Blather
Cooking for Guys
Live to Camp
Camp to Live
Poetry
and Other Lies
Chili and Corn-sticks
Chili and Corn-sticks I had Friday off. I intended to make dinner, but that required an amount of preparation I didn't manage to get around to. I spent the day changing the tire on the Triumph, staring off into space and generally procrastinating. Go figure. Amy got...
Chuck Roast and Mushroom Gravy
With the weather gone to cold drizzle I find myself using the Crock Pot more and more. Once the food is in the slow cooker, it can be turned on low and ignored for a few hours. Well, it could be ignored if it didn't fill the entire house with savory aromas. Slow...
The Bombardier
The Bombardier is a drink inspired by the early days of military aviation, when the British airforce was still part of the Royal Navy. Pilots and their crew were issued a daily tot of rum, just like the sailors were. To stave off the cold on long sorties over No Man’s...
Pie Day: Mom’s Pies
Mom bakes all sorts of pies. Two of my favorites are her apple pie and her rhubarb pie. These are pretty straight forward fruit pie recipes, but they are consistently the best pies to be had. Tarting them up would only detract from their wholesome...
Hot Toddy
The hot toddy has long been a favorite cold weather libation around my house. Easy, steaming hot, packed with vitamin C, sweet, sour, and alcoholic, its just gotta be good for you! Substitute liquors, try different sweeteners, use any citrus you feel like using; it ...
In Search of Disappearing Lake
Every winter South Prairie floods, forming a chain of connected lakes or impoundments covering many acres. For a brief, miraculous moment there exists the Pacific Northwest equivalent of a bayou. You can kayak between towering cottonwoods and...
Good Afternoon
5/22/25 3:30 54f (12.2c) Breezy and fair. Mike and I spent the afternoon ranging across the ridge between Mosier and my house, looking for morels. We didn't find any, even where we have found them before. The soil was damp and the terrain looked promising, but no joy....
Plan B Camp March 2025
It was early March when I decided on a last minute camping trip to the Gifford Pinchot. The weather forecast for the weekend was fair, with rain predicted later on Sunday. Even with no real planning and a late start, I had the truck loaded and ready to go by...
MLK Camp
1/20/25 Jason, Andy, Walter and I hauled into Plan B for an overnighter Sunday afternoon and came home Monday, MLK Day. It didn't reach the predicted low of 17f (-8) but is was pretty chilly at 24f (-4). We managed to stay warm and had an enjoyable outing in the...
Valentine Weekend Camp
Amy and I went to Beverly Beach over Valentine's weekend. I love camping with my wife! The weather leading up to the weekend was sloppy. I got the poles loaded and the pickup tarped Thursday just as it started to snow. I...
Good Morning
6/29/26 5:30 53F (11.6C) Overcast with a brisk wind. Gray clouds whip past. Here and there they fray and tear, revealing the promise of blue sky. A blue jay imitates the woodpecker and taps a tattoo with its beak. Yesterday the rabbit kindled 9 kits, all alive....
Good Morning
6/28/26 5:30 Cool and wet. It rained hard last night, finally tapering off this morning as we pack up to go home. Buttered cornbread with milk and molasses for breakfast. The molasses poured slowly in the Junuary chill and I had to use the ax to cut the...
Good Morning
6/27/28 5:00 Cold and raining. It rained all night and is still raining now. Last night the fire struggled to keep ahead of the drips and was mostly successful. I was able to rekindle flames from the embers earlier this morning. Occasional gusts shake the...
Good Morning
6/26/26 5:00 Cold, calm with sprinkles and intermittent drizzle. They had a bear raid this camp earlier in the week. That's okay. I have bear spray. In the truck. Parked at the other end of camp, down by the highway. Up at 2 for a dash to the latrine and again...
Good Morning
6/25/26 5:15 53F (13.3C) Calm and dry. Haze is creeping into the blue sky. Rain is forecast for this evening. The canyon is still in shadow. It is quiet this morning, only a couple of birds calling to each other. The rooster is sleeping in. The truck is...
