The Man in the Tree was inspired by a painting I bought several years ago in the Philippines. In the paint strokes, my family could see a man sitting in the tree. From that story I started writing other stories, some of which are included in this book. Please enjoy yourself as you read about a young orderly, a donut maker desiring his own shop, a talking tree, a man caught up in espionage, two high school rivals, a troubled marriage, restoring baseball, the impact of Iraq on a young chaplain, a joke teller, and a terrified salesman.