Blather

Cooking for Guys

Live to Camp
Camp to Live

Poetry
and Other Lies

Social Distance Monday

Social Distance Monday

They didn't need me at work Monday, so I did the responsible thing and stayed home and messed with my dugout canoe project. I am just at the beginning stages of burning out the cottonwood log. Using birch bark, pine pitch, dried grass and a ferro rod, I got a fire...

Barley Camp Stew

Barley Camp Stew

Barley makes a hearty, thick base for a stew. It scorches easily, so stir frequently and cook over moderate heat. At camp, we hung the stew pot from a tripod and raised it high above the flames. If you use a Dutch oven, put more coals on top, fewer underneath. Rotate...

Potato Chowder

Potato Chowder

This recipe was a staple for me during my college years. It was cheap, easy and filling. A big pot of it could feed me for a week. I would gather and dry quantities of fairy ring mushrooms (Marasmius oreades) from the little park down the street from my apartment, and...

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

I made this soup in the Crockpot. You could simmer this stovetop or over the fire or cook it in a Dutch oven. No matter how you choose to do it, you will end up with a thick, hearty soup.Ingredients bones and fat trimmed from a cut of lamb shoulder or chop 2 cups...

Humus

Humus

My wife showed me how to make humus. She is extremely camera shy, so there aren't any photos of her, but take my word for it, she's just as cute as a bug's ass. It was nice of her to let me take any pictures at all; she doesn't get the whole taking photographs of what...

A Good Afternoon on Pistol Creek

A Good Afternoon on Pistol Creek

The weather forecast was for  hotter than blazes. It met or exceeded expectations, touching near 100f (38.7c) according to the thermometer app on Mike's phone. Anticipating the heat, Mike,  Walter and I headed up to Pistol Creek  to stick our feet in the water.  ...

Walter Gets His Sea Legs

Walter Gets His Sea Legs

The weather forecast this afternoon was for hot to unbearable. Amy and I loaded up the kayaks, Walter jumped in the truck, and we all headed north to Goose Lake in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.                  ...

Good Morning

Good Morning

  5/3/26 7:15 50F (10C) Clear, blue sky. No wind. The sun has just topped the ridge. I slept in after a late night. Amy is still in bed. We went to hear the Tad Robinson Blues Band at Double Mountain, a show Squirrel put on. A good time was had by all.  ...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/2/26 6:15 54F (12.2C)  Calm. Quiet, if you can ignore the birds and the dog. The sky is a uniform pale gray, like an old cotton sheet or a dress shirt past retirement. Rain is predicted this evening.  From the marks in the dust, it looks like it...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/1/26 5:45 43F (6C) Birds sing in a pale blue morning shaded pink around the edges. A light breeze sways the birch. Good morning.                                  ...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    4/30/26 4:45 41F (5C) The sky is clear and dark, pierced by stars. The moon should be nearly full. I expected it to be shining brightly in the southwest,  but it must be too low, behind the ridge. The birds are just beginning to stir. It was quiet until...

Good Morning

Good Morning

    4/29/26 6:00 39F (3.8C) Clear, blue  sky. A whisper of breeze, heavy dew on the deck. The orchard fans are rumbling again. The birds are a little  slow to wake this morning. Perhaps the moon, nearly full last night, disturbed their sleep.    ...