A Bear Et My Kayak – Part 2
An Empty Camp ...
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...
Halloween at Chanty Camp
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A Bear Et My Kayak – Part 1
Pistol Creek Longhouse June, 2022 It had been three years since I had set up my first big longhouse – enough time to forget what a pain in the ass it was and for it to sound like a lovely idea. Why not take a couple of weeks off, set up a forty-foot longhouse on...
Making a 12′ Drop Cloth Tipi
Making a tipi can be tedious; it involves sewing numerous strips of canvas together until you have a large enough piece to cut your pattern from. Buying a pre-made cover is expensive, for the same reason. For several years, Billy Maxwell has been telling me...
Good Morning
2/14/26 5:30 34F (1.1C) It's a dark morning. No wind, a few clouds, a great many stars. If things go as...
Good Morning
Friday the thirteenth, February, 2026 5:45 33F (0.5C) It is dark and quiet. A single star pierces the overcast. On the back deck Walter naps with one eye open, vigilant even while sleeping. A car rolls by, headlights slashing through the morning...
Good Morning
2/12/26 6:00 29F (-1.6C) Cold and clear. Everything is frosted white. Stars dot the morning sky. The waning moon is a bright sliver rising above the ridge. Cold nips at my fingers so I wrap my hands around my still warm mug of tea. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
2/11/26 6:00 26F (-3.3C) No wind. It is cold, clear and frosty. There are a few stars out. The waning crescent moon is mid-transit, low in the south, hovering just above the head of the canyon. Walter was in a playful mood last night, barking to be let...
Good Morning
2/10/26 6:30 33F (0.5C) No wind, no moon. A dense fog has settled in the canyon. Birds are twittering, unseen in the brume. Passing cars whir over damp pavement, poking their headlights ineffectually through the murk. Good morning. ...
Moussaka
The Food Stamp Gourmet by Wm. Brown has been out of print for years, but you can still find it on-line at a reasonable price. I have had my copy since the seventies; it contains some of my favorite recipes. Every so often, I pull it out and choose one of them....
Moussaka Hand Pie
I made moussaka for dinner last night and had some left-over filling. Today I got out the pie-irons and made moussaka hand pies for lunch. Forcing the Greek pita bread into the buttered pie irons, I spooned some tomato paste over the pita, I filled it with the...
Grandma Wade’s Mince Meat
Grandma Wade used to make mince meat pies for the holidays. She shared the recipe with Mom,and this delightfully sweet pie has been a treasured memory of mine for decades. The recipe is pretty labor intensive and contains your entire annual dietary allowance of fat in...
Chili and Corn-sticks
Chili and Corn-sticks I had Friday off. I intended to make dinner, but that required an amount of preparation I didn't manage to get around to. I spent the day changing the tire on the Triumph, staring off into space and generally procrastinating. Go figure. Amy got...
Chuck Roast and Mushroom Gravy
With the weather gone to cold drizzle I find myself using the Crock Pot more and more. Once the food is in the slow cooker, it can be turned on low and ignored for a few hours. Well, it could be ignored if it didn't fill the entire house with savory aromas. Slow...
