A series of short stories that, in different situations, present characters facing unexpected challenges in unexpected circumstances. The different behaviour of two white men invited to a Navajo peyote church. An elderly man and a youth canoe for many years on Montana s rivers, until the older man is no longer able to continue. A young college student, unfamiliar with Mexico, creates a disaster. A soldier in World War II is faced with a decision that cannot be ordered by his senior officer. A young man is introduced to his girlfriend s father and finds himself searching for a dry place to sleep. A man questioning the value of life on a Grand Canyon hike finds himself in a life-or-death position. An art lover gets a chance for a fictional conversation with Vincent van Gogh.