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....

Maiden Voyages

Maiden Voyages

Saturday Amy and I went up to Kingsley Reservoir to try out the Kayak I just bought. My brother and his wife met us up there. I gave Andy my old kayak which had been mauled by a bear. This was is first time on the water since he patched it. They had stopped at Walmart...

Bushcrafty

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...

Zodi Shower

Zodi Shower

I've used solar camp showers and never been happy with trying to wash myself under the dribble of tepid water they provide. The water doesn't get hot enough, there isn't enough of it and there isn't enough pressure for a satisfying shower experience. The Zodi propane...

Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/24/26 6:15 58F (14.4C)  Calm. Blue sky with mares tails. The sun just hit the cedar in the southwest corner of the yard. The birds are singing,  the cannons boom occasionally,  a car whizzes past now and again. It's a relatively quiet summer morning in the...

Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/23/26 6:00 57F (13.8C) Calm, blue sky. The canyon is still in shadow but yellow morning  sunlight bathes the sloping field and bordering firs to the west. The birds are just waking. The rooster is crowing.  Walter has found something to bark at. Good morning....

Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/22/26 55F (12.7C) Blue sky with a few wisps of cloud. Light, inconstant breeze. Morning sunlight is filtering across the canyon. Cherry cannons boom up on the hill. Walter Dawg doesn't like them and barks in displeasure. Doves coo. A woodpecker is hammering...

Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/21/26 6:00 52F (11.11C)    Summer Solstice.  Faint breeze, blue sky stippled with thin clouds. Cherry cannons boom, the birds ignore them. Walter Dawg barks.  I endeavor to ignore him. It continues warm and dry in Odell but some drizzle is expected at the...

Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/20/26 6:00 56F (13.3C) The last day of spring. Cloudy with a slight breeze. Mares tails stretch across the sky. I have my first squash blossom. Joe Noe came over this morning for a soak. He pulled into his dad's driveway yesterday after 9 days on the road. He...