Bo Duke rifled through his tool box and picked up a wrench as he knelt by the Duke family's old heater in the living room. Atop the fireplace mantle, Uncle Jesse's old Philco radio with the cracked case blared WHOGG, the county's only radio station.  Bo listened as he took the wrench to one of the pipes. 

“This is Elton Wendell with a special WHOGG weather report! It looks like for the first time in over fifty years, Hazzard County may have a white Christmas due to a cold front that's pushing its way through . . . and of course WHOGG will keep you kept up with this wintry weather as things progress!" 

The DJ made a series of oinking noises, and Bo glanced over one shoulder.

"Hey Luke, did you hear that?"  He asked as his dark-haired cousin walked into the room with an armload of wood.

"Yeah Bo I heard it." Luke sets the wood down and threw another log in the fireplace. He went over by Bo, crouched down, and looked into the exposed innards of the heater. The ancient heater had needed a major overhaul for years, but money and circumstances had always made the family use their own skills to coax more life out of it.  He reached inside and saw some of the wiring and shook his head; some of the rubber coating had worn away with time and he could see the glint of copper.
“I don’t know if we can fix it this time Bo, look at that wiring.”

"Do you think Elton is right? Is it really gonna snow?  I've lived here all my life and I've never seen it snow more than a few times a year and even then its gone real quick.”

“Something tells me it’s gonna be different this time Bo.” Luke moved to the window and reached out; he drew back the white lace curtain and stared out it at the cloud cover.
“The air feels heavier colder…I’ll bet you a jug of Jesse’s finest we’re in for a bad storm.”

Bo shivered and got to his feet.  "What are we going to do about the heater if it does storm?"

Going back over to the heater, Luke once again lowered himself and stared into the open panel. He moved some wires aside and sighed heavily at some corroded components.

“It’s not just the wiring Bo, this thing needs a whole new set of guts.” He straightened up and rubbed his hands on his jeans.

“Remember what Mike said? The parts are two weeks on back order. The best we can do is kept the fireplace going and the kitchen stove going and hope that helps. We got plenty of wood.”

"That won't heat the whole house, Luke," Bo argued as he threw the wrench back into the tool box.  "What about Uncle Jesse's room, and the girls’?"

Luke ran his hand over his face then up and into his hair. He rubbed the back of his neck as he lowered his head.

"Well Daisy, Min and Jesse, maybe we can let them have our room and the guest room since they’re closer to the heater, or we can all just camp out in here by the fire."

"If it gets bad, maybe we can call Cooter, ask if maybe we can stay with him, at least until the weather breaks?" Bo slammed the toolbox closed and carried it into the kitchen to store it under the sink.

"Besides, I don't think it's going to get that cold!"

“Staying with Cooter might be a good idea.” Luke watched at Bo put his tools away. He followed his cousin into the kitchen. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned one shoulder into the doorway then scoffed at the statement.

“Come on Bo, this is Hazzard, you never know.”

*******    ********       ********

“This is the worst storm I’ve seen in forty years!” Jesse Duke exclaimed as the back kitchen door to the old Duke farmhouse swung open. The four Duke kids were huddled around the Franklin stove and the bright cheery fire that burned inside of it. Each one was wrapped in a blanket and nursing hot cocoa; they all jumped a mile high as the door slammed into the wall behind it and bounced back.  Jesse stomped into the kitchen, his heavy red Carhartt jacket, scarf and red cap were covered thick snow that began to fall in big thick clumps that splattered on the linoleum tile.

“Uncle Jesse…” Daisy stood up; she wrapped her homemade quilt a little tighter around as she stepped between Bo, Luke and Min. Going over to the drain board, she got a mug and filled it with steaming coffee from the stove.

“I’ve never seen it this bad, not even when we were kids.” She unwrapped herself from the quilt and slung it over the back of the chair. Dressed in jeans and a thick red sweatshirt, she handed the cup to her uncle and began to gather up his wet clothes.

“What about that heater? You boys have any luck?” Jesse sipped the hot coffee gratefully, his coat hanging from one arm. He set his mug down on the table and finished undressing. He pulled his red cap off his head and hung it up, his cheeks and ears branded red with the bitter cold.

“Me and Luke tried Uncle Jesse, but it’s busted and the parts to fix it ain’t going to be in till next week.” Bo glanced at his cousin who nodded.

“Bo’s right. Best we can do is go buy a small space heater, but it’s not going to be enough to warm up the whole house.”

“Luke, it’s going to take half a dozen to warm this place up, even with this stove,” Min said; she sat on the right side of her brother and snuggled up more against him.

“So what are we going to do? There’s more snow forecasted for tonight.” Daisy picked up her blanket up and put it over Jesse’s shoulders, then rubbed them gently.

Jesse smiled gratefully at her and had another sip of his coffee.

“What about the roof? You boys get up there?”

Luke glanced at Bo and nodded.

“We took off a lot of snow and braced it as best we could before it started back up.”

“There’s some weak spots up there Uncle Jesse, but Luke and me took care of them.” Bo said as he straightened up; he wore jeans and a thick blue knitted sweater under his quilt but even with the thickness of both, the coolness in the air made him shiver a little. He stood up and hunched over a little as he peered out of the kitchen window. The glass coated with frost around its edges, he watched as the snow continued to fall and slowly shook his head.

“Uncle Jesse, if this don’t let up…” He let his words trail off then glanced at his uncle, his dark blue eyes filled with worry as he thought of his earlier comment to Luke. Now the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and talk of this storm becoming a blizzard.

“I know.” Jesse stated with a heavy sigh as he moved to stand beside his nephew and patted his back.

“We’ll be in trouble.”

Luke joined his cousin and uncle; he too stared out at the falling snow and nodded.

He glanced up at the ceiling; the roof gave a groan of protest that made the young man sigh heavily.

“And we won’t be the only ones.” He whispered to himself.

*******    ********       ********

“Never shoulda given a license to a man that drives a sleigh and plays with elves…”

The singing came from beneath a 1967 Impala; the lights burning brightly in the Hazzard Garage as Cooter Davenport slid out from beneath the big car and pulled a rag from his pocket. His only defense against the snow a denim jacket; he stopped singing and began to whistle as he twirled the red oily rag around the end of a big heavy bolt.

He finished cleaning then caught a glimpse of the clock that hung over his desk.

“Shoot fire and save a box of matches!” Getting up fast, Cooter adjusted his cap and sat down on his stool. He picked up the black CB mic and pressed the button.

“Breaker one, Breaks one, might be crazy but I ain’t dumb, Crazy Cooter calling anyone over at the Duke Farm, come on--” He let go of the button waiting for an answer.

“You got Lost Sheep number one here Crazy C, you still heading this way for supper, come back--”

“Hey Lukas Dukas, yeah I’m coming. Sorry I did realize it was getting so late, or I’d already be burning rubber.”

“No rush Crazy C, the roads are snowy and slick and I hope you got plenty of heat at your place.”

Cooter creased his brow, and then pressed down the button. “You guys okay over there? Ain’t you got any heat?”

“Not much Crazy C, all this cold weather killed our furnace and we ain’t had much luck repairing. All the shops around here won’t have any replacement parts to fix it for at least a week, so its our old trusty stove or space heaters for warmth.”

“I’m not going to see my friends freeze, I’ll bring over my tools and see what I can do.”

“Much obliged Crazy C; we got a big batch of Jesse’s chili and cornbread waiting for supper as soon as you get here.”

Standing up, Cooter nodded as he patted the back pockets of his oil and greased stained jeans.

“Just let me find my keys Lukas and I’ll be there shortly.”

“Just be careful Cooter. The roads ain’t real clear even with Boss’ snowplows going night and day. The snow is falling too fast and they can’t keep up.” Luke’s voice grew deeper as he spoke seriously. “We don’t want nothing to happen to you.”

His expression growing serious then slightly warm, Cooter nodded at the concern of his long time friends. He pulled his keys from his jacket pocket.

“I’ll take it easy, I promise. You all just keep yourselves and supper warm till I get there, ya here?”

“Copy that Crazy C, Lost Sheep out…”

Cooter hung the mic up and then headed for the closed double doors. He flipped out the lights then opened one door. A blast of icy wind greeted him and he nearly tripped as he stepped over the thick bottom of the door.

"Dang! I've never seen anything quite like this!"  Cooter exclaimed as he settled his cap fimly down onto his head and stepped out into the storm.  As he trudged to his truck, he looked out onto the town square, amazed. Nothing moved on the streets except for whorls of blindingly white snow.  The buildings were shrouded with white as well; cars and trucks stood mute on the sides of the street.  Cooter saw all this through a thick blanket of white as the snow continued to fall across Hazzard.  The silence was eerie and Cooter shivered from more than the cold as he finally reached his truck.  He wiped the hood and windshield clean as best he could, and then climbed in.

