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...
June 3rd, 2022
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Good Morning
7/11/26 6:45 53F (11.6C) Clear with a chance of horses. A fingernail moon hangs above the pines. It will wink out tomorrow. Last night one of Scott's mares stole my drink. This morning I woke up to find the same horse inside the lodge, front feet, head and...
Good Morning
7/10/26 5:45 58F (14.4C) I woke with the sun rising from behind Nan's Rock. It is warm enough to wander half naked to the latrine without discomfort. Walter stuck his nose under the head of Robert's bunk and snored all night. Scott has two tipis set up. We are...
Good Afternoon
Thursday 7/9/26 We probably had a high near 90f (32C), mostly clear with a light breeze. The air is perfumed with the scent of hot pine pitch. I am camping on a ridgetop near Nan's Rock, above Scott's house. Robert, Walter and I got here yesterday around 6....
Good Morning
7/8/26 4:44 58F (14.4C) Blue sky with a light dander of clouds. It is calm, but a faint breeze is rising. A fat, waning, crescent moon rests atop the maple. There is a riot of birdsong erupting from the dull blue of dawn. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
7/7/26 7:00 53F (11.6C) Clear blue sky, no wind. Waning half moon about midtransit. ...
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...
