Throwback Thursday -Tipi Fiji Java

Throwback Thursday -Tipi Fiji Java

Thad and I decided to roll and smoke one last joint on the library lawn before going in. I don’t know why we thought that was a good idea; probably because we were stoned. We hadn’t  quite  finished  smoking the doobie when we found ourselves surrounded by Hood...

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Freight Sleds

Freight Sleds

Winter camping can mean carrying heavy backpacks in deep, slippery snow. Awkward at best. But if you can slide your loads across the snow what was a hindrance can become a help. Something as simple as a cheap, child's sled can make all the difference in the world....

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A January Snowshoe Excursion

A January Snowshoe Excursion

Preparing for an upcoming snow camp, Andy and I set out today to see how we'd do on snowshoes and check out potential campsites within our walking distance. Andy borrowed snowshoes from our brother, Dave,   I had a new roll-up deer drag I had never used. When we...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    11/30/25 5:30 34F (1.1C) Cloudy, dark, still. It rained a little last night, but seems to have dried out. A car drives by. I see a couple of stars poke through the clouds low in the west. To the east, a neighbor's paranoid light rends the cloak of night...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    11/29/25 5:30 32F (0.0C) Calm, cloudy and dark. The half moon was setting behind the oaks when I went to bed last night.  This morning is dark and still, with a coat of ice. Fog is rising from the creek and creeping through the briars and rank grass. The...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  11/28/25 8:30 41F (5C) Broad daylight.  I slept in. It is a calm morning,  with birds chittering, foggy around the edges. A light mist is falling from the gray clouds overhead. Yesterday the family was over, about thirty people, including seven kids. The house...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  11/27/25 5:00 42F (5.5C) Cool, damp and dark. There is no wind. After a brief pause, it has started to rain again. Inside the tipi was dry and smoke curled from the ashes of last night's fire. I soon had a merry  blaze ignited and piled hardwood on to hold it...

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Good Morning

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...

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The Bombardier

The Bombardier

The Bombardier is a drink inspired by the early days of military aviation, when the British airforce was still part of the Royal Navy. Pilots and their crew were issued a daily tot of rum, just like the sailors were. To stave off the cold on long sorties over No Man’s...

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Pie Day: Mom’s Pies

Pie Day: Mom’s Pies

  Mom bakes all sorts of pies. Two of my favorites are her apple pie and her rhubarb pie. These are pretty straight forward fruit pie recipes, but they are consistently the best pies to be had. Tarting them up would only detract from their wholesome...

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Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy

The hot toddy has long been a favorite cold weather libation around my house.  Easy, steaming hot, packed with vitamin C, sweet, sour, and alcoholic, its just gotta be good for you! Substitute liquors, try different sweeteners, use any citrus you feel like using; it ...

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Pieday: The Crust

Pieday: The Crust

          With the holidays upon us, my thoughts naturally turn toward pie. That's not really true. I think about pie all the time, but on holidays and special occasions, my mother's pies are a traditional part of the celebration. Her pies are worthy of celebration in...

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Lamb Kabobs

Lamb Kabobs

  Lamb Kabobs This recipe pairs the subtle fruitiness of fresh chanterelles with the sweetness of dried apricots. When you arrange the mushrooms on the skewers, sandwich them between a dried apricot and a chunk of lamb, so the mushroom absorbs the flavor of the...

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