Flat Rock Journal: A Day in the Ozark Mountains

Every spring Carey ( The Return of the Bird Tribes ) takes a ritual solitary walk--dawn to dusk--during which he meditates, reminisces and renews himself. A child of the '60s, he acted on dreams of going back to the land and found an 80-acre farm at the end of a dirt road in the Missouri Ozarks. He and his wife Sherry have made a rewarding life for their family in this heavily forested region with its limestone caves, waterfalls and more than 1000 species of plants. On the ``day'' reported here, Carey absorbs the splendors of nature. He climbs a huge oak to survey the countryside and gets caught in a violent thunderstorm. He recalls a fight to preserve a local forest, his family's learning to co-exist with copperheads and the competition between two dowsers to locate his well. This charming memoir reflects Carey's love of nature and his commitment to preserving the environment. $25,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Feb.)