"Come on, old gal . . . I know you ain't exactly used to this, but you can't let me down now." Cooter turned the key, and the truck's engine hesitated and sputtered before coming to life.

"That's my girl."  He sighed, and carefully guided the truck out onto the street, hoping he could make it to the Duke farm before the roads became impassable.

*******    ********       ********

"Well . . . she's a simmerin!"  Jesse Duke peered into the pot of stew before replacing the lid back onto the cast-iron pot.  The stove was throwing off heat, and the family was mostly huddled in the kitchen in order to stay warm.  Jesse pulled his quilted red flannel jacket around himself more tightly and glanced around at his kids.  Bo and Luke sat at the table playing checkers, and Daisy was knitting what looked like a yellow and white scarf.  He frowned.

"Daisy? Where's Min?"

“She’s finding more blankets Uncle Jesse.” Daisy said as she stared down at her knitting and then set it down on her lap and rubbed her hands together.

“I should do this with gloves on.” She tucked her hands under her arms a moment until they got warm, and then she picked up her scarf and showed it to the boys.

“Well cousins? What do you think?”

Bo glanced up and smiled.  "Can you make that thing big enough to fit us all at the same time?"

“Not in the next few hours Bo.” Daisy bopped his blond head with a long needle and went back to work.

Luke looked at the long rectangle shaped knitting and shrugged.

“Looks like a scarf to me Daisy.”

"Nicely observed, cous!"  Bo teased, and jumped three of Luke's black checkers on the board.  "King me!"

“Yeah I’ll king you all right.” Luke mumbled as he set one red checker on top of another then rubbed his chin. He never could beat Bo in checkers, a fact that made his younger cousin gloat. He sat across the table with a bright sunny grin that made Luke want to smack him with the checkerboard as he contemplated his next move.

"Luke just hates to lose!" Bo gloated cheerfully to no one in particular as Jesse sat down nearby and Daisy continued with her knitting.  Luke grumbled something and moved a checker, and then Jesse glanced out the window as a familiar yellow tow-truck crawled up to the house. 

"It's Cooter! He made it!" Jesse went to the door to let his friend in as the younger man made it across the yard and onto the porch.  Even moving as quickly as he could, Cooter was frosted with snow by the time Jesse slammed the door again. 

“Shoot fire and save a box of matches!” He looked down at his snowy covering and shivered as he began to brush himself off.

“I could sure use the warmth, so could y’all by the feel of things in here.” He pulled off his cap and slapped it onto his palm, then ran a hand through his damp hair.

“How y’all holding up?”

"So far so good, but if this keeps up, the stove isn't going to do us much good," Jesse replied as he glanced out the window at the driving snow. Bo flinched as several drops of melting water hit the back of his neck as they flew from Cooter's cap.

“According to Elton, it ain’t getting better Uncle Jesse; in fact, its getting worse.” He glanced around the table at his long time friends.
“They’re calling for a blizzard, first one to hit Hazzard since The Depression.”

"I remember the '29 blizzard. I was little more than a boy, but I remember. And I ain't your Uncle Jesse!" The old man grumbled, and Cooter opened his mouth to reply when there was a strained groaning sound and a slow, ominous creaking sound that made them all freeze. Bo's dark blue eyes widened and he turned his head slowly to look at Luke.  "What's-"

Another creaking groan, and Luke jumped up, his expression somehow frightened and anxious at the same time. 

"The roof!"  He exclaimed, and ran into the living room with Bo and the rest of the family close behind.

Min stood on her tip toes atop a wooden chair; she dug on the top of the closet she shared with Daisy and pulled out a few more thick quilts.

“Wow, these will work.” She said to herself as she stepped down to the wooden floor and looked over the handmade blankets. Getting a chill, she shivered as she went over by the double bed and unfolded one of the quilts, wrapping it around herself.

“Man I’m cold!” She whispered; her thick blue turtleneck and now the blanket didn’t offer much protection from the cold. The thought of the fireplace came into her mind and she got up. Min had barely taken two steps towards the bedroom door when a loud cracking got her attention. Glancing from side to side then up, she watched a split form in the corner of the roof and make its way across it. A few flakes of snow drifted down landing on her nose and she brought a hand up to brush them off.

“Oh no…” She whispered as she watched the crack continue to spread as though the roof over her were made of ice. Gazing once at the door, she lurched forward and grabbed the knob just as the roof began to sag; Min turned and dove for the shelter of her bed just as the ceiling caved in, the loud noise cutting off her scream.

"Min!" Bo raced for his sister's bedroom door and turned the knob.  The door itself only opened several inches before being blocked by the collapsed ceiling.

"Oh God . . . " Bo looked over his shoulder at Luke and shouted at him. "Help me, Luke! Min's in there!"

Luke put a hand on Bo’s shoulder and pulled him back. He turned to the side and grabbed the knob; drawing back some he put his shoulder into the wood with a loud thump.

“Come on!” He said through gritted teeth as he tried again then leaned against the door and shook his head.

“Its not going anywhere, the roof must be blocking it.”

"Look out!" Bo shoved Luke aside and threw his entire weight against the door, slamming into it with his shoulder again and again. 

"Min!"  Can you hear me?"

The muffled voice of her brother made Min slowly open her eyes. Blinking a moment then looking around, she recognized being under the bed and slowly began to slide out from under it. She poked her brunette head out and saw the huge slabs of broken sheet rock and splintered plywood, all covered with a pile of snow that looked as if a dump truck had unloaded its contents right in the center of the Duke girls’ bedroom.

“Bo!” Min called out; she gazed up and through the now jagged edges of the busted roof at the cloudy sky. The snow continued to fall and the wind howled ominously as it swirled through the room.

“Bo! Luke! I’m here!”

"Now Bo just hold it!" Jesse put his hand out and touched Bo on the shoulder. "You'll break your shoulder before you break that door."

“But Uncle Jesse we can’t just stand here.” Daisy said as she crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed them.

Cooter stepped closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Hey y’all, why don’t I use my truck? Can’t we just get some chains and jerk that door open?”

“And risk the rest of the roof falling on Min?” Luke shook his head and then sighed. He rubbed his hand over his face, then stopped as his eyes grew round.

“Why don’t we just climb through the window?” He asked as he looked at Bo.

"The window!"  Bo grabbed a thick flannel coat to throw over his red flannel shirt off a nearby chair and shrugged it on as he raced out the front door with Cooter and Luke close behind. Bo plowed through a drift of snow that was nearly knee-deep and cupped his hands to the pane of Min's bedroom window. 

"Min!"  He shouted. 

Crawling out from under the bed more, Min’s brunette head and part of her torso emerged from beneath it. The weight of the roof and snow had mostly landed on the bed and had her partially pinned to the hardwood floor. Finally she planted her palms and with a mighty heave managed to free herself like a cork from a bottle.

Standing up, Min crossed her arms over her chest, shivering as she went over by the window. Another section of the mangled roof lay diagonally over the window, partially obscuring it; she could see her brother through the frosted glass and waved at him.

“The window is blocked! I can’t get out this way!”

"Breaking the window won't do any good if'n it's blocked," Cooter said to Bo, almost seeing the intention in his friend's eyes. Bo nodded and glanced from Cooter to Luke, and then to Jesse and Daisy as they approached the window, making their way through the snow drift.

Luke stepped back and shielded his eyes as best he could from the blowing snow. He saw how part of the roof sunk in, and then lowered his gaze to look at his family.

“We have to get her out from there, it’s the only way.”

Jesse blinked a moment then shook his head. “It’d be too dangerous Luke; the rest of that roof could fall in on top of Min.”

“Jesse it’s going to fall in if we don’t get her out of there.”

Daisy leaned into Jesse, trying to block some of the harsh wind. She watched the men talk then looked at the window. She could see her cousin through it and concern softened her features.

“It’s going to be freezing in there for Min.”

Bo glanced up at the roof as well.  "If one of us climbs up and pulls her out, we could hand her down to the rest of you."

“It’s going to be the lightest of all of us.” Luke crossed his arms over his heavy blue plaid coat, his gaze aimed right at Bo as he spoke the words.

“My vote is you cousin.”

Bo nodded and looked up at the roof.  "All right . . ." He took a step forward when Daisy suddenly spoke up.

"Now hold on fellas. I'm lighter than the both of you and you all know I've been up on that roof before, plenty of times!"

“Now Daisy you ain’t getting up there, it’s too dangerous!” Jesse said, and then the brunette woman turned to her uncle.

“Uncle Jesse she’s my cousin too and besides, too much weight on that roof is going to bust it for sure.” Daisy crossed her arms over her chest as she argued and then looked pointedly to each man, daring them to argue the logic. When her gaze fell on Luke, he snapped his fingers and raised his gaze.

