In these nine globe-trotting tales, Mia Alvar gives voice to the women and men of the Philippines and its diaspora. From teachers to housemaids, from mothers to sons, Alvar’s stories explore the universal experiences of loss, displacement, and the longing to connect across borders both real and imagined. In the Country speaks to the heart of everyone who has ever searched for a place to call home—and marks the arrival of a formidable new voice in literature.

In this small-town cowboy romance, will accusations of criminal activity prevent a new business owner, his seriously ill younger sister, and a recently published author from becoming a family? Leeann McLeod, a product of a large ranching family in the quaint town of King Creek, Arizona, dreams of leaving her X-ray tech job to become a successful author and start a family. Her dream takes a giant leap forward when she secures a three-book deal with a prestigious New York Publisher. Farrier Porter Gann buys a small ranch outside of town after his parents pass away, and he becomes guardian to his sister, who has cancer. The idea of becoming a father had never occurred to him, and now that he’s looking after a twelve-year-old, he worries his poor parenting skills will affect her recovery. Porter meets Leeann when he shoes her gelding. He seldom speaks, but that doesn’t matter. With Leeann’s inquisitive nature, she asks enough questions to draw him out of his shell. And when his sister plays matchmaker, their chance meeting turns into a series of holiday outings. The three of them are almost a family. Porter and Leeann's relationship seems perfect, until it's not. When social media posts falsely accuse Porter of being part of an illegal adoption ring, the couple's world is turned upside down. The situation escalates to physical attacks at Leeann’s first book signing, forcing Porter to make a difficult decision. Can their Christmas wish come true? Or will their New Year’s resolutions include getting over a broken heart?

Ecospatiality explores modern and contemporary American prose literature through the lens of place, showing how authors like William Least Heat-Moon, Willa Cather, Richard Wright, and Leslie Marmon Silko represent and reimagine real places in the world and the human-environment relationships therein. Building on the work of scholars in geography, sociology, ecocriticism, and geocriticism, this book articulates the theory of ecospatiality: an understanding of place as simultaneously spatial, ecological, and historical. In our current historical moment, which is characterized by ongoing ecological collapse and a not-unrelated increase in social disorder, few issues are more urgent than the human relationship with our environments. Whether we characterize this new epoch as the climate change era or the Anthropocene, we can no longer ignore the fact that the places we live are rapidly changing in response to economic and environmental pressures. Rather than thinking of place as a neutral site for social interaction, we should recognize how it underpins and intertwines with human experience. Fortunately, literature can help us think through how place operates. Lowell Wyse shows that texts can be understood as works of literary cartography. Focusing on works of nonfiction and fiction whose primary settings are on the North American continent, Ecospatiality demonstrates how these narratives rely on realistic literary geography to invoke, and sometimes retell, important aspects of environmental history within particular communities and bioregions.

What can we do, right now, in our own landscapes, to help solve climate change? Gold Winner, Foreword INDIES Book Awards: Ecology & Environment “Read this book carefully. Everything you need to know to help heal our relationship with planet Earth and empower you to make a much-needed difference is within these pages.”—From the foreword by Doug Tallamy Praise for the first edition: “The volume of information here is impressive, and each action is accompanied by an explanation of why it’s important. . . . Useful whether read cover-to-cover or dipped into for specific topics.”—Booklist “Beautifully designed, the book is user-friendly and attractive. The information is current and science-based, with end-notes that give readers access to further research.”—Virginia Native Plant Society “This fantastic resource is filled with climate-wise solutions for anyone who owns or manages a piece of ground—even if it’s just a few containers on a tiny rooftop garden.”—Claudia West, ASLA, Principal, Phyto Studio LLC “[Reed and Stibolt] articulate a new gardening aesthetic. . . . The result is a positive and hopeful story of how people can use their imagination and ingenuity to help craft more resilient landscapes.”—Dr. Peter Robinson, former CEO, David Suzuki Foundation “Beautiful photos and pleasing graphics illustrate key ideas and actions while informative sidebars and inspiring quotes from climate and landscape experts provide clarity of complex systems and motivation to adapt to a changing future.”—Julie Richburg, Ph.D., ecologist “A book on climate-wise landscaping could not be more timely or more necessary. We are moving into a new and critical era, and this book takes landscape professionals and home gardeners where they need to go.”—Owen Dell, RLA, ASLA, landscape architect, educator, author, Owen Dell & Associates “A very useful guide to designing landscapes for the twenty-first century which clearly respond to our changing climate.”—Darrel Morrison, honorary associate faculty member in landscape architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison Predictions about future effects of climate change range from mild to dire—but we’re already seeing warmer winters, hotter summers, and more extreme storms. Proposed solutions often seem expensive and complex and can leave us as individuals at a loss, wondering what, if anything, can be done. Sue Reed and Ginny Stibolt offer a rallying cry in response—instead of wringing our hands, let's roll up our sleeves. Based on decades of the authors' experience, this book is packed with simple, practical steps anyone can take to beautify any landscape or garden, while helping protect the planet and the species that call it home. Topics include:  Working actively to shrink our carbon footprint through mindful landscaping and gardening Creating cleaner air and water Maximizing resource efficiency Supporting birds, butterflies, pollinators, and other wildlife.  As climate change continues to intensify around the globe, the information in this second edition of Climate-Wise Landscaping is needed now more than ever. This book is the ideal tool for homeowners, gardeners, and landscape professionals who want to be part of the solution to climate change.

