Prologue: Raging Waters, A Cabin Abandoned

Hurricane Fran, dumping two inches of rain an hour on Jewell Hollow, forces us to flee for our lives.

Chapter March: Abandoned on the Mountain

A freak March snow storm forces my wife, Jeanne, to abandon her car on the mountain;
The dogs corner a deer in the national park and I can't go to Washington City;
I walk and remember finding the largest Morel mushrooms ever dreamed of, but alas, a poisonous snake was there to guard them;
Friends come for a celebration dinner at the Inn At Little Washington -- a month late;
Fearful of a forest fire because of dry conditions, we seek out a safe place if fire should sweep Jewell Hollow;
A dedicated rifleman -- and angry drunk -- comes calling and an arm wrestling loss is remembered;

Chapter April: Morels and Mallards

Blood-sucking tick season begins with one crawling on Jeanne, while we are in bed;
A huge-brown-ugly spider is encountered and a mouse enters our lives;
A mating pair of Mallard ducks bob for food on the pond and aren't put off by the dogs;
I set off for morels, come upon deer and get lost in the forest;
Son and family, come to Jewell Hollow for the weekend; a friend and his sons stop by;
The humming birds return from their winter in Mexico;
Man and lady spend a day and evening in Jewell Hollow;
A super-sized Turkey Buzzard comes calling;
I walk down a mountain ridge and onto an eight inch tall, seven inch around, Morel mushroom;
Granny sees robbers early in the morning;
Morel season ends and the tree sawing-splitting-stacking season begins;

Chapter May: The Cabin ~ Free at Last, Free at Last

We pay off the latest and last mortgage on the cabin and our three rocky acres;
Five adults, two little ones, three dogs and four generations crowd the cabin for Memorial Day;
Lightning, seeking a metal wheelbarrow, kills a large Southern Pine tree between the state road and the pond bank;

Chapter June: A Naked Lady Appears; Bats Abound

A dead chainsaw stops winter wood stove fuel production;
A mystery solved: low flying bats at dusk are the answer to the 30 year old question: why don't we have more mosquitos?
Friends discover a naked lady at the top of the Hollow -- nudist colony feared;
Three Bumblebees saved from certain death in the summerhouse;
A gully-washer rain storm pounds Jewell Hollow and the other side of the mountain, all the way to Charlottesville;
With four newly hatched chicks, the hummingbirds at the feeder are six, and the sugar water goes quickly;
The Phoebees have their second family of four on the ledge of one of our front windows;
Jeanne returns from a rain-dangerous Washington City commute and exclaims in disgust: "Blizzards in the winter, Floods in the summer;"
Another dinner at the Inn At Little Washington; this one in honor of the mortgage burning;

Chapter July: Seen Any Wild Turkeys Lately?

Two wild turkeys casually saunter up the state road;
Chainsaw repaired: tree sawing begins in earnest;
A long, very aggressive, black Eastern Racer snake threatens the dogs at the door of the summerhouse;
POOF: the four Phoebee chicks flee their front window nest;
Wild raspberry season begins;

Chapter August: A Return from China with the Happy Buddha

Happy Buddha's tummy matches mine, so he returns with me from China;
The forest intrudes: greenry is slashed back;
Jeanne cooks a peck of peaches for Granny;
Remembering the hermit of Jewell Hollow;

Chapter September: Hummingbirds Fly Off to Mexico, Why Not I?

Labor Day: winter is near;
Granddaughter catches a fish in the Bay of Frink;
Hummingbirds are weened from the sugar-water feeder and fly off to Mexico;
Old-fashioned midwestern family feast for Labor day;
No rain; pond stops flowing;
We fear fire;
Cache of dead Locust trees for firewood discovered;
The life (most of) stories of our dogs: Duda, Spot and Attila the Hun;
Uncommon behavior: I order a law school class ring and refurbish my old Rolex watch;

Chapter October: Remembering Duda's Escape from the Bear Trap

My typewriter blows up;
Hurricane Opal comes to visit; dry no more;
Duda's miraculous return;
Granny watches a Heron fishing for breakfast;
Jeanne journeys from Jewell Hollow for a funeral;
Long tree limbs, a sharp ax and a strong back = kindling wood;
Granny and friend go cruisin';
Turn the leaves red, gold, orange and yellow and they will come;
Friend goes bear bow hunting, and the bear wins;
Duda goes squirrel hunting and Jeanne screams;
Granny has a birthday;
Old kitchen gas stove blows up; Jeanne goes sprawling;
The IGA closes and we have a trash problem;

Chapter November: Stories of Old, Before Winter Settles In

A younger Jewell tells stories of the old Hollow;
Granny and the black bears of Jewell Hollow;
Friend shoots a five point buck with a "muzzle-loader" on our land;
Violent storm knocks out power, sends a tree onto friend's jeep on their way to our cabin for dinner;
Thanksgiving: I return from lecturing in China, son helps friend drag a buck and finds a doe;

Chapter December: Bone Chilling Cold and Snow

Friends saw and split trees for the old mountain man;
Christmas preparations;
A break in the cold weather brings a bedroom full of smoke from the antique wood stove;
Freezing rain traps us in Jewell Hollow;
Son and family join us for a warm Christmas in the cabin, but a very cold one outside;
High powered rifle shots are heard near the cabin and the deet killing continues;

Chapter January: Snow, Snow: Forty Eight Inch of Snow and Moonshine Memories

Snow trapped;
Gathering wood from the piles is exhausting, dangerous;
Memories of client skiing and endless snow;
After days, road crew digs out the state road;
Friend and I dig out Jeanne's car;
Hikers airlifted out of the Park;
A Phoebee nest falls onto the snow;
Jewell Hollow: stunningly beautiful in the bright sun and pristine snow;
Duda continues to drag home legs and other parts of poached deer;
Flooding trapped;
I once feared being busted for making moonshine applejack;
Self-invited birthday party of friends;
Struggling to produce enough firewood;

Chapter February: Killer Cold and the Book Ends

More snow and ten degrees(F);
Jeanne gets up before dawn to feed the wood stoves;
Temperatures to 10 below zero, hot-burning Locust wood saves us;
FREE THE KITCHEN SINK, is the cry;
Cold jams the chainsaw;
Chinese fur hat, with flaps, put to serious use in killer cold;
Jeanne carries split wood from far away and is rewarded with a trip to the Golden Arches; remembers the man who rescued her from the March mountain highway;
More snow, Jeanne stays in Jewell Hollow;
The owner of the forest behind us appears; we talk of past Jewell Hollow families;
POOF: winter to spring weather;
Off to Puerto Rico to scout a warm island;
Author gets sentimental at end of book.

Epilogue: Murder on the Trail

Two young women are murdered on the Skyline Drive of the Appalachian Trail only three miles from Jewell Hollow; our lives change.