A Morning Walk
6/8/25 9:00 75f (28.8c) Walter and I took a short walk up Swyers Drive this morning, while it was still cool enough to enjoy it. ...
Camp Chef Compact Fire Ring
I have had this Camp Chef propane fire pit for several years now. I use it when fire season bans prohibit traditional wood campfires. When I hooked it up last week the regulator was leaking gas, so I ordered a...
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. ...
Good Morning
11/26/25 6:30 40F (4.4C) Cloudy, cool and damp. The downpour stopped sometime after I went to bed last night. The ashes inside the lodge were still warm this morning and I was able to easily rekindle the fire. The pumpkin rings didn't get wet and continue to...
Good Morning
11/25/25 6:00 36F (2.2C) Calm, foggy, dark. Amy is up. Traffic is beginning to move. I hear a truck's back up alarm somewhere down the road. Walter is barking. The rooster is crowing. I am still waking up. Everyone seems to be ahead of me this Tuesday...
Good Morning
11/24/25 5:00 40F (4.4C) Dark, clear, calm. The tattered remnants of last night's rain clouds lie like discarded rags around the periphery of a moonless sky pierced by an infinity of stars. ...
Good Morning
11/23/25 5:30 42F (5.5C) Dark, foggy, with a hint of coyote. I just heard a gun go off, echos rumbling across Willow Flat. Walter is disgruntled and unnerved by the noise. ...
Good Morning
11/22/25 6:00 32F (0.0C) Dark, moonless, frosty. The sky. The ground. Everything is sparkly. ...
Mashed Potatoes
There’s not much to making mashed potatoes. They are tasty, filling and inexpensive. If you don’t finish them at dinner, you can fry them in butter for breakfast. Ingredients 1/3rd cup of buttermilk, more or less 4-6 baking potatoes, peeled and cut up 2 cloves...
Sparassis Lasagna
Essentially, I just substituted the Sparassis for lasagna noodles. I actually did half cauliflower mushroom and half noodles in the same casserole-my wife doesn't like mushrooms. I had some of each, and the Sparrasis half compared favorably in texture and presentation...
Borscht
When my wife and I were first going out, I had her over for dinner. I made this recipe. Almost everything in it came from my garden. Amy was so impressed. I hardly garden at all anymore, and I haven't made this more than once or twice since. I don't know why. It's...
Lobster Mushroom Tater Tot Tuna Sammy
Pie Iron sammies on a rainy afternoon in the tipi. How delightful! Ingredients tater tots 1 can tuna 1 small lobster mushroom butter or oil tartar sauce Allow Tater Tots to thaw and warm pie irons near the fire. While irons are preheating, saute thinly sliced...
Roast Pumpkin and Chanterelle Soup
Deborah Moran posted a recipe for roasted pumpkin and chanterelle soup in the Cooking With Wild Mushrooms forum. It sounded so good, I knew I had to try it. I modified the recipe slightly and cooked it last time we went camping. Rich and creamy, with a smokey flavor...