“Not if no one goes on the roof.” He disappeared around the house and came back moments later with a bundled rope.

Bo looked at him curiously.  "What do you have in mind, Luke?"

“Remember when Hughie Hogg had steel doors on Boss’ office?” Luke stated as he began to unwind the coil.

“How did we get that safe out of that office?”

Cooter stood beside Bo and raised an eyebrow as he and the blond Duke glanced at one another at the same time. “You mean Hazzard’s one and only elevator?”

“Not quite, we don’t have that big crane, but we can use your truck.”

A hopeful grin broke out over Bo's face and he nodded eagerly. 

"That's a great idea, cous! Cooter, back your truck up as close as you can, and we'll get the idea across to Min!"

“I’ll tell her!” Jesse took Daisy by the hand; the two of them disappeared as they rounded the house. Practically throwing open the front door, the heat from the fireplace was a welcome relief as Jesse crossed the living room floor and went over to the girls’ bedroom door as fast as he could with Daisy in tow.

“Min! Baby can you hear me?” He said to the door and knocked on it with one bent knuckle. Daisy came up next to him; she tried to knob then lowered down to peer through the keyhole.

Min listened to the banter back and forth. Feeling helpless, she went back to the bed and climbed up on it. The mattress sunk in slightly as she stepped on it, and then wobbled with every slow step. She put her hands on the broken bits of the roof and tried to get a good hold on one. The frantic knocking got her attention, and she got down from the bed and got as close as she could to the door.

“Here! I’m here!”

“The boys are going to throw some rope into the hole. Grab it and hold on. We’re going to pull you out!”

Outside, Bo took the coil of rope from his cousin and flung it up high onto the roof, where it uncoiled neatly and snaked into the hole.

"Min!"  He shouted. "Grab that and hang on tight!"

Backing up as the rope landed through the hole, Min climbed back up on the bed and grabbed the rope. Her hands shook from the cold as she wound the rope into a small circle and raised one booted foot to slide into it. Tightening the rope around the top of her shoe, she straightened up and tugged the sleeves of her turtleneck and covered her hands with it as she gripped the rope. Gazing up at the cloudy sky and the snow that still fell steadily, she exhaled her breath, watching the white steam drift up; the flakes began to cover her brown hair and she lowered her head against them.

“Okay…I’m ready!”

"Go, Cooter!"  Bo waved his hand at Cooter, who sat in his truck. Cooter dropped the transmission into drive and the truck's wheels slipped in the snow before digging in and moving the vehicle forward. He inched forward slowly, watching the progress of the rope in the rearview mirror.

Min gasped at the first tug on the rope. She lowered her head and shoulders, curling up smaller as she began to rise in the air.

“Easy does it Cooter, nice and slow.” Luke whispered as he watched the rope slide up and over the side of the house; the noise of it rubbing against the roof sounded like a giant zipper. Below the window, both Duke cousins stood waiting for Min to appear. Both their arms were raised when she did and as the rope dropped over the edge of the roof, Min gasped at being suddenly upside down and squeezed her eyes shut.

The boys immediately got a hold of her, hands around her arms as she got more within reach.

"Hang on sweetheart, we've got you!" Bo told her as he and Luke helped her to the ground.  Bo turned and gave Cooter a thumbs-up, who doffed his cap and returned the sign. He shut off the engine of the tow truck and got out.

“Hazzard’s one and only elevator to the rescue!”

Min opened her eyes as her brother and cousin brushed off the snow that covered her.

“Got more than I bargained for!  I know I wanted a white Christmas, but not for it to make the roof fall on top of me!” 

Bo laughed, relieved, and hugged her. 

Jesse and Daisy had come out of the house, sighing when they saw Min unhurt, and the older man touched her shoulder. "Are you all right? You're not hurt?"

“No I’m all right, Uncle Jesse,” Min smiled at him then slid into his open arms, her face pressed to his Carhartt jacket. The scent of the material and the warmth and comfort of her uncle’s embrace soothed her.

“I’m glad, Cousin.” Luke said as he brushed more snow from her hair and ran his hand down the long brown locks.

“Thought you were turning Eskimo on us.” He stated his cool blue eyes bright as he teased.

“You’ll be the first to eat whale blubber, Cousin.” Min joked back then tightened her hug around her uncle.

“We best get back inside, cool or not it’s the only shelter we got against the storm.” Jesse patted Min on the back as she let go of her embrace.

Cooter saw his chance and stepped between Bo and Luke to hug Min. 

"You rode that rope like a champ!"  He laughed, and slipped an arm around her.

“I didn’t feel like a champion, Cooter, I felt like a snow cone on a string!” Min said as she put her arm around Cooter’s waist. The reunited family headed for the front door of the kitchen, all huddled together against the bitterly cold weather.

“This much excitement and we haven’t even had dinner yet.” Luke walked between Daisy and Bo, his arm draped over Bo’s shoulders.

"The stew!"  Jesse exclaimed, looking back toward the house. "In the excitement I forgot all about it!"  He headed back toward the front door when a groaning, cracking noise filled the air.  Bo's eyes widened and he looked up at the roof as the crack near Min's bedroom began to run along the perimeter of the rest of the house, then widen. 

Bo grabbed at his uncle's arm.  "Uncle Jesse, wait!  It's caving in!" 

Luke heard the noise too and reached out to grab a hold of Jesse’s other arm. Both Duke cousins drew their uncle back and headed away from the house. The Dukes all watched in horror as the rest of the roof caved in, the windows blew out in a spray of both glass and snow, the frame pushed out from the weight.

"Sweet Jesus!"  Jesse muttered, his eyes closing briefly in helplessness and grief. Daisy gasped loudly and hid her face in Bo's shoulder at the sound of the roof collapsing. 

Cooter put a hand to his mouth, speechless at the sight.

Min jumped at the horrible ugly noise, she too saw as the roof fell in.

“Oh God...the house.” She whispered then flinched right into Luke. A loud hiss emanated from the kitchen as the stove got bathed in snow; the pot with the stew clanged loudly as it hit the floor.

Luke shook his head, his jaw clenching as he turned away from the sight of the now sagging house. Min curled into his side he put his hands on her shoulders.

"No!"  Bo yelled, lunging away from his uncle and running toward the house, the only home he had ever known.  Cooter took several running steps and caught up with him, throwing his arms around the younger boy to keep him from trying to go through the front door. 

"It ain't no use, Bo!"

“Oh Lord.” Luke saw Bo take off in a dead run. He moved away from Min and caught up with Bo and Cooter. He helped Cooter move Bo away from the house and walked him over by the General Lee. Bo leaned against the passenger side of the big stock car, his blond head lowered. Luke patted his cousin’s shoulders then gave one a squeeze.
"Cooter's right, no use in you getting hurt Bo. There's nothing we can do." He said then glanced back at the tattered remains of the Duke farmhouse.

Bo looked up at his cousin.  "That's our house, Luke! We gotta do something!' He said brokenly, and Cooter shook his head. 

"There's nothing we can do until the weather breaks, buddy roe.  When it does, I bet the whole town will be out here helping y'all rebuild but until then, you can come up to my place and stay as long as you need to."

“Much obliged Cooter.” Luke said then looked from Bo to his uncle. The older man’s blue eyes were blank, sadness reflected in them. Min glanced at Daisy and both girls put their arms around their uncle. He patted them gently though his expression remained the same.

“It’ll be all right girls, we’ll get by.” He whispered.

Cooter sighed. "C'mon y'all. There ain't nothin' we can do here for the moment.  I've a hot meal and some dry clothes waiting over at the place. Luke, do you and Bo want to follow me in the General and Min can bring Daisy and Jesse in Li’l Darlin'?"

"I'll take my pickup, Cooter." Jesse piped up before anyone could answer. "The truck will be better in the snow than Darlin' and I don't want Min driving in it." Luke heard his uncle and nodded. "They'll follow you, Cooter, and me and Bo will head to Rhuebottom's to see what we can get for food and supplies."

"I just came from town and it looks like everything was closed down, but we can try to make it there."  Cooter agreed.

"We'll make it, don't worry," Bo replied as he patted the General's hood and wiped snow off the windshield.  "Won't we, Luke?

"You know we will." Luke replied with a nod then the look of confidence slid from his features when he once a gain gazed at his uncle.

"Me and Bo will meet you at Cooter's as soon as we can Uncle Jesse."

Jesse nodded slowly.  "You boys just be careful." 

"Yes sir, we'll keep the CB on the emergency frequency." Luke went to the passenger side of the General. He climbed partially into the window then leaned back. His heavy jacket made it a tight fit, but he managed to land on the passenger seat with a sigh.   

