain air doesn’t just soothe. It restores. It reminds me that my nervous system was not designed for 24/7 notifications and five-lane traffic. It was meant for wind in the pines, the rustle of wildlife in the brush, the surprise of an owl in daylight.

The little girl giggled and patted Needle’s trunk. “I think the tree heard me.”

“You are a listener too, child. The tree chose you for that.”   Elspeth blinked. “Chose me?”   “You hear what others forget. You believe in what breathes beneath the bark and behind the veil.”

Nettie meets a young man caught by the fey. Will she set him free so they can be together?

Mary and Cindy Lou meet two fairies, much to their delight.

In Japan, the maple tree represents grace and peace. “Maple” in Japanese means “rest”...

"Sally," May scolded, landing lightly on the branch the squirrel stood on, its texture gnarled under her tiny feet...

Some oaks are considered evergreen because they never lose their leaves like deciduous oaks do. They lose and replace them during the year,