Mardingtop 25L Backpack M6347A
For years my EDC was a Wolfman tankbag. When I was still working, I kept it filled with maps and tools and fuses for my moto, emergency kit, knife, a roll of T.P. and my lunch. I could leave straight from work for the woods when the notion took me. When that bag wore...
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...
Good Morning
7/21/26 5:30 60F (15.5C) Calm, mostly clear, no smoke. Yesterday's gray skies have been replaced by blue, decorated by brilliant white tufts, illuminated by the sun, still struggling to rise above the ridge. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
7/20/26 6:00 62F (16.6C) Overcast, no wind. This morning is as soft and gray as the underdown of a dove's belly. A crow's rasping call tears the stillness. A hummingbird perches on the top branch of a birch. It is quiet once more. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
7/19/26 5:30 55F (12.7C) Birch leaves shudder under the caress of an unseen breeze in the clear blue shadow of morning, before the sun has risen. Amy, just returned from California, is still asleep in the house. Walter slumbers on the deck, with one eye open....
Good Morning
7/18/26 6:15 55F (12.7C) Blue sky and no breeze. Soon the sun will light the canyon. The rooster is crowing, the hens are clucking. Walter has roused himself from the deck to go bark at something, but he lacks enthusiasm. The sprinkler rattles through the corn...
Good Morning
7/17/26 6:00 51F (10.5C) Clear sky, no wind. The sun is still below the ridge. The canyon is in shadows, light just kissing the crest of firs along the western rim. Birds are active, flitting through the trees and chattering back and forth. I drink my tea and...
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...
Peep In a Puddle
1 slightly stale peep 3 tbs. cocoa 1/4 cup peppermint schnapps 1/4 cup Irish cream boiling water In a mug combine 3 tbs. cocoa, 1/4 cup peppermint schnapps, and 1/4 cup Irish cream. Fill with boiling water and stir well. Top with a peep.
Rusty Nail – Praise & Treats
It has been an unseasonably dry winter. Up until Friday, when it started to snow. It has been snowing all weekend. Sunday morning it cleared, revealing a sparkling winter wonderland. With no pressing need to go anywhere, most people elected to stay home, off the...
BBQ Sauce
I made this sauce for the rabbits at the last Bunny BBQ. I cut up and brined the rabbits for 9 hours, then rinsed and boiled them for 10 minutes. They were painted with BBQ sauce and frozen until the day before the party. I thawed them Friday, and put the meat in...
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....
