Good Afternoon
6/4/25 2:30 Clear sky, breezy 70f (21c). Some photos from this afternoon. ...
Making a Camp Bed Big Enough for Two
Planning for an upcoming camping trip Amy and I decided to purchase a sleeping bag and pad wide enough for both of us. We ended up with a Guide Gear self inflating pad and a King Camp Snowflake 300D ...
Pretty Not Bad
Amy and I drove up to Disappearing Lake. The water level is dropping fast; I think it will be a short season. We talked about paddling the beaver pond but the shore was teeming with mosquitos so we went back down to South Prairie and put in. ...
A Day Spent on the Water
My friend, Joe Castaldi, built a beautiful, sixteen foot gaff-rigged Melonseed Skiff from the original plans. He sent word he was planning to launch her for a maiden voyage down at the Hood River Marina, so I showed up yesterday, bright and early to...
Well, That Was Dumb.
My last week before I retired, I decided to ride the moto to work. People expected it of me and I enjoy the ride. It was December, with temperatures down around 15f (-9.4c). I suited up and went out to the garage. The bike had been plugged into a tender, so the...
Good Morning
6/5/25 6:45 54f(12.2c) The sky is robin-egg blue without a crack. The leaves on the trees ripple in an imperceptible breeze. I think I heard the first cherry cannon of the season. A single, booming report. Maybe they were just testing it. ...
Good Morning
6/4/25 7:00 56f (13.3c) Calm and cloudy. It's louder than yesterday morning, with orchard sprayers all around me. Thankfully none of them are particularly nearby, so I can soak without risk of overspray. ...
Good Morning
6/3/25 5:00 49f (9.4c) Blue sky laced with a few wisps. Comfortably cool; a slight breeze flutters the leaves of the birch. The morning birds are chatting and the rooster is awake and on duty. ...
Good Morning
6/2/25 6:00 47f (8.3c) Clear, blue sky, faintest of breezes, the sun hasn't quite topped the ridge. Jay birds are tussling, raising a ruckus. Otherwise, it is a fairly quiet morning.
Good Morning
6/1/25 6:15 50f (10c) We slept in the tipi last night. In the backyard, like kids having a sleepover. The oak trees were creaking in the wind when we went to bed. It was 58f (14.4c). Now it...
Peas Porridge
Peas Porridge is a simple, hearty meal with ingredients that keep well on the trail. Ingredients 3 cups dried peas any sort of pork from a ham bone to chopped bacon 2 cups broth, substitute bouillon if needed for trail life 2 potatoes 1 onion 2...
Bushcrafty
If you're not bringing a cocktail shaker you are doing it wrong. Bushcrafty: Two ounces Irish Whiskey, two ounces Shanky's Whip, one ounce filtered stream water, one-quarter lemon, one quarter lime-both squeezed and dropped into the cocktail shaker with a handful of...
Dutch Oven Trailer Trash Casserole
Trailer Trash Casserole: Tater Tots, diced onion, ground beef, Cream of Mushroom Soup, cooked in a Dutch Oven, finished with grated cheese melted on top. Ketchup added to taste. Ingredients 1/2 bag of Tater Tots 1 diced onion 1/4# ground beef per person 1 can...
Irish Toddy
My new favorite is an Irish Toddy. Place a slice of lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice in a mug. Cover with scalding water, leaving room for one ounce of Shanky's Whip and one ounce of Irish Whiskey. Give it a stir and enjoy. Repeat as necessary....
Nettle Soup
Stinging Nettles are a nutritious early season foraged food which can be found throughout the United States. Gloves and garden nippers and a little care make it possible to harvest them without getting stung. Drying or boiling the plant neutralizes the stingers,...
