Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the protagonist's home made of?
What is the protagonist's home made of?
- Bricks and mortar
- A cave in the mountainside
- A hollowed-out hemlock tree (correct)
- A tent made of deerskin
What does the protagonist use for light in their tree home?
What does the protagonist use for light in their tree home?
- An oil lamp with kerosene
- Candles made of beeswax
- Deer fat in a turtle shell with a cloth wick (correct)
- A flashlight with batteries
What is the protagonist's calendar made of?
What is the protagonist's calendar made of?
- A series of stones
- A sundial
- An aspen pole with notches (correct)
- A paper calendar
What type of food does the protagonist mention eating?
What type of food does the protagonist mention eating?
Where does the protagonist store their supplies?
Where does the protagonist store their supplies?
What animal does the protagonist wonder about during the snowstorm?
What animal does the protagonist wonder about during the snowstorm?
How long has the protagonist been living in the woods?
How long has the protagonist been living in the woods?
What does the protagonist compare themself to when looking at their stored supplies?
What does the protagonist compare themself to when looking at their stored supplies?
What did the narrator laugh at after the first blizzard?
What did the narrator laugh at after the first blizzard?
What type of bird is Frightful?
What type of bird is Frightful?
What did the narrator shout after the storm?
What did the narrator shout after the storm?
What was the narrator doing when the sky blackened?
What was the narrator doing when the sky blackened?
Where did the narrator retreat to when the storm came?
Where did the narrator retreat to when the storm came?
What was Great-grandfather Gribley's profession after the farm failed?
What was Great-grandfather Gribley's profession after the farm failed?
Where was the Gribley land located?
Where was the Gribley land located?
What kind of pancakes did the narrator make?
What kind of pancakes did the narrator make?
What was used to remove the bitter taste from the acorn flour?
What was used to remove the bitter taste from the acorn flour?
What did the narrator spread on the acorn pancakes?
What did the narrator spread on the acorn pancakes?
What did the narrator carve into the beech tree?
What did the narrator carve into the beech tree?
What was the narrator's dad's former profession?
What was the narrator's dad's former profession?
What animal's footsteps did the narrator see all over the boulder?
What animal's footsteps did the narrator see all over the boulder?
What did the narrator use to cook the acorn pancakes?
What did the narrator use to cook the acorn pancakes?
What was Dad's opinion about the land owned by Great-grandfather Gribley?
What was Dad's opinion about the land owned by Great-grandfather Gribley?
Flashcards
Tree Home
Tree Home
A home inside a large hemlock tree, dug out and burned to create a snug cave.
Bed Construction
Bed Construction
Ash slats covered with deerskin, used for sleeping.
Fireplace Details
Fireplace Details
A small fireplace made of clay and stones with a chimney leading out through a knothole.
Knothole Function
Knothole Function
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Calendar Method
Calendar Method
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Lamp Construction
Lamp Construction
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Storage Solution
Storage Solution
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The Baron
The Baron
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Frightful
Frightful
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The Baron Weasel
The Baron Weasel
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Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
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Hemlock grove
Hemlock grove
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Gorge
Gorge
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Poking head into soft snow
Poking head into soft snow
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Fright
Fright
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Making a fire
Making a fire
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Smoking trout
Smoking trout
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Edible plants
Edible plants
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Black wet boulders
Black wet boulders
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Gribley
Gribley
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Acorn pancakes
Acorn pancakes
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Ash
Ash
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Study Notes
- The narrator resides in a hemlock tree home on a mountain, an unnoticed dwelling.
- The tree is six feet in diameter and as old as the mountain.
- The home is a snug cave created by digging and burning out the tree's interior.
- The bed is made of ash slats covered with deerskin and located to the right upon entry.
- The fireplace is small, knee-high, made of clay and stones, with a chimney leading smoke out through a knothole.
- Three additional knotholes are used for fresh air intake.
- Despite the bitter cold outside, the small fire efficiently warms the tree room.
- The narrator thinks it's either December 4th or 5th, unsure due to being busy with food gathering.
- Light is provided by deer fat in a turtle-shell lamp, using a strip of old trousers as a wick.
- The narrator has remained inside since the snowstorm began, experiencing boredom for the first time in eight months of living on the land.
- Health and food are good, with a diet including turtle soup and acorn pancakes.
- Supplies are stored in wooden pockets chopped into the tree wall.
- The narrator sees a parallel between themself and squirrels, noting the absence of squirrels before the storm.
- There is speculation about "The Baron," a wild weasel, and its whereabouts during the storm.
- The narrator hopes to tunnel into the sunlight with The Baron the next day.
Reflections on the First Snowstorm
- The narrator wrote about the experience last winter, recalling being scared.
- Initial fear stemmed from the blizzard hitting the Catskill Mountains.
- Emerging into the sunlight after the storm brought relief and laughter, finding beauty in the white, clean landscape.
- Discovery of The Baron Weasel's tracks and playful slides around the boulder.
- The narrator whistled for Frightful, their falcon, and they enjoyed sliding down the mountain.
- The narrator had been preparing since May for winter, learning essential survival skills
- The narrator learned how to make a fire with flint and steel, identify edible plants, trap animals, and catch fish.
- The narrator was able to retreat into the tree with warmth and food when the blizzard struck.
- Thoughts of running back to New York crossed the narrator's mind as the storm approached.
- The narrator was smoking trout when the sky darkened, and the forest fell silent, signaling the storm's arrival.
Facing Fear
- The narrator's trained falcon, Frightful, was restless.
- The narrator grew sick with fright despite knowing they had enough food and supplies.
- The narrator pocketed the fish and retreated into the tree with Frightful.
- Memories of a crowded New York apartment with eleven family members contrasted with the present solitude.
- The narrator recalled their father's longing for the sea and stories of Great-grandfather Gribley's failed farming attempt in the Catskills.
- The narrator remembered the family belief that the land was "no place for a Gribley".
- Despite the family lore, the narrator enjoys their acorn pancakes and blueberry jam, and feels that the land is just the place for a Gribley.
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Description
A narrator lives inside a hemlock tree on a mountain. The snug home features deerskin bed, clay fireplace, and turtle-shell lamp. Sheltered from a snowstorm, the narrator reflects on their solitary life and recent boredom.
