For Sally, who faced down a charging tule elk while I cowered in the bushes. It’s been two decades since you scolded it into leaving us alone (“Bad elk! Go away!”) and I’m still laughing.

And for Beth and Steve, who invited me to the Russian River Rodeo. That one fun day inspired many stories, including this one!

Acknowledgments

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, the Lupus Foundation of America, the Point Reyes National Seashore, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity and the wonderful organization Wildcare in San Rafael, California. All mistakes and embellishments are my own.

No book is ever written alone. My brilliant editor, Adrienne Macintosh, helped me find the most important story in all of my ideas and tangents. My wonderful husband, Arik, helped me find time to write when time was scarce. I am so grateful to both of you for believing in my stories.