Min and Daisy watched as the boys got into the General Lee, and both girls waved as the big orange car began to move. The wheels crunched in the frozen snow, the piles of it reached as high as the tires. The hemi orange was a sharp contrast to the vast white that covered everything, and the General Lee resembled a june bug in a bucket of buttermilk as it traveled further and further away from the Duke farm.

The heater blew warm air around Bo's legs, negating the cold, but he still couldn't seem to stop shivering. His expression was set as he turned onto Mill Pond Road and headed for town.

Luke saw Bo shaking and turned the heater up a little. He crossed his arms over his chest as he aimed a vent towards himself.

"You know I think this is the first time I was ever sorry we don’t have windows in this car?" He glanced at Bo hoping the comment would make his cousin smile. When Bo's expression remained the same, Luke sighed.

"Hey we're going to be okay Bo, remember what Uncle Jesse has always said about

having faith? Well now's a good a time as any to have some.”

“You really think we can fix it, Luke?” Bo asked hopefully as he took his gaze from the road ahead momentarily.

“Course we can fix it up, Bo." Luke glanced at his cousin and nodded.

"That house survived a lot worse things than snow, including five generations of Dukes.”

A smile finally lit up Bo's features. 

"I reckon that's true."  He laughed. 

"Think we'll be able to get the supplies we need in town?  With all this snow, I don't know if Mr. Rhuebottom will have closed down or not."

"I sure hope not, he's the closest store in thirty miles." Luke said as he leaned back in the seat. He watched as the road went on and on, the snow piled as high as a man on either side of the road.

"Never seen it this bad before, hope everyone's all right." He whispered as they headed into Hazzard Square.

*******    ********       ********

Jesse squinted through the windshield of his pickup and adjusted the speed of the wipers as they flicked away the snow that was still falling over Hazzard. The sky was a thick, brooding pewter.  The pickup's tires crunched over the snow as Jesse followed Cooter to his farm at the foot of Razorback Mountain, where the Dukes could take refuge until the weather broke.  Beside him, Min and Daisy huddled together, unsettled by both the weather and the events of the day.  Jesse glanced over at them both, and offered them a brief smile.

"Now I don't want you girls to worry.  We'll stay with Cooter a spell, and then when this storm passes, he and the boys will have the farm fixed up in no time."

"Trying not to worry, Uncle Jesse." Daisy replied as she leaned into Min.

"I just keep seeing the house collapse that’s all. We've spent every Christmas in that house and now we're going to have to spend it somewhere else. Just all seems like a bad dream."

"Well, now Daisy . . . Christmas ain't about where you spend it, it's about who you spend it with. The house may be a bit poorly right now, but the family is still together, and that's what counts," Jesse replied firmly, watching Cooter's yellow truck flicker in out of the driving snow.

Min sat on the other side of her cousin and nodded at Jesse's words. She too gazed out of the windshield at the blowing snow that had everything around them covered in white. She shivered and leaned into Daisy for warmth.

"It's looks so desolate, like we're lost on the North Pole or something. I can't believe how fast all this hit, we went from snow to a blizzard in the space of one day."

"Don't worry, Min.  Once the boys get back from town with supplies, we'll hunker down with Cooter, tell some old moonshine stories, and just wait for the storm to pass. It-" Jesse's words were cut off as Cooter's tail lights flashed in front of him. He hit his brakes carefully, peering into the snow. Cooter suddenly appeared at the driver's side window, and Jesse cranked it down.  Cooter's face was filled with dismay.

"We got a problem, Jesse!"  Cooter shouted over the wind, and Jesse moved to get out of the truck. 

"What kind of trouble, Cooter?"

Cooter just shook his head and pointed.  The snow was a bit less fierce here, as Cooter's place was mostly surrounded by woods, but those woods were also the source of the mechanic's dismay.

Several old oaks, felled by the weight of snow and ice, now blocked the road to Cooter's home.  They were sprawled across the road in a vicious, snarled jumble, impossible to move or drive around. Daisy scrambled out of the truck with Min right behind her.

"Oh, Cooter, Uncle Jesse!" She cried, and put her hands to her mouth.

Min stared up at the huge pile of snow encrusted trees.

"First our house gets smashed and now we can’t even get to Cooter's house." She saw Daisy's horrified expression and put an arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her cousin.

"What are we going to do now? We have nowhere to go."

Jesse glanced over at Cooter and then back to the fallen trees.  "I guess all we can do now is try and make it back to town and find the boys. “

*******    ********       ********

"We interrupt this music with a special WHOGG Report. The National Weather Service as how issued a blizzard warning for Hazzard and the surrounding counties. Already reports are starting to come in all over Hazzard about roads being blocked off and houses collapsing from too much snow. If any of y'all listeners are one of these poor unfortunate citizens, don’t fret!  Our County Commissioner J.D. Hogg has set up Hazzard high gym as a special emergency shelter. Stay tuned into WHOGG for more information. And we now return to our regular broadcast..."

Sheriff Rosco Coltrane turned from the window that looked out over Hazzard Square.

"Sounds like things are getting worse for folks all over town, Boss.  The snow's already as thick as ticks on a hound, and it looks like it's not going to let up anytime soon!"

Boss turned off the radio and took a cigar from the fancy carved box on his desk. He fished his gold lighter out of his vest pocket and flicked it to flame. Sucking on the cigar, the flame touching the end only grew as he puffed.

"I know it is Rosco, that’s why I set up Hazzard High gym as a shelter."

The end of the cigar began to smolder and he closed the lighter and returned it to his vest pocket. Rounding his desk, he once more plopped into his big plushy office chair and leaned back in it. "Soon as the weather breaks, all the citizens of Hazzard will be flooding my bank for loans to fix up their houses and then..." He put his booted feet up on the desk and crossed his ankles, a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

'I'll really clean up with all those high interest loans." He sighed audibly, a huge grin on his chubby face.

"Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

"Khee! With my fifty percent of fifty percent thrown in, right Boss?"  Rosco gloated, and then his expression sobered as he looked outside again.

"I'd sure hate to be stuck out there on a day like this.  Which is why I sent Enos out on patrol!"  Rosco chuckled again.

The plushy chair moved back down and a look of extreme dismay came to Boss' face. He stood up and removed his hat, then set it down on his desk.

"Rosco P Coltrane, you mean to say you sent out your one and only Deputy out on patrol in weather like this?" He next removed his white coat and set it on the back of his chair. Rosco's grin slide off his features and he nodded. Still appearing horrified, Boss shook his head slowly, and then suddenly grinned.

"You’re learning!" He chuckled wickedly, and then picked up his cigar from the ashtray and had another puff of it.

Rosco beamed proudly.  "Ooo, I appreciate that little fat buddy!" 

He looked out the window, and then did a double-take as a flash of orange flickered amongst the white that covered the town.  He peered across the street. 

"Ooh! Ooh! Boss look, there's them no-good Duke boys! I can't believe it! That General Lee must be half mountain goat to get through weather like this!"

"The Dukes?" Boss set his cigar down in his ashtray and backed his chair up hard enough for it to hit the wall behind it. He got up as fast as his pudgy allowed and hurried over to the window. He squinted as he peered out of the frost covered glass. The General Lee slid in the snow to a stop in front of Rhuebottom's store and both Dukes climbed out of the stock car.

"They're going to Rhuebottom's! Probably to loot the poor old goat.  But don't worry Boss!"  Rosco grabbed his hat and slammed it down onto his head.  "I'll get 'em! I'll have them cuffed and stuffed before you can blink!"

"Or they’ll have you cuffed and stuffed!" Boss turned around and grabbed his hat and coat.

"There's two of them so I'll help make the odds more even." He saw Rosco's frown and sighed. "You need all the help you can get Rosco."

"You, Boss?"  Rosco looked uncertain.  "I don't know if it's a good idea, after all, if you get your pudgy little self bogged down in the snow, I'm not gonna be able to haul you out!"

"Oh you'll haul me out Rosco or you'll join the other citizens of Hazzard needing help when you're on the unemployment line!' Boss scowled as he adjusted his hat on his head. He grabbed his cigar and tucked it into his mouth.

"Now move!"

"I'm gone!"  Rosco nodded, and headed for the door with Boss following him.

Outside, the Duke boys were moving through the drifts toward Rhuebottom's. 

"Those dang Dukes . . . folks'll be swimming in Hazzard Pond and having Fourth of July picnics before they see the light of day again!" 

*******    ********       ********

"Dang it!"  Bo rattled the doorknob of Rhuebottom's Dry Goods, and then shook snow from his hair.  "It's closed, Luke! Mr. Rhuebottom must not have been able to get into town!"

Luke took giant steps that brought his bent knee almost as high as his chest as he made his way through the tall mounds of snow. Finally joining Bo by Rhuebottom's door, he wiped the window off and peered into it, his hands cupped to either side of his eyes.

