Hemlock Tree Home on a Mountain

• The narrator is living in a hemlock tree home on a mountain.
• The tree is six feet in diameter and very old.
• The narrator made a snug cave inside the tree.

Home Description

• The bed is made of ash slats and covered with deerskin, located on the right upon entry.
• A small fireplace made of clay and stones is on the left.
• The fireplace has a chimney leading smoke out through a knothole.
• Three other knotholes provide fresh air.
• The narrator is able to write with bare hands inside the tree despite the freezing temperatures outside, due to the small fire.

Time and Activities

• The narrator believes it is either December 4th or 5th.
• The narrator has been busy gathering nuts and berries, and smoking venison, fish, and small game.
• The narrator uses deer fat in a turtle shell with a strip of old city trousers for a wick as a lamp.
• The narrator has been inside since the snowstorm began and is experiencing boredom for the first time in eight months of living on the land.
• Food supplies are kept in wooden pockets chopped into the tree wall.

Wildlife Observations

• The narrator draws a parallel to squirrels, who are also likely holed up eating stored nuts.
• The narrator wonders if The Baron, a wild weasel, is denned up behind a boulder.

Snowstorm Experience

• The narrator hopes to tunnel out into the sunlight with The Baron after the storm.
• The narrator is contemplating how to remove the snow without bringing it inside the tree.
• The narrator was scared during the first blizzard in the Catskill Mountains, fearing being trapped in the tree.
• Upon emerging into the sunlight, the narrator was relieved and laughed at their fears.
• The landscape was transformed into a white, clean, shining, and beautiful scene, with a blue sky.
• The hemlock grove was laced with snow, the meadow was smooth and white, and the gorge was sparkling with ice.
• The narrator shouted "I did it!", but the voice was muffled by the snow.
• The narrator saw signs of The Baron Weasel, including footprints and slides.
• The narrator whistled into the tree and Frightful, the trained falcon, flew to their fist.
• Together, they jumped and slid down the mountain.
• The narrator had been working since May, learning how to make a fire and identifying edible plants.

A narrator lives comfortably inside a large, old hemlock tree on a mountain. The home features a deerskin bed, a clay fireplace with a chimney, and multiple knotholes for ventilation. The narrator spends time gathering food and maintaining a fire for warmth and light.