After 40 years writing on behalf of other people, Barbara Elliott is free at last to write whatever the heck she wants in her quirky Accidental Mountaineer column in the Greenbrier Valley Quarterly. A decade's worth of her essays are contained in this volume, accompanied by delightful illustrations by Sally Cooper. In these pages you will learn the deep, dark secrets of Barbara's perversely happy childhood as a UK (Undertaker's Kid) in Smithfield, North Carolina and discover the peculiarities of her life in the Greenbrier Valley, where she has lived since 1992. Prepare to explore fascinating topics such as the mysterious death of a celebrity chicken, suspect hair dryers, skinny- dipping dog owners and the perils of public relations. As Barbara's husband so often reminds her, she lacks seriousness.