"Alex was watching his stepfather, Jake, split wood at the edge of the cypress grove." Pg. 1

"Alex's mother was standing close by, under the pear tree. She was wearing fuzzy woolen leg warmers, a huge knitted coat with pictures of reindeer on the back, and a red scarf with the name Virginia on it." Pg. 3

"One of the branches of the pear tree had a glass bottle over the end of it. Inside were some twigs and leaves and two pears." Pg. 3

"Months ago, Virginia had told him that the pears, and the babies, would be ready in the fall." Pg. 5

"Gracefully he lifted his arms and rose up on his toes. He looked like a bird about to take off." Pg. 5

"The air was so cold Jake was breathing steam." Pg. 7

"On his belt buckle was a silver longhorn steer." Pg. 9

"'Well, everybody's chicken of something,'...