"His shelves are practically full too and he's got everything we need, food, blankets, lamp oil." Sighing, Luke lowered his hands and turned to his cousin.

Bo looked his older cousin in the eye.  "We need those things, Luke.  What are we gonna do?"

"You're going to freeze it right there!" A voice called out and both cousins turned to see Boss and Rosco moving slowly towards them. Rosco had his pearl-handled pistol drawn and Luke raised an eyebrow as he watched them move like turtles stuck in molasses.

"What in the world?" Luke asked as he glanced at Bo.

"And I thought snakes hibernated in the winter," Bo replied with a sigh as he raised his hands slowly. 

"They do." Luke creased his brow and lowered Bo's hands, then put his hands in his back pockets. "You two ain't got no call to arrest us."

"The heck I don't, Luke Duke! I saw what you was doin'! You thought you were all alone over here, but I seen you out the window from across the street! You and Bo were trying to break into this here store!" Rosco pulled his cuffs out. 

"Stealin'!  What's your Uncle Jesse gonna think?"

Boss nodded empathically then took his cigar from his mouth.

“We got probable cause to arrest you both on suspicion of grand theft and breaking and entering!" He stepped between Luke and Rosco then glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff.

"Rosco, do your duty!"

"Breaker one breaker one, might be crazy but I ain't dumb! Crazy Cooter comin' at you, Bo and Luke, you got your ears on come on back? We got ourselves a real problem out here!"

Cooter's voice crackled out of the General's CB, and both boys turned their heads at the sound. "Trouble?" Bo said to Luke, and pushed past Rosco to make his way back to the General, ignoring the Sheriff's sputter of outrage.  He grabbed the CB mike and replied.

"Cooter?  What's the trouble, buddy, over?"

"Bo? We got troubles man with a capitol T! The road out here to my place is done been blocked! Looks like every tree in the county's fallen over! So it looks like you guys ain't the only one homeless, yours truly is too!"

"Blocked! Are you all okay? Can you make back into town and meet up with us here?"

"I think so but it's gonna be slow going. I heard on the radio from Ol' Elton that the gym over at the high school has been turned into a shelter. We're going to try and make it there, if not then we'll try and get to town and I guess we'll just hold up in that small place over my garage till things settle down."

"Uh, yeah . . . well we got a problem of our own over here Cooter.  Boss and Rosco say that Luke and I were trying to break into Rhuebottom's, and it looks like we're about to get shelter behind bars!"

"Going to jail? What fer?" The voice of Jesse Duke burst through the CB speaker and both Bo and Luke flinched. "Now you boys didn’t do nothing wrong!"

"That's what we tried to-" Bo's words were cut off by Rosco's shout close to his ear.

"All right, Bo Duke! That's an extra charge of collaberatin' and collusion! Get yer hands up!"  Rosco took the CB from Bo's hand, and Bo rolled his eyes. "Dang it Rosco-"  From the CB,

Jesse's voice could be heard. "Boys! We're coming! Just hold on!"

Boss snatched the CB from where it dangled over the driver side door of the General Lee. He grinned as he pressed the button.

"Hi Jesse, looks like your nephews ain't gotta worry about a place to stay. They'll be nice and cozy down in the jail cell." He heard Jesse ranting and that only made him giggle like a weasel. "Now Jesse, don’t get yourself all in a state, the boys will be waiting for you in the Courthouse. Bye bye!" He said then let the button go and dropped the mike back in the driver side window.

"Awright! Just git! Git!"  Rosco prodded Bo and Luke across the street toward the courthouse.  Bo traded a long-suffering look with his cousin and followed his lead as Luke started across the street. 

*******    ********       ********

"J.D. Hogg you get back on this CB! I ain't through with you!" Jesse shouted into the mike, his finger pointing at it. Around him the girls flinched at his tone then looked at Cooter, who also cringed. The four of them all stood around Jesse's pickup, listening to Boss taunt the older man. When Boss' transmission stopped and no amount of Jesse's ranting brought him back, Jesse threw the CB on the seat. "That fat windbag!"

"Aw don't worry too much Uncle Jesse, the boys can handle ol' Rosco and J.D. until we can get there."  Cooter looked to Daisy and Min for support, hoping to soothe the old man's temper.

"Cooter's right Uncle Jesse, they can't hold the boys for no reason." Daisy put her hand on Jesse's arm and then glanced at Min.

"Right, it'd be illegal and they could get in big trouble." Min moved to Jesse's other side and also took a hold of his arm. "Let's just get to town and get the boys out then we'll go to the garage and get some rest in Cooter's apartment."

"Not having a reason has never stopped J.D. and Rosco from arresting them boys before!"  Jesse pointed at Cooter's tow truck. 

"Cooter, get that thing turned around! We have to get into town as soon as we can, and get Bo and Luke!  Well what are you waiting for?  Git!"  Jesse shooed Cooter into action, who skidded toward his truck.  Jesse got back into his pickup and shouted to the girls. "Come on Daisy, Min, let's get moving!"

The girls exchanged glances and also burst into action. Daisy climbed into the passenger side of the pickup while Min ran and climbed into the passenger side of Cooter's tow truck.

"You don’t mind if I ride with you, do you Cooter?" She asked with one hand on the door handle, not wanting to close the door till Cooter answered her question.

"Climb in, but hurry up.  When Uncle Jesse thinks the boys are in danger, it's safer to poke a sleeping grizzly than to get in his way!"

Min laughed as she tugged the door closed and buckled her seatbelt.

"Yeah you're right Cooter." Her smile faded as she gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry you can't get back to your farm, I hope it's all right."

"I'm sure it'll be all right. I'll just stay in town until I can get back," Cooter replied as he turned the tow truck around.

"Boss and Rosco really wouldn’t do this would they Uncle Jesse? Keep the boys in jail with Christmas so close?" Daisy asked hopefully as she gazed at her uncle, her eyes filled with concern for her kin.

"The time of year don't matter to J.D.  Besides, having the boys in jail is probably the best gift he can imagine!"  Jesse turned his truck around in order to follow Cooter's tire tracks, as the tow truck's tires were a bit thicker. 

"There's no way he'd keep them in jail, not even Boss Hogg is that mean." Daisy stated as she watched Cooter's big truck cut a path through the heavy snow that had accumulated in the short time they were parked beside the big pile of upended trees. She zipped up her jacket even higher, the material gathering around her face, just the sight of the snow making her instantly colder.

"We'll make it into town and everything'll be all right, you'll see." She whispered.

Jesse reached over and patted her hand.  "Course it will, darlin'.  Don't you worry."

*******    ********       ********

"We've got to get out of here, Luke," Bo said to his cousin as he wrapped his hands around the bars of their cell. "Uncle Jesse, Cooter and the girls out in that weather!"  Bo looked over at Rosco, who was sitting at his desk with his feet up, reading a Field and Stream magazine. "Rosco! Come on now, this is just crazy! Our kin are out in the storm!"

"Hush now you Dukes just...hush! "Rosco said to Bo as he flipped the page in his magazine. "I dont want to hear another word outta you now I mean it!" Satisfied that all was settled for now, he raised the magazine back up and continued reading,

Bo narrowed his eyes, his short temper flaring. "Rosco, if anything happens to Uncle Jesse or the girls or Cooter while you've got us locked in here, I swear I'll take it out of your crooked hide!"

The threat made Rosco tip back in his chair. He landed on his back then scurried around and got to his feet as fast as he could. His hands reached up to adjust his misplaced hat and his hands flew to his pistol.

"Ooo!  Don’t you dare threaten m,e Bo Duke!" He went to take the gun out of its holster but then eased down, raising one balled fist instead.

"Good thing you’re already behind those bars!" He pursed his lips, raising his fist again as he turned and headed for Boss' office door. He kept glancing over his shoulder, not believing that the Dukes were safely behind the bars. Jerking open Boss' door, he took one more glance at the Dukes before backing up and slamming the door shut.

Bo slapped the bars before turning away and pacing the confines of their cell. 

"Luke, if they get stuck out there . . . "

Luke sat on the bench, his legs drawn up and his arms wrapped around them. He watched as his cousin walked the length of the cell.

"If they get stuck they'll call in Bo. We'd hear a CB call in here, the radio is sitting on Rosco's desk and there's another one over there." He turned and motioned with his chin to the counter to the right of the cell.

"They'll be here soon enough to get us out of here we just need to sit tight."

Bo continued to pace.  "If Rosco think I threatened him, he's really in for it when Uncle Jesse gets here!" 

"Yeah..." Luke sighed and ran his hand through his hair and went to the back of his neck.

"Still don’t know where we're going to stay. I guess we'll have to go to the high school gym."