This publication, which was produced within the framework of the Date Production Support Programme In Namibia, updates and complements technical Information Included In earlier FAQ publications: Dates: handling, processing and packaging (1962) and Date production and protection (1982). It should serve as a reference volume for research workers and a source of much more detailed information for extension specialists, date growers and anyone Interested In the date palm Industry. The 12 chapters of the book cover the botanical and systematic description, origin, geographical distribution and nutritional value, economic importance, climatic requirements, orchard management, harvesting, and diseases and pests of date palm.

This wide-ranging study provides a historically grounded account of women's fiction in the 1960s and the 1970s, relating changes in the social structure of Britain and the United States to the literary representations of women's experience.

Plant the garden of your dreams! Even if you’ve never sowed a seed nor pulled a weed, Gardening Basics For Dummies contains everything you need to know about flowers, beds, borders, trees, shrubs, and lawns to create your own private paradise. This friendly and informative guide also covers all of the tools and additives available to make gardening easier. You’ll discover: Clear definitions and descriptions of the different types of plants Tips on choosing the type of garden you want How to create a garden plan Easy-to-follow instructions for soil preparation Advice on planting, growing and caring for annuals and perennials Step-by-step plans for organic and edible gardens Plans for butterfly and children's gardens Packed with helpful tips on controlling pests safely, managing weeds, and correcting common gardening problems, Gardening for Dummies turns your brown thumb green in a hurry.

In this cowboy romance, will a florist, who suffered through a thorny past relationship, shut the doors of her new business to follow the man she loves? Even if he’s offered her no promises? During CJ Jameson’s military years, he discovered he enjoyed traveling the world. Now a civilian, he no longer wants to stay in one place long enough to run the Arizona ranch he inherited. When an entertainment company makes a lucrative offer for his property, provided he rebuilds the ranch to its former state, the only thing standing between him and the life he’s envisioned is a cowgirl and a deathbed promise that both have his emotions tied into knots. Born into a large, close-knit family, Jillian McLeod has only lived in the small town of King Creek. Now that she’s opened her new business while dating hunky cowboy CJ Jameson, she’s living her dream life. Until she loses someone close to her and CJ finally tells her why he’s rebuilding the ranch. She stayed in a relationship past its expiration date before; she won’t make that mistake again. ​​​​​​​ Can CJ and Jillian turn their backs on love? Or will someone have to give up their dream?

Sustainability in agriculture and associated primary industries, which are both energy-intensive, is crucial for the development of any country. Increasing scarcity and resulting high fossil fuel prices combined with the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make the improvement of energy efficient farming and increased use of renewable energy essential. This book provides a technological and scientific endeavor to assist society and farming communities in different regions and scales to improve their productivity and sustainability. To fulfill future needs of a modern sustainable agriculture, this book addresses highly actual topics providing innovative, effective and more sustainable solutions for agriculture by using sustainable, environmentally friendly, renewable energy sources and modern energy efficient, cost-improved technologies. The book highlights new areas of research, and further R&D needs. It helps to improve food security for the rapidly growing world population and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use in agriculture, which presently contributes 22% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. This book provides a source of information, stimuli and incentives for what and how new and energy efficient technologies can be applied as effective tools and solutions in agricultural production to satisfy the continually increasing demand for food and fibre in an economically sustainable way, while contributing to global climate change mitigation. It will be useful and inspiring to decision makers working in different authorities, professionals, agricultural engineers, researchers, and students concerned with agriculture and related primay industries, sustainable energy development and climate change mitigation projects.