Christmas Firetruck Parade 2025
https://youtu.be/tQEbCDfb41s A small town tradition, the annual Christmas Firetruck Parade rolled through our neