Blather

Cooking for Guys

Live to Camp
Camp to Live

Poetry
and Other Lies

Pieday: The Crust

Pieday: The Crust

          With the holidays upon us, my thoughts naturally turn toward pie. That's not really true. I think about pie all the time, but on holidays and special occasions, my mother's pies are a traditional part of the celebration. Her pies are worthy of celebration in...

Lamb Kabobs

Lamb Kabobs

  Lamb Kabobs This recipe pairs the subtle fruitiness of fresh chanterelles with the sweetness of dried apricots. When you arrange the mushrooms on the skewers, sandwich them between a dried apricot and a chunk of lamb, so the mushroom absorbs the flavor of the...

Flip

Flip

  Originally common in Colonial taverns and waterfront dives, flip is basically a beer hot toddy. Andy tells me it does nothing to improve the flavor of beer and I haven’t found anyone who actually likes it, but the drink is steeped in history and it is fun to...

Bannock – a traditional camp bread

Bannock – a traditional camp bread

I seldom measure. Sometimes that works out well for me; other times it works out better for my dogs. Be that as it may, in the spirit of dashes, dollops and three-fingered pinches, I offer you this recipe for bannock, a traditional camp bread made in a skillet....

Firestarter

Firestarter

I experimented with making firestarter today.   First, I filled the cups of a cardboard egg carton with dryer lint, scraps of paper, and wood debris from the bottom of my firewood box.                     Then I...

Winter Picnic

Winter Picnic

OK, technically December 3rd is still fall, but the day was short and it was cold.                                                    ...

Master Link

Master Link

Here's an old trick for keeping the clip in place on your master link. Yes, I know you can form an endless chain using a riveted link and not worry about losing a clip. But for those of us who prefer the flexibility afforded by a clipped master link, the old school...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    9/28/25 6:30 47 (8.3) The morning  star floats above the trees, shining brightly against the darkly muted dawn.                                        ...

Good Morning

Good Morning

      9/27/25 8:00 44F (6.66C) Clear blue sky. No wind.  The sun is cresting the ridge. The kennel across the highway has let the incarcerated dogs out for their morning  romp. Walter was loudly expressing his sympathy, so I took him inside and fed him....

Good Morning

Good Morning

      9/26/25 6:45 47F (8.3C) The sky is brilliant pink, shading to orange. The morning has been  calm and the sprayers are taking advantage of the lack of wind, although I do feel a breeze beginning to stir.            ...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    9/25/25 6:30 52F (11.1C) Clear sky, slight breeze this morning. I am surrounded  by the sounds of the  country. Nearby, the sprayers  roar, in the distance they whine. A truck rumbles by. The dog is barking. Jays squawk. A crow is calling across the road...

Good Morning

Good Morning

      9/24/25 6:00 49F (9.4C) Dark and clear this morning.  The stars are still out. It was quiet. A prop plane churned by. Then the dog across the street heard something. His barking set off Walter who is now protecting our perimeter, loudly...