The nature writings of pioneering environmentalist and Sierra Club founder John Muir are like no other. In this essay from 1894, Muir describes the grandeur of the winds at play in the forests, with stunning and musical detail about the trees of the Sierra and their individual reaction to the wind. Muir’s story of climbing a 100-foot Douglas Spruce to experience the sway and swirl of a storm for himself is unforgettable.  This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers. "Whenever I travel, I always bring a bit of home and long to get back there. The place I call home never leaves me. I am rooted to it. I think it is the same with all life, but some living things are more rooted than others. With people, I have found, some embrace adventure and make new roots far away, or, swept by wind-storms, transplant themselves and throw down roots in unlikely places. We are not that different from the trees." —Phil Zuckerman, Publisher