A Bear Et My Kayak – Part 1

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...

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Making a  12′ Drop Cloth Tipi

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...

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June 3rd, 2022

June 3rd, 2022

                                                                           ...

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Easter Longhouse.

Easter Longhouse.

We had family up for an Easter Bunny BBQ Saturday. It was the first gathering we'd hosted since The Contagion cast its shadow across the land. We had all been vaccinated but it still felt weird, invitng people, even family, into our home after two years of isolation....

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Atomic Lighter – Rechargeable Plasma lighter

Atomic Lighter – Rechargeable Plasma lighter

I bought this for a fly and camp outing last year. I wanted a reliable ignition source which was safe to carry on an airplane. This is also wind proof and really nice for cold weather, when butane lighters become unreliable. It recharges with a USB charger. I wrapped...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/21/26 6:00 52F (11.11C)    Summer Solstice.  Faint breeze, blue sky stippled with thin clouds. Cherry cannons boom, the birds ignore them. Walter Dawg barks.  I endeavor to ignore him. It continues warm and dry in Odell but some drizzle is expected at the...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/20/26 6:00 56F (13.3C) The last day of spring. Cloudy with a slight breeze. Mares tails stretch across the sky. I have my first squash blossom. Joe Noe came over this morning for a soak. He pulled into his dad's driveway yesterday after 9 days on the road. He...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/19/26 6:00 58F (14.4C)  The rising sun lights shredded tufts of clouds brilliant white against the bright, blue sky. Here and there a taller tree catches a shaft of sunlight, standing out against  the muted colors and shadows surrounding it. A rippling breeze...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/18/26 6:45 55F (12.7C) Calm and still with the sun rising in a clear blue sky. Humming birds dart about in search of nectar. Birds sing. Amy is sleeping. Walter is on patrol. It is a peaceful, sunny morning in the neighborhood. My tea is hot. Good morning....

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Good Morning

Good Morning

  6/17/26 5:30 53F (11.6C) Calm.  The sky is still dull blue, waiting for the spark of sunlight to appear. With luck, the rabbits should begin nesting. I have been working on the hutch, pulling the arbor back upright and bracing it in place, but I need to build...

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Simple Chanterelles with Shallots and Spices

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...

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Bannock – a traditional camp bread

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....

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