In his new book, “North Carolina: Land of Water, Land of Sky’’ (UNC Press), Bland Simpson offers a first-person narrative of his lifetime of traveling across the state, exploring its by-ways and worrying over degradation of its environment. Simpson is a professor of English and creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as the pianist of the Red Clay Ramblers. Ann Cary Simpson, his wife who is a conservationist and regular travel companion, contributed splendid photographs.