A cedar cabin and 14 quiet acres outside Asheville.

The wood-burning fireplace is the original Vermont Castings. The cast iron in the kitchen was his. The screen porch is where he read until lunch. We kept the bones because they were right.

What changed: the floors are wider plank cedar now. The bathroom has a walk-in shower. The kitchen got the espresso bar and the sharp knives. We added the hot tub because he would have wanted it. We added the fiber line because the world insisted.

What stayed: the trails through the cedars start at the porch. The frogs at the seep at the foot of the property are still loud at dusk. The stars are honest out here — the closest streetlight is six miles east.