Messages from Nature is a collection of short stories about animals, trials at sea, and the evolutionary journey of man and nature. It is a book for all ages. Based on my personal experiences, most of the stories were previously published in newspapers and magazines over the years. Also included is one poignant tale about a greyhound written by my late father, Daly Highleyman, and published in the 1930s.

How would it feel to be on a small sailboat far from land in gale force winds or suddenly subjected to a micro-burst? What was it like to be up at the helm of a 165-foot concrete schooner and, looking down the steps, see water gushing into the cabin? Did Sweet William come back to say goodbye? How can a puppy found starving to death in the Virginia countryside become a master sailor?

Explore and discover the answers to these questions and more in Messages from Nature. Progress is being made all over the world, the so-called progress named technology. But another avenue of progress is also being made all over the world and that is the progress of research in the field of creativity. It cannot be ignored that the creative endeavor has a spiritual side to it. Nor can it be said that creative work results from technical know-how. Inspiration is a key factor and its roots may not be as nebulous as they first appear. Genuine creative imagination does not just spring from the right hemisphere of the brain. I believe its roots come from a much deeper place: the heart. In this vein, it is my hope that this little tome will inspire the reader to feel and react to the beauty of nature and the love of animals; in effect, to experience the invaluable life lessons that only nature can teach.