"If Boss has his way, we're going to stay here until spring thaw!"  Bo replied, and then sighed.  "We've gotta get out of here, Luke. Then we can worry about where to stay."

Sighing, Luke lowered his legs and stood up. He tucked his hand in his back pocket as he went to the cell door and looked it over carefully. "Maybe we got lucky and Rosco didn't lock us up tighter than a snare drum."

"Maybe."  Bo rested his forehead on the bars briefly, and then looked up as the doors to the booking room banged open. Jesse came charging in, followed by the girls and Cooter. All four of them were dusted with snow, but Jesse's eyes were blazing.

"J.D.! Where is that overstuffed snowflake?"

Without hesitating, both Dukes pointed to Boss' office and Jesse high tailed it over to it and began to pound on it with one fist. Min and Daisy wandered over to the boys' cells.

"Hey fellas, you holding up okay?" Daisy asked as a smile came to her face.

"Better than you." Luke replied as he put his hands through the bars and brushed some snow from Daisy's hair.

"Oh!" Daisy laughed as she shook off the snow and brushed her wet hair back. She then turned to Min, who stood beside her and began to brush off her jacket.

"Thanks Daisy." Min slipped it down her arms partially, flapped the ends of her coat and then quickly put it back on and rubbed her arms.

"Its cold enough out there to cut through you like a knife."

"We're glad to see y'all in once piece," Bo replied, and looked up as Boss came out of his office. "Here, here! What's all the ruckus?"  He barked, and then flinched back with a surprised expression as Jesse barked right back at him.

"J.D. you fat old Scrooge, you let my boys out right now! They wasn't robbing that store and you know it!"

"Uh oh..." Min whispered, and then moved back closer to her cousins and brother as the showdown at the J.D. Corral began. Jesse had the look of a country volcano about to blow its top and she half expected to see lava spew from the top of his red cap and drop from the sleeves of his red Carhartt jacket.

"Care to make a wager on who will win?" She asked and Luke scoffed.

"You know where I'm putting my money."

Bo grinned.  "Looks the cold weather hasn't cooled Jesse's temper none!" He said gleefully, and rubbed his hands together. 

On the other side of the room, Jesse jabbed his finger into Boss' chubby chest, and Boss sputtered with indignation. "Now look here, Jesse, Rosco caught those boys trying to open a locked door! That's breakin' and enterin', and the last time I checked, that was against the law!"

"Did they get inside?" Jesse asked, and then poked Boss again when his mouth dropped open.

"Now see here J.D.! It ain't against the law to break and enter if they never went inside!"

"But they was trying and that's good enough for me!" Boss said with a self-satsified nod, and glanced at Rosco.  Rosco looked uncertain, and then spoke up. "It don't matter Jesse, because they're already in the slammer, and you'll join them if you keep assaulting a county official that way!"

"Assault?" Boss then looked at Rosco, who motioned to the thick digit that Jesse currently had pressed into the white satin vest he wore. His chubby face suddenly brightened as he gazed down at the fingers. "Assault! You’re right!" He then stepped back and he scowled heavily. "Jesse Duke! I'm having you arrested for assaulting a county official!"

"Boss you can't do that!"  Daisy gasped as she ran over to them both. 

"Oh yes I can Daisy Duke!" He then pointed to her and then to Min who still stood with the boys. "And you're under arrest too! You and your cousin!"

Min's eyes widened. "Arrest us? But what did we do?"

Boss hesitated, and then declared, "I'm having you all locked for my safety! You Dukes are dangerous and have to be put away before you assault me and the Sheriff here in trying to break out your kin! Rosco, arrest them!"

Before anyone could utter another syllable, Rosco had his pearl-handled pistol out of its holster and began to wave it around.

"Alllll right you Dukes just freeze it right there!"

"Take them downstairs, Rosco, the whole bunch of them!" Boss ordered, scowling at the family around his cigar. Jesse glared, but didn't dare risk making Rosco fire that gun. "J.D.!" He railed.

"Oh hush up you old goat!" Rosco moved aside and motioned with his pistol to the stairs that led to the cells in the basement.

"Just go on now, you heard the Boss, now git!"

"Boss you can't arrest them like that!"  Bo protested from their cell, and Boss frowned.

"Make sure you come back for those two, Rosco! Maybe then we'll have some peace and quiet around here!"

"You got it li'l fat buddy!" Rosco waited till Daisy and Min followed their uncle then proceeded down the stairs behind them.

*******    ********       ********

Once Boss was sure that his Sheriff had all of the Dukes locked up tightly, he decided to make his way across the square, back to his house, for a good hot meal.  He trudged slowly across the snow-swollen street, the wind nearly taking his hat and the snow, while decreasing now, made him nearly invisible in the drifts.  Finally, he made it up the porch steps of his grand white house on the square, and paused to brush snow off before he unlocked the front door, stamping his booted feet to warm them.

Inside the fancy two story house, the sounds of Johnny Mathis' Christmas album drifted through every room. Lulu Hogg sang along as she moved from room to room, her round body adorned in red velvet with white trim resembling an extra plump Mrs. Claus. An eight-foot Christmas tree adorned with big gold ornaments and gold garland stood in the open window, its lights twinkling. She came into the living room at the sound of the door, her round face brightening in a sunny grin.

"Chickabiddy! You're home! And just in time I just made lunch!"

"Oh, hello lamb chop! I hope you made something warm, it's frightful cold outside!"  Boss hung his hat on the coat rack and chuckled.

"Course, where them Dukes are going to spend their Christmas won't be much warmer, you can bet on that!" He laughed again.

"Now, what's for lunch, I'm a starving man!" He patted his belly.

Lulu's grin slid off her face slowly, like a sheet from a marble statue.

"Chickabiddy did you say the Dukes are in jail?" She asked as she moved closer to him.

"Yes indeedy, honeypie, the whole blasted bunch, locked up tighter than Ebeneezer's money vault on Christmas Eve!"

Her puzzled face now turned down in a scowl.

"But why? What did they do end up in jail so close to Christmas?"

"Now, now, don't you worry your sweet little head about it, Lulu . . . your brother has them put away nice and safe in the basement lockup."  Boss patted her hand. 

"Let's have some lunch!"

"Safe and put away?" Lulu tugged her pudgy hand away from Boss' and marched into the dining room then whipped around to face him.

"Oh no we won’t be having lunch J.D. Hogg! Not as long as you got those Dukes locked up!"

Boss' face fell with dismay.  "But lambykins, be reasonable! Those Duke boys were trying to rob Rhuebottom's store, and then Jesse Duke threatened me face to face! He coulda done me grave bodily injury."  Boss pouted at his wife, seeking her sympathy.

"Robbing a store? Bodily injury? J.D. you know those Dukes wouldn’t hurt a fly!"

Her voice went up a notch, the shout sounding like a hen caught in a bear trap.

Boss winced.  "But Lulu-"

"But Lulu nothing! Now you get out of here J.D. and you don’t step one foot back in here unless you have those poor Dukes with you!" She raised one arm and pointed one chubby finger towards the door.

"Out!!"

Boss' mouth dropped open in horror. "The Dukes! Here? Lulu you can't be serious!"

"I am serious! Most of the folks around here are hard hit by the snow. I'm willing to bet those poor Dukes are one of them. Now you git!" She pointed again to the door and stomped her foot against the carpeting.

"Git till you can find some charity and compassion in that fat body of yours!"

Boss appealed to his wife in a last-ditch attempt to get his hot lunch. 

"Honey-pot . . . sweet pea . . . ? You would throw your own husband out into the cold with an empty belly, on account of those Dukes?"

"You'd leave that poor family in a cold lonely jail cell two days before Christmas?" Lulu countered, her face holding disappointment combined with anger as she gazed at her husband.

"They're Dukes!"  Boss tried to explain, and then ducked as Lulu picked up a vase from the shelf nearby and threatened him with it.

The vase went flying, smashing into the back of the door.

"OUT!!!" She screamed.

"GAHH!" Boss yelped as he grabbed his hat, slammed the door shut and went back out onto the porch. 

"Those Dukes in my house?" He said to himself.  "I just can't do it!" 

His stomach growled suddenly and he put a hand to it.

"Course, if'n I don't do what Lulu says, I'll never eat another hot meal as long as I live! Dang blast it!" 

Boss settled his hat firmly onto his head and headed back toward the courthouse. 

*******    ********       ********

Min lay on her cot, a pair of thin wool army blankets wrapped around her. She glanced across the small cell at Daisy, watching her sleep despite the coolness of the basement room. Sighing she sat up and gazed into the cell next door. Bo and Luke split half of their cot while Jesse lay stretched out on the other, his fingers laced on top of his chest.

"Uncle Jesse?"

"What, Min?"

The tone of his voice made Min's heart ache and she leaned forehead against the cold bars.

