Chris-in-the-morning: “Greetings, Cicely, on this most exceedingly beautiful spring morning. A morning swollen with new life, a morning on which, if I had the voice, I would let loose with song. It's hard to believe just a few short weeks ago we were eating our cornflakes in the wintery dark. Now, well it's still kind of dim our there, but I can see the golden glow of Apollo's chariot waiting in the wings, about to make its entrance. Winter's on the lam, no doubt.”

Maggie meets a tall, chiseled, almost animal-like stranger, when her truck becomes stuck in the slush. As the two get to know each other, Maggie becomes infatuated with Arthur (guest star Andreas Wisniewski), and is oblivious to his strange lifestyle which involves catching fish with his hands and living in a cave. Within a few days, Arthur brings flowers to Maggie and announces he must leave to join his family. After he departs, Maggie visits his cave only to find a very gentle bear who responds to the name of Arthur.

Leonard Quinhagak (guest star Graham Greene), Marilyn's cousin "the healer," observes Joel at work in order to expand his approach to medicine and be less holistic. He becomes involved when Shelly sees Joel because her skin is peeling. Leonard intervenes when Joel prescribes a medicated ointment that does not solve the problem. Leonard questions Shelly about her life, then diagnoses her skin is peeling because she is being reborn, just as a snake sloughs its skin. Leonard's accurate analysis reminds Joel of the importance of taking the feelings and the lifestyle of his patients into consideration when making a diagnosis.

Chris' late Uncle Roy's arthritic knee predictad the onset of rain.

Maggie went to high school with Elizabeth Schroeder nee Kerry who just had a baby boy.

Maurice has used Old Spice for the past thirty years; he loved boot camp -- USMC, Parris Island -- because they re-built you from scratch. He never understood his mother's obsession with spring cleanlng, until now. MacAllisters on the distaff side of the family -- Royal Highlanders, 42nd regimen, Black Watch. Maurice's grandfather after the war, came to the U.S., bought a farm in northern Oklahoma where Maurice spent his summers, happiest times of his life.

Shelly's Aunt Marge gave her an egg to hatch, but her father said she was wacko.

In Joel's third year of medical school he was terrible with patients... was considering pathology until the fisherman with the amoebic infection...

Chris has allergies that herald the vernal equinox. At Kipnuk there's a place called the Bali Hai; Shelly doeen't seem to care for Michael Jackson. Leonard has been practicing medicine since he was twelve, almost thirty years; has a sister over in King Salmon who's a waitress.

Maggie's brother (still nameless) just moved to Coeur d'Ilene. First time we see Maggie's new cabin?? Shelly cuisine: tuna salad, sloppy joe's, cinnamon toast, creamy corn casserole.

• Guitars and Cadillacs - Dwight Yoakam
[Maurice decorates The Brick with geraniums.]

• Invention #8 - Bach
[Chris talks on the radio]

• Musette Madeline
[Maggie laments about not having a man]

• Imperial Hotel
[Shelly's skin is peeling]

• Music Hall Waltz
[Leonard talks to Joel]

• Bailero - sung here by Frederica Von Staade
[Maggie and Arthur dance in his cave.]

• To Wish This - Tinita Tikaram
[Holling passes out eggs]

• Coolin Medley - The Chieftans [MP3]
[Ending; Maurice plays bagpipes, Marilyn plants, Shelly & Holling in the tub]

Frying pans with eggs (visits Dr. joel with scaly hands)
Thermometers (Shelly visiting Dr. Joel and Leonard observes, asks questions )
Red lobsters (Shelly is scaly all over, talks with Leonard)
Chile peppers (Shelly has new skin, talks to Joel in Brick)

Additional Notes:

Leonard (to Joel about Shelly after she leaves the office): Shelly seems pretty well-adjusted. She makes good eye-contact. How does she get along with animals?