Firestarter
I experimented with making firestarter today. First, I filled the cups of a cardboard egg carton with dryer lint, scraps of paper, and wood debris from the bottom of my firewood box. Then I...
The Last Pole
I peeled the last pole in a set of forty today. I cut them for the longhouse next spring. It should be a party. ...
Winter Picnic
OK, technically December 3rd is still fall, but the day was short and it was cold. ...
Seasonal Features
March 2016 ...
Master Link
Here's an old trick for keeping the clip in place on your master link. Yes, I know you can form an endless chain using a riveted link and not worry about losing a clip. But for those of us who prefer the flexibility afforded by a clipped master link, the old school...
Good Morning
11/25/25 6:00 36F (2.2C) Calm, foggy, dark. Amy is up. Traffic is beginning to move. I hear a truck's back up alarm somewhere down the road. Walter is barking. The rooster is crowing. I am still waking up. Everyone seems to be ahead of me this Tuesday...
Good Morning
11/24/25 5:00 40F (4.4C) Dark, clear, calm. The tattered remnants of last night's rain clouds lie like discarded rags around the periphery of a moonless sky pierced by an infinity of stars. ...
Good Morning
11/23/25 5:30 42F (5.5C) Dark, foggy, with a hint of coyote. I just heard a gun go off, echos rumbling across Willow Flat. Walter is disgruntled and unnerved by the noise. ...
Good Morning
11/22/25 6:00 32F (0.0C) Dark, moonless, frosty. The sky. The ground. Everything is sparkly. ...
Good Morning
11/21/25 6:30 33F (0.55C) Clear, calm, cold. It is just above freezing yet the deck has a veneer of ice. What a beautiful dawn. The sky, clear behind a thin, nearly invisible gauze, is brightening through pastel shades of pink and blue. A small bird whistles...
Flip
Originally common in Colonial taverns and waterfront dives, flip is basically a beer hot toddy. Andy tells me it does nothing to improve the flavor of beer and I haven’t found anyone who actually likes it, but the drink is steeped in history and it is fun to...
Simple Chanterelles with Shallots and Spices
I wrapped the cooked chanterelles in foil and placed them behind the cylinders of my Triumph to keep them warm on my ride to town. When I got to work, I topped a plate of biscuits and gravy from the cafeteria with wild...
Bannock – a traditional camp bread
I seldom measure. Sometimes that works out well for me; other times it works out better for my dogs. Be that as it may, in the spirit of dashes, dollops and three-fingered pinches, I offer you this recipe for bannock, a traditional camp bread made in a skillet....
