"From the first time I saw deer moving like shadows across a frozen beaver pond...from the first time I stood shrouded in pines, listening to the soughing spring wind...I knew, without the least doubt, that I was home at last..." So began Peri Phillips McQuay's journey of discovery as she embarked on the fulfilment of her childhood dream - to live in the wilderness. Written in poetically beautiful prose, A Wing in the Door is an inspiring, true story of adventure and growth, recording the difficulties and triumphs surrounding the survival of a human-imprinted hawk, learning to live in freedom. For at the heart of the book is Merak: "It was only with the coming of Merak, the human-imprinted, red-tailed hawk that I was challenged to confront the truths of wild living in a way that I could never have understood in my dreams." With these eloquent words, the author celebrates the mystical bond we share with all creatures.

A Wing in the Door: Adventures with a Red-Tailed Hawk

Science & Math

McQuay, Peri Phillips

Nature & Ecology

Dundurn Press

My feet are practising their steps, gauging the slipperiness of wet lichen on rock and sounding each landing. As my stride shifts to a swing I realize I have a sharper sense of my place in the woods now. I am as taut and limber as a bow-string. I sense bears in the woods, weigh their threat and move on, glorying in the mosses beneath my feet .... We in the woods share fear. By grace of my fear, I am closer to predators and prey. The View From Foley Mountain is a celebration of the joy of living in harmony with the natural world. The seasonal selections lead you through the fields, woods, rock outcroppings and shores of the conservation area which is the author's home. You will savour the fragrance of maple syrup boiling, share in a summer heron census, snowshoe to a beaver lodge, watch a snapping turtle laying eggs, witness the death of a starving deer, and see turkey vultures soar. Whether she is rejoicing in old barns, canoeing the Snake River, harvesting dye plants or stalking moths at night, Peri Phillips McQuay's deep love and lyrical vision stimulate you to share her sense of wonder in her surroundings.

The View From Foley Mountain

Biological Sciences

Natural Heritage

Told with the excitement of a novel, SINGING MEADOW is the much-requested sequel to THE VIEW FROM FOLEY MOUNTAIN. Here is the inspirational story of a couple searching for and creating a small, simple home in a beautiful, natural setting. For thirty years, writer Peri McQuay and her conservation educator husband, Barry, were fortunate to live within Foley Mountain, an 800 acre Eastern Ontario conservation area. Experiencing nature intimately, Peri established a successful writing career while Barry was passionately committed to teaching nature appreciation to thousands of school children. But now, with retirement looming and the need to pass their present rented park home to a new Area Supervisor, it was time to begin the daunting search for a new and different refuge. First came a year-long search for a ready-made house and land, filled with adventures and encounters which helped the McQuays hone their concept of what they truly wanted and needed from their new dwelling and their new surroundings. But would it be too late to wrench up their roots and transfer their commitment to a whole new landscape? As the years at Foley Mountain taught them, living close to nature is the most important part of home. Unfortunately, an affordable place where the McQuays could be surrounded by nature appeared impossible to find. But then, just as they were ready to give up, they fell in love with a beautiful piece of land. Although the pair never planned to take on the challenges of a custom-built house, this location, close to their beloved conservation area and a welcoming community, was too sweet to leave behind. As the author and her husband learn the art of creating a pleasing small home, inevitably tensions surface. But at the same time, there is great joy in discovering their new surroundings. Always present in McQuay's lyrical writing is the couple's shining love of the land. This timely book celebrates the possibilities and rewards of simple living and the healing power of nature. Yes, SINGING MEADOW says. Yes, you can have a house in the country and here's the story of one couple's adventure of discovery. "As it turned out, the feeling of finding home was more profound than excitement. It was a heartfelt knowing. What I want to suggest is that sometimes, with much sacrifice and patience and some luck, dreams can come true."

Singing Meadow: The Adventure of Creating a Country Home

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Home Improvement & Design

Wintergreen Studios Press

Illegally plucked from her nest when only a month old to be trained for falconry, Merak is two when finally released. She isn’t used to foraging for herself, however, and wanders into a nearby town. As Peri McQuay quickly learns, this human-imprinted hawk is not quite ready for the wild. As Merak’s caretakers, the McQuays try to coax the bird to independence. In journal form, Peri McQuay writes about her life with Merak, relating the hawk’s antics chasing a garden hose that looks like a snake, rearing up to magnificent size to threaten a house cat and her difficulties. McQuay becomes increasingly attached even as she hopes that Merak will become fully wild again. This unusual book about a little-known topic testifies to the powerful connections between humans and animals.

A Wing in the Door: Life with a Red-Tailed Hawk

Biographies & Memoirs

MILKWEED EDITIONS *

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Books by McQuay, Peri Phillips