Pages 119 - 138 Summary and Analysis

In "A Listening Walk," Hill states that he goes into the woods, often alone, for the benefit of the quiet, though quiet is relative. Hill then lists the various sounds of the natural world—the bark of a fox, the chattering of squirrels, the call of the jay bird. He is hunting with his old hunting dog, and while the dog is intent on catching a bird, Hill is less concerned with bagging a bird than he is with reveling in the experience. Twilight comes, and the sounds change. Hill ends the story returning to his car, with his exhausted old hunting dog falling asleep with her head in Hill's lap.

In "Dog Hair In Your Drink," Hill casts the bird hunter's wife in a heroic light. Despite having probably never hunted, she has an amazing knowledge of...