Maiden Voyages
Saturday Amy and I went up to Kingsley Reservoir to try out the Kayak I just bought. My brother and his wife met us up there. I gave Andy my old kayak which had been mauled by a bear. This was is first time on the water since he patched it. They had stopped at Walmart...
Bushcrafty
If you're not bringing a cocktail shaker you are doing it wrong. Bushcrafty: Two ounces Irish Whiskey, two ounces Shanky's Whip, one ounce filtered stream water, one-quarter lemon, one quarter lime-both squeezed and dropped into the cocktail shaker with a handful of...
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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Good Morning
6/26/26 5:00 Cold, calm with sprinkles and intermittent drizzle. They had a bear raid this camp earlier in the week. That's okay. I have bear spray. In the truck. Parked at the other end of camp, down by the highway. Up at 2 for a dash to the latrine and again...
Good Morning
6/25/26 5:15 53F (13.3C) Calm and dry. Haze is creeping into the blue sky. Rain is forecast for this evening. The canyon is still in shadow. It is quiet this morning, only a couple of birds calling to each other. The rooster is sleeping in. The truck is...
Good Morning
6/24/26 6:15 58F (14.4C) Calm. Blue sky with mares tails. The sun just hit the cedar in the southwest corner of the yard. The birds are singing, the cannons boom occasionally, a car whizzes past now and again. It's a relatively quiet summer morning in the...
Good Morning
6/23/26 6:00 57F (13.8C) Calm, blue sky. The canyon is still in shadow but yellow morning sunlight bathes the sloping field and bordering firs to the west. The birds are just waking. The rooster is crowing. Walter has found something to bark at. Good morning....
Good Morning
6/22/26 55F (12.7C) Blue sky with a few wisps of cloud. Light, inconstant breeze. Morning sunlight is filtering across the canyon. Cherry cannons boom up on the hill. Walter Dawg doesn't like them and barks in displeasure. Doves coo. A woodpecker is hammering...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