"Do you think we're going to get out of here?"

"We're going to do our best," Jesse replied, and Cooter looked up from the floor, where he was sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees.

"If Boss and ol' Rosco have anything to say about it, we'll be here when Easter rolls around!"  He said.

Luke scoffed and shook his head. He slowly sat up and leaned his back against the concrete wall. "At least it'd be warmer."

"Yeah. It's not like we have much of a home to go back to."  Bo agreed.

"Oh come on Bo, we'll fix the farm." Min turned in her cot and looked up at the small barred window. Closed because of the bad weather, the snow blocked out any natural light that came in.

"You know what I've told you boys about having faith? Well, now's the time," Jesse said mildly, although he cast a reproachful eye at Bo, who reddened slightly and nodded. 

"Yessir." 

"We have faith Jesse, but you also said that the Lord helps those that helps themselves."

Luke drew one leg up and draped his arm over the top of his knee.

Bo looked up.  "What do you have in mind, cousin?"

"Don’t know if I have anything specific in mind Bo, but I do know we can't sit here." Luke looked around the cells and then out between the bars to the long wooden counter with the CB on it, the hot plate and a small black transistor radio.

"I don't think Rosco is going to just walk in here and unlock these cells, so we'd better figure something out," Bo replied with a nod. Before he could say anything further, the door swung open and Rosco came in, followed by Boss.

"Speak of the devil." Luke replied as he watched the two of them came barreling in. Boss had a scowl on his face that made him look like he had a mouthful of tacks.

"Something we can do for you Boss?"

"You sure can! You can dry up and blow away! But since that ain't gonna happen . . . "  Boss seemed to struggle with himself, and then motioned to the cells. 

"Rosco, open the doors and let them out!"

"Let them out?" Rosco asked as he gazed at Boss then leaned closer to the man in white. "You sure you're feeling all right? I thought we wanted the Dukes in jail?" He said in a loud whisper that all in the room could hear.

"We do, you cowpie!" Boss hissed back. "But your fat sister got wind of me putting them Dukes in jail, and now she's kicked me outta the house until I bring them all home with me! If I want a hot meal and a warm bed tonight, I don't have no other choice!"

"Lulu kicked you out?" Rosco's blue eyes widened a little, and then his mouth formed a perfect circle. "Ooo! No supper? No place to sleep unless you bring the Dukes to your house?" He then turned to look at the two cells.

"The Dukes in your house?" He said again sounding astonished.

"I don't have a choice, Rosco! Now do as I say and let 'em out!"

The Dukes in their cells all stood up watching as Rosco got the key from the wall and unlocked each cell, then waved them out of it with the big heavy key in his hand.

"You heard the Boss, come on out."

All eyes in the two cells turned to Jesse. The Duke patriarch narrowed his a moment and gave the rotund county commissioner a sidelong glance.

"What are you up to, J.D.?"

"Why Jesse, I don't know what you mean!" Boss said in his sweetest tone, and Bo stepped forward.

"What we mean is that you don't do anything without wanting something first, Boss!" He said sharply.

"You know, he's got a point, Boss." Rosco said as he stepped out from behind the open cell door and once again stood with Boss.

"Oh who asked you, pea-brain!" He snapped at Rosco and then turned back to the Dukes. 

Boss took his cigar from his mouth.  "Jesse Duke, you ought to be ashamed, thinking such a thing!  My Lulu wanted me to invite you all over to our house so that you wouldn't have to spend Christmas in the pokey!"

Daisy stepped closer to her uncle and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lulu invited us over Uncle Jesse." She met his eyes when he turned to look at her and she nodded slightly.

Jesse sighed.  "Well . . . in the spirit of the season, I suppose we can't refuse." 

He nodded.  "All right, J.D.  We accept your invitation."

"Oh my oh my, isn’t that nice, Rosco?" Boss said cheerfully, and glanced over his shoulder at Rosco.

"Is it? I mean, it is!"  Rosco nodded vigorously. 

"It is! And we're all going to go over to my house for a nice dinner and then we'll make you all nice and comfortable." Again he looked to Rosco for confirmation.

Rosco replied with a wide smile, nodding, and Cooter glanced around at his friends.  He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"I must be dreaming," He sighed.

"You’re not the only one dreaming, Cooter." Min whispered as she followed Daisy out of the jail cell.

*******    ********       ********

The clatter of dishes and the sound of hushed voices and murmurs echoed through the Hogg household. Lulu grinned widely as she glanced over her shoulder at Daisy and Min. Standing by the stove, she mixed a great big pot of homemade mashed potatoes and then grabbed some tongs and flipped over some pieces of fried chicken.

The chicken lay bubbling in a big skillet; Min stood on the other side of the stove, holding a basket ladened with paper towels, ready for it to be fished out and placed on the dining table.

"It looks great Lulu." Daisy said as she put her hand on the older woman's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We really appreciate you letting us stay here."

"Oh, now you think nothing of it, Daisy! What kind of Christian would I be, letting your family sit in jail at Christmas?" She beamed at Daisy, and then at Bo and Luke, who she was especially fond of.  "Of course y'all are welcome!"

Bo and Luke were in the dining room laying out dishes, silverware and napkins. When they heard Lulu they glanced up and gave her a smile as they moved from setting to setting.

"Much obliged Miss Lulu; we'll make it up to you, that's a promise." Luke said with a nod of his head as he set down another plate.

"Oh!"  Lulu blushed heavily and waved Luke away with a girlish giggle.  Boss, who sat in front of the fireplace in the den, sulking with a big cigar, glared up at Rosco, who stood nearby.

"I tell you Rosco, it's a sad day when a man can't even enjoy a meal in his own home without it being invaded by . . .” Boss waved disgustedly at the scene in the kitchen. 

"That!"

Rosco leaned over, getting closer to Boss. "You didn’t have a choice, it was either bring the Dukes home or you sleep in your barber chair in the Boars Nest." He turned and glanced out at the raging storm. "And in this storm you'd never make it little fat buddy."

"I know, I know!"  Boss curled his pudgy hands into fists, nearly crushing his cigar.  "But those Dukes, in my house, eating my food? I tell you, it's enough to give a man indigestion on an empty stomach!"

"You'll have to be the bigger man Boss." Rosco then looked at Boss' protruding white belly. "Which isn't a problem for you." He then gazed up at Boss' scowl and flinched.

"I mean...what I mean is...you know that old saying about charity beginning at home." He said with a grin, hoping to appease Boss.

"Someone else's home! Not mine! And not with them Dukes!" Boss hissed, and then made frowned severely as he watched Bo Duke take the last chicken drumstick. 

Rosco watched as Lulu and the four Duke cousins all sat around the table. Lulu laughed as she passed the food around then got up and came back in with a pie.

"Look what I made for dessert!" She announced as she held a pecan pie.

"Well looks like they're not only eating our dinner, but dessert too." Rosco commented as he watched his sister than shook his head.

"Not the pie!"  Boss moaned, and then straightened up as Lulu came into the room.

"Everything's ready, J.D.! You and Rosco and Jesse can come and sit down now." 

The big woman frowned suddenly and looked around the room.

"Where is Jesse? I thought he was in here with you."

"Jesse?" Rosco looked at Boss and shrugged. “Have you seen him?  Cause I ain't seen him since we got here."

"I thought he was in the kitchen with you," Boss said as he got to his feet. "Well, the old goat couldn't have gotten far . . . let me take a look 'round here, Lulu, and you keep supper warm."

"You go find Jesse Boss; I'll just help myself to some supper while you look." Rosco grinned as he got up and went to the table. The boys and Cooter welcomed him as he sat down then took off his hat and turned to hang it on the top of the chair over his shoulder.

"There had best be some chicken left when I get there, Rosco, or I take it out of your salary!" Boss called after him, and walked down the hallway. He didn't think Jesse had gone upstairs, for he was much too polite a man to go roaming around a house that didn't belong to him.  So instead he went down to the end of the hallway and glanced out onto the screened-in porch in the back of the house.

Jesse was sitting in one of the high-backed white wicker chairs, a thick blanket wrapped around his shoulders.  Boss opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. 

"Jesse? What are you doing over here?  Lulu has enough food on the table to choke a mule.  Ain't you gonna come to the table and help your kin gobble up all my food?"

Jesse turned as Boss came out of the back door, his face solemn. The lines around his eyes and mouth seemed deeper, the tufts of hair from beneath his red cap seemed whiter and overall the man had seemed to have aged a least a decade as he stared as his friend.

"I'm not hungry, thanks all the same J.D.” He said, and then once again glanced out at the blinding white that blanketed everything. The storm had slowed down some, but the snow still blew around the big house and the other buildings that surrounded Hazzard Square.

Boss came to stand beside him.  "Quite a storm, isn't it?"

