Good Evening
11/18/25 6:00 42F Just got back from a mushroom foray with Walter and Mike. We went out around 1:00. It was an overcast day with enough breaks to provide adequate sun to navigate through the trees. Immediately we spotted Amanita, Lepiota, Russula and Stropharia. Our...
Good Afternoon
11/9/25 Clear, sunny, and warm. We decided to forage for cranberries and mushrooms instead of doing yard work, so Amy, Walter, and I piled into the car and headed north. We picked up Mike on the way and by noon, we were on the road to Trout Lake....
Halloween on the Big Lava Bed
It was a beautiful, crisp autumn day when Kent and I drove north into the Big Lava Bed. The road was rugged, just ruts worn into jagged rock, winding between collapsed lava tubes and stunted trees finally arriving at a flat...
Good Morning
11/2/25 6:00 40f Overcast and calm out on the lava bed. The weather has moderated. It was still dark when I made the treacherous trek to the latrine. I was relieved when it hove into view. Andy and Kent put some much appreciated effort into its...
Good Morning
11/1/25 8:00 Temperate but raining hard. We had a puddle form by the door last night. It has grown to a lake with a river running into it. Constant rain all night with no hope for it letting up today. The tipi won't draft and is filled with smoke. We had...
Good Morning
6/8/26 6:30 50F (10C) Calm, cloudy, no wind, no precipitation. Yesterday it dried out. More rain is predicted today, but there is none at this moment. Birds call to each other under a sky the color of lint. The neighbor's dog started yapping and Walter...
Good Morning
6/7/26 6:15 46F (7.7C) Cloudy but still. It rained off and on all day yesterday, sometimes hard. It stormed last night. This morning there is no rain and no wind, but there is a big limb off the maple laying across the deck. Somewhat improbably, there...
Good Morning
6/6/26 6:30 49F (9.4C) Cloudy, calm. The sun is up. It is a quiet Saturday morning. The birds chat with each other in subdued voices. The clouds overhead move to the east in a steady, orderly procession. There is no wind on the ground. It rained last night,...
Good Morning
6/5/26 7:00 54F (12.2C) Cloudy, light gusts, no rain. I slept late. The sun is over the ridge. A brisk breeze blows through the oaks, shuffling leaves like a deck of cards. Walter is barking at the neighbor's dog. Sheila Kitty is critiquing my tea....
Good Morning
6/4/26 5:00 50F (10C) Light breeze on the ground. A few scattered clouds drift across an otherwise clear, blue sky. To the east, a yellow tinge betrays the sun clawing its way over the ridge. The moon, waning gibbous, has just dropped behind Willow...
Mountain Man Breakfast
Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast The Mountain Man Breakfast is a popular Dutch oven recipe which has been around in one form or another for years. If you need to feed a hearty breakfast to a crowd, this is good one. I used a variation from Gary House I found on...
Dutch Oven Rhubarb Cobbler
Dutch Oven Rhubarb Cobbler Spring hasn’t officially arrived until the rhubarb is up. One morning a few leaves poke through the frost covered mulch; by the end of the week, giant rosettes of primordial leaves on bright red stalks cover that corner of the garden....
Tequila Eggs
Tequila Eggs Like Scotch Eggs but I used chorizo mixed with cilantro, dried tomatoes, diced green chilis, and diced jalapenos for the sausage and crushed tortilla chips and roasted chilis for the crust. cook...
Lemon Chicken Soup
Lemon Chicken Soup Lemon Chicken Soup This variation of chicken soup relies upon lemon and a stick of cinammon to give Grandma's old standby a Middle Eastern twist. 3 pounds boneless, skinned chicken tits 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup +/- water1 onion - I...
Optimus Crux Backpacking Stove
I have had this little stove for a number of years and it is still my go-to on those rare occasions when I choose to backpack in. The stove itself weighs 3 ounces and folds up to fit in the palm of my hand. It uses isobutane-propane for fuel. The stove stores in a...
