Overview

Fulfilling a wish to live in a remote location and the great luck of finding Morgan Spring was a dream come true. The author and Linda, his childhood sweetheart, quickly realized Morgan Spring was a perfect place for retirement and an extended honeymoon. Morgan Spring opened its pages to teach about the day-to-day living where mail came three days per week and where the water was beyond quenching. Their little spot, surrounded by a meadow often filled with elk and a forest with breezes singing through the needles of evergreen trees, offered habitat for wildlife precious to dangerous, from mushrooms to birds, wildflowers to backyard skunks. Thinking of birds invited forays into how some birds acquired their names and occasional swoops into bird business such as catching flies. Morgan Spring is witness to a rich geological history beginning in the shadow of Mount Mazama of the Cascade Mountains. The richness of human history ranges from bad to good and entertaining. The health of the ecology of Morgan Spring country is also varied, but its outcome hopeful. We rarely saw neighbors. When we did, it was a delight knowing that they also loved Morgan Spring.

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9781725298613

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Reading Morgan Spring, I could almost smell the forest and I could certainly imagine the birds--and the neighbors. . . . Ralph is a nationally-known ornithologist, and the story is infused with facts about birds and with the simple enjoyment of birds. A compact history of the region adds a layer of time to Browning's experience. . . . It is said that all good things come to an end, and this book does. I hope you enjoy your visit. --Alan Contreras, author of Afield: Forty Years of Birding the American West In his quirky and idiosyncratic style, Ralph Browning takes us on a journey back to his native Rogue Valley, sharing the pleasures, mishaps, and surprises he and his wife encountered when they decided to retire close to nature at idyllic Morgan Spring. Ralph's love for Oregon's wildlife and his profound knowledge shine through on every page. An utterly enjoyable read. --Hendrik Herlyn, field ornithologist and scientific translator, Corvallis, Oregon A delightful read, Morgan Spring captures our natural desire to live happily off the grid in the glory of nature. A true naturalist, Browning weaves tales of life on grid's edge together with a comprehensive natural history of the Rogue Valley using a clever and witty writing style that will make you laugh. We all have a Morgan Spring, we just have to find it. --Carla Dove, Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC The title of Ralph's book will pique your interest and hint that you're about to explore a journal in the tradition of Thoreau's Walden. The chapter titles ( The Juncos Are Coming, the Juncos Are Coming, The Dirt on Dirt, Mushrooms and Telephones ) make it clear that Ralph brings both a sense of wonder and humor to his experience living 'Near the Edge of the Grid.' --Jeff Tufts, former Audubon Field Notes writer and eBird regional editor

Reading Morgan Spring, I could almost smell the forest and I could certainly imagine the birds--and the neighbors. . . . Ralph is a nationally-known ornithologist, and the story is infused with facts about birds and with the simple enjoyment of birds. A compact history of the region adds a layer of time to Browning's experience. . . . It is said that all good things come to an end, and this book does. I hope you enjoy your visit. --Alan Contreras, author of Afield: Forty Years of Birding the American West In his quirky and idiosyncratic style, Ralph Browning takes us on a journey back to his native Rogue Valley, sharing the pleasures, mishaps, and surprises he and his wife encountered when they decided to retire close to nature at idyllic Morgan Spring. Ralph's love for Oregon's wildlife and his profound knowledge shine through on every page. An utterly enjoyable read. --Hendrik Herlyn, field ornithologist and scientific translator, Corvallis, Oregon A delightful read, Morgan Spring captures our natural desire to live happily off the grid in the glory of nature. A true naturalist, Browning weaves tales of life on grid's edge together with a comprehensive natural history of the Rogue Valley using a clever and witty writing style that will make you laugh. We all have a Morgan Spring, we just have to find it. --Carla Dove, Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC The title of Ralph's book will pique your interest and hint that you're about to explore a journal in the tradition of Thoreau's Walden. The chapter titles ( The Juncos Are Coming, the Juncos Are Coming, The Dirt on Dirt, Mushrooms and Telephones ) make it clear that Ralph brings both a sense of wonder and humor to his experience living 'Near the Edge of the Grid.' --Jeff Tufts, former Audubon Field Notes writer and eBird regional editor

Author Information

M. Ralph Browning is an ornithologist in the Biological Survey at the Division of Birds, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC. He is the author of the book Rogue Birder (2018) and has written numerous scientific papers published in local to international journals.

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