"Worst I've ever seen..." His words trailed off a moment, and then he sighed heavily.

"Ain't never seen so much snow."

"Well, deep as it is, it's got to end sometime, and then things will be back to normal.  You shouldn't take on so, Jesse."

"Don't know if they will J.D., don’t know if things will be like they was before this storm." Jesse said in a low tone, his voice slightly choked with emotion as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Boss frowned. "Well there might be some trees that fell down and such, but those things can be fixed; I'm surprised at you, Jesse, usually you're the one to lift the rest of our spirits up at times like this!"

"Its more than some trees J.D.." Once again Jesse turned to face his longtime friend and former moonshiner.

"The snow collapsed my house." He whispered brokenly, his blue eyes pained.

Boss' mouth fell open and he blinked as though he hadn't heard correctly. "Your house?" He repeated.  You mean it's . . . gone? All together?"

"The snow collapsed it; I don’t know for sure how bad it is." Jesse looked away from his friend. "Bo and Luke had gone into town for supplies and me and the girls were going to stay with Cooter, but the road was blocked off. We had nowheres to go when you had Rosco arrest us."

"Oh. I see."  Boss colored just a bit.  "Well I suppose you getting arrested was a blessing in disguise then."  He flinched back as Jesse gave him a narrow-eyed glare. 

"Or maybe not."  Finally Boss sighed and patted Jesse's shoulder gently. 

"I'm sorry, Jesse.  I truly am.  I didn't know."

Jesse’s hand came up and patted the pudgy hand.

"It's all right J.D., we'll manage somehow. For now my kids got a roof over their heads that strong enough to support them and I'm grateful to you and Lulu for that."

"Well . . . I suppose as long as them boys of yours keep their hands off the silver and don't eat me out of house and home, I'll let them stay."  Boss allowed himself a small smile, knowing in his heart that the Dukes had never stolen anything in their lives. 

"The boys will mind their manners." Jesse mumbled as he once again focused his gaze on the falling snow.

"Well. I never thought I'd see the day when Jesse Duke failed to defend his nephews to me!"  Boss shook his head and squeezed Jesse's shoulder gently.

"Of course, I can recollect a time when you used to defend me to your pa, whenever the two of us would get into trouble."

"He always had a good sense of character." Jesse squeezed Boss' hand and gave him a weary smile as he looked up at his friend.

"And it seems like the knack for finding trouble runs in your family," Boss replied, and looked out at the snow, which was falling a bit more gently now. 

"I know how much that old house means to you, Jesse.  I remember many a happy Christmas there, before I became Commissioner. Your Martha used to set a fine table."  Boss smiled a little. "Come on with me, Jesse. There's something I want to show you."

Releasing Boss' hand, Jesse slowly got up. Still bundled in his heavy blanket he followed Boss back into the house, shutting the screen door behind him.

Boss went back through the living room and headed up the big staircase. Down the carpeted hallway to the last door on the left, he led Jesse into his bedroom. In the corner of this room, all decorated in white, the shade matching the suits that Boss wore everyday, sat an ancient looking warped dark wood trunk. He patted his vest pocket and came up with a small set of keys. He unlocked the trunk and lifted the lid, muttering to himself. 

"I know it's in here somewhere . . . ah!" Boss withdrew a small photo album and handed it to Jesse. 

"What might this be?" Jesse asked as he moved to the side of Boss' huge king size bed and sat on its edge; the mattress sunk in slightly with his weight as he carefully opened the worn red cover and gazed at first yellowed page. The hint of a smile lit up his features.

"Welll...this looks familiar!" He remarked at an old photo of the two of them back in their moonshine days. The two men stood together, an old fashioned grey car and an old fashioned black car in the foreground behind them.

"And how about this?"  Boss turned a few pages to a photo that showed a much younger version of himself and Jesse, delivering Christmas gifts to children at the Hazzard Orphanage. 

"You recollect that Christmas, Jesse? We had snow that year, too, and just after we delivered those gifts, the Feds chased us as we were heading back home."

"We ended up on the Indian caves, held up there with nothing but our shine stash and some stashed food to keep us company." Jesse chuckled as he thought of that Christmas Eve stuck in an old cave with J.D. Hogg.

"That's right."  Boss nodded with a smile. "And the weather turned right nasty! It started to snow, and I got a bit worried."  The usually stern lines of Boss' face softened considerably.

"Do you remember what you told me?"

Thinking a moment, Jesse slowly turned to his friend.

"I told you it’s always darkest before the dawn. A little faith and some hope will get you through anything."

Boss took the photo album and closed it gently.  "You were right.  Everything worked out then, and it'll work out now.  Faith and hope, Jesse.  Right?"  He looked his friend in the eye and smiled a little.

Jesse gazed at his friend; his expression went from dismal to hopeful and gave a single nod of his head.

"You're right J.D.”

"Well, all right!"  Boss put the album back into the trunk and patted Jesse's shoulder. 

"Lulu's keeping supper warm for us, and I'd sure hate to sit down to meal without you there to keep those boys of yours in line!"

Nodding, Jesse patted his friend on the back and slowly stood up. He shed his blanket and removed his jacket, then adjusted the cap on his head.

"Maybe tonight we can tell the kids that story of you and me in the Indian caves, since its Christmas Eve."

"Maybe you'd best let me tell it." A bit of Boss' usual arrogance crept back into his tone. 

"After all, I don't want you taking all the credit for our escape!" He winked briefly and headed out of the room as the sound of laughter from the dining room drifted up the stairs. 

*******    ********       ********

The Great Hazzard Storm broke two days later.  The day after Christmas, the last remnants of the grey clouds that had brought so much snow to the county broke up and were chased away by the sun.  The road that led to Cooter's farm was cleared away that same day, and he returned home after promising the Dukes that he would help them rebuild their home. 

The Dukes, meanwhile, stayed several more days at Boss and Lulu's insistence, until finally, the day before New Year's Eve, Jesse took Boss aside.

"J.D., you know I truly appreciate the hospitality you've shown us, but it's time for us to get back to the place and to see what we can do about fixing it up." 

Boss nodded. "Jesse, I know things will be all right and I'm glad that we could spend Christmas together." He offered his long-time friend his pudgy right hand.

Jesse shook it firmly, knowing that as soon as next week, Rosco would be chasing the boys again on some trumped-up charges, with Boss backing him all the way.  Even so, Jesse knew that it wasn't just Boss and Rosco who wouldn't have it any other way. 

"Me too, J.D.  But there's no delaying it any longer. We have to get home."

"I understand, a man's home is his castle." Boss shook his hand then released it and placed a hand on Jesse's back.

"If there's anything you need, you just let me know." He said with a big grin as he escorted Jesse to the front door and opened it for him.

"And just to show there's no hard feelings, Rosco and I will personally escort you back to the farm." He took his white hat off the hat rack and put it in his bald head.

"That's right kind of you, J.D," Jesse replied, and walked outside where his family was waiting.

Min and Daisy both waited by the pickup truck.

"Are you ready to go home Uncle Jesse?" Min glanced at the boys who stood on either side of the General Lee. Parked behind them was Rosco in his patrol car; the uniformed man got out and gave a nod to Boss.

"I'm ready.  Let's go."  Jesse climbed into the pickup as the boys slid through windows of the General.  Bo gave his cousin a worried glance. "Suppose it's gotten worse since we left?"

Luke swung first one leg then the other into the open window and slid into the driver side seat. He put his seatbelt on, and then leaned forward as he turned the key and started up the big stock car. "We'll fix it no matter what Bo, we don't have a choice. Besides, you heard what Uncle Jesse said, houses can always be fixed."

Bo tried to smile. "I hope you're right, cousin," he sighed as the car pulled away from Boss' house. Lulu stood on the porch, waving, and both Bo and Luke waved back as they left Hazzard Square and headed for home.

Rosco opened the car door and got behind the wheel of his patrol car. He waited until Boss climbed in and started it up.

"Just follow them to the farmhouse, right Boss?"

Boss grinned widely and pulled a cigar from his pocket.

"That's right."

Seeing the look on Boss' face made Rosco giggle.

"I love it, I love it Boss. I just love it when you get that look! Khee!" He put the car in drive and followed the General Lee.

In Jesse's pickup, the girls and Jesse made the drive back home mostly in silence. Jesse tried to keep in mind what Boss had told him about faith and hope, but the thought of what their house and its contents might look like after a week exposed to all that snow made his heart heavy again.

Daisy glanced at her uncle and seeing the look on his face; she tipped her head to one side resting it on the side of his arm.

"It'll be all right Uncle Jesse." She whispered as she gripped his arm gently.

"We'll get by, Cooter already said he'd help and some other folks in town will help too if we need it." Min put her arm around Daisy and placed her hand