I love good surprises and have found one in the book I’m currently reading;  it makes me laugh right out loud. Smoke Signals: Wayward Journeys Through the Old Heart of the New West, is a collection of articles Mountain Gazette editor M. John Fayhee has written that invite you to become a part of a small mountain community, ride along in a doomed hot-air balloon, and see the changing face of the west.  Humorous from the first page (be sure to read the numerous Author’s Notes), adventurous and gritty, it is also poignant; “Little Dog” is especially touching. Fayhee evokes the feel of sitting around the campfire, completely drawn in to both the story and the story teller.