Welcome to Maple Hill

Mattie Smith, a woman in her early sixties, has-she feels-accomplished quite a lot in her lifetime. Like everyone else, some of her ventures have been of her own choosing, but most-not; her hectic life leaving her precious little time to do the things she loves most-reading novels, spending time with friends and family, being involved in choirs, and the music that's so much a part of her life... one would be hard put to say which of these would be placed at the top of her list! Life has a way of changing directions when you least expect it, changing your direction and placing you on a course you would never have dreamed of taking. So it is with Mattie. After several turns in her life, Mattie makes a decision that will alter her whole life and everything that she is--or was-well... still is. After a lifetime of working at a public job, caring for home and family, and reaching-finally, the retired, "grandmotherly" stage of her life, she finds herself in a most unexpected-to say the least-undertaking. A great change was made in the life of Mattie and her husband Walt, several years back, when they made the decision to purchase property in the eastern part of their state of North Carolina, where he spent the biggest part of the winter months, bear hunting. The idea was to have a place so that Mattie could be with Walt occasionally, rather than being left at home alone for such long lengths of time, as she had been doing for years. She never in her wildest dreams imagined becoming a part of the hunt. But that's exactly what she did at Walt's request-a request that he didn't really think she would take him up on. WELCOME TO MAPLE HILL is an open invitation into the life-and all the adventures therein-of Mattie Smith. It is also an introductory book, for the many ongoing experiences yet to share in the life of this housewife-turned-bear hunter! Come along-up close-on some real hunts, as Mattie describes in detail, what she sees... what she thinks, as she trails along bes