Down the Rabbit Hole
When we camped at Peter’s place up above Lyle, I found some pretty, red rocks that fractured with a sharp edge and threw good sparks when struck against steel. They were granular, not glassy where they were broken, so the edge didn’t stay sharp very...
The Barge
Walter has been out in the canoe with me several times. He does well - doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic about it, but it beats being left home. The canoe isn't as much fun as my kayak but the kayak isn't big enough for the both of us, so I had...
Good Afternoon
7/1/25 2:00 91f (32.7c) Sunny, hot, and windless. Walter, Mike and I went up into the Gifford Pinchot to seek relief from the hot weather in the tall trees. We did a couple of short walks (no mushrooms, no surprise), then sat down had a whiskey and...
Thanks, Joe!
Thanks for taking me sailing, Joe. It's a beautiful, sweet handling boat and it was a lovely day on the water. ...
Good Evening
6/22/25 8:30 68f (19.4c) Clear blue sky, light wind, the sun has ducked behind the west ridge. Got home from four days of grubbing in...
Good Morning
3/30/26 6:00 44F (4.4C) Cool, and calm. Cloudy. The predawn is clearly illuminated by a diffuse, blue-gray light. There is no wind. There is no rain, but the air feels damp. Crows call from the dark trees down by the creek. Walter sleeps on the deck as...
Good Morning
3/29/26 5:30 40F (4.4C) Cloudy and calm. It was quiet until the dog across the road started yapping. That set Walter off, which irritated the rooster. Once he had asserted his authority, Walter settled down and the rooster went back to sleep. A night...
Good Morning
3/28/26 5:45 37F (2.7C) Partially clear, no wind and no frost. Less noise and fewer stars than yesterday. ...
Good Morning
3/27/26 5:15 30F (-1C) The orchard fans are roaring, the night is black. Frost coats the earth. Overhead a Carl Sagan sky stretches to infinity, filled with stars. How many? Billions and billions. ...
Lodgepoles
Lodgepoles leaning on an oak one, more recently peeled, stands waiting bright and yellow against weathered, silver wood.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Stew is one of the easiest, most comforting foods to make. With slightly more attention this slow cooker recipe would work just as well in a Dutch oven or even in a kettle on the stove-top or over a fire. You hardly need a recipe, but the dredging the meat in flour...
Dutch Oven Shepherd’s Pie
I love Shepherd's Pie. The thick filling of meat and vegetables, topped with mounds of mashed potatoes, makes the perfect comfort food. The sound of it bubbling, the tantalizing aroma, mixing with the smoke from the coals as it leaks out from under the heavy lid of a...
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...
