Voyagers
Having discovered Disappearing Lake was full and the road free of snow, four of us loaded up our boats and headed into the woods for an adventure. Five of us, if you count Walter Dawg, and really, you must. He has been an integral member of the team from day...
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...
Good Afternoon
4/21/26 65F Calm, overcast and humid. It sprinkled a little this morning, but not enough to prevent me from mowing. After lunch I returned the keg. Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by the range to burn up some black powder. While there, some hungry deer...
Good Morning
4/20/26 7:00 49F (9.4C) Windless, overcast. It is a dull, gray morning. A dove coos monotonously. The birds seem to bicker, their low, trilling chatter discordant and without melody. Even Walter's barking lacks enthusiasm. Good morning? ...
Good Morning
4/19/26 6:30 45F (7.2C) Calm, temperate, mostly cloudy. Thin, grey clouds shift above me. Song birds trill. A duck flys low overhead. Somewhere a woodpecker is tapping. A dove coos. A turkey calls nearby. A shotgun blast. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
4/18/26 7:00 38F (3.3C) Wisps of white clouds stretch across blue sky. No wind. Sprayers whine and orchard fans rumble in the distance. The sun climbs over Snakehead Ridge but hasn't quite lit the canyon floor. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
4/17/26 7:00 37F (2.7C) Calm and quiet. I slept late this morning, clinging to dreams which faded and disappeared as soon as I opened my eyes. Patches of white clouds decorate the blue sky. Birds trill sweetly. A dove coos. Squirrels chatter as...
Spam Pudgies
Dave was a little skeptical of the lunch menu- Spam pudgie sandwiches cooked in the pie irons. Straight from the can, Spam is unappealing, pallid, pink and soft. The prevailing flavor is salt. Heated, it darkens, becoming almost brown. The texture gets firmer, even...
Kentucky Mule
I don't care for vodka, so never acquired a taste for Moscow Mules. Bourbon, however, is an entirely different story. In camp or on the back porch, the Kentucky Mule is sure to refresh. Go ahead, have another. You deserve it. Ingredients 1 oz bourbon-I...
Robert’s Cast Iron Bread
Robert disappeared into the longhouse and emerged a little later with a beautiful loaf of fresh bread. It seemed so simple, and according to Rob, it pretty much was. I asked him for his recipe and this is what he gave me.Ingredients about 2 1/2 cups flour more or...
Taco Things
Taco-things are made from left overs, salsa, and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla folded closed and fried in oil with a little picante sauce splashed over them. Sounds like a burrito, right? Well, when I worked at La Clinica years ago, my co-workers told me it...
Pork Roast with Morel Gravy
This was a slow cooker recipe I adapted to the Dutch Oven. You can use any mushrooms and any large hunk of pork. Ingredients 3-4 pound pork roast 4 large cloves of garlic, minced 1 large white onion peeled and cubed 3-4 cups morels, if you can get them 2...
