Trumpeters' Tribulations focuses on the trumpeter swans that return to the valley each winter. A young swan, Sampson, is having difficulties coping with the unfriendliness of other birds in the Comox Estuary and feels hard done by. An elderly swan, Old Solomon, helps him through these difficult times while telling him about the history of the estuary. The message of Trumpeters' Tribulations is "Don't sweat the small stuff," and by the end of the story, Sampson understands. As always, the subtle message in this second story is that nature, especially the Comox Estuary, is important and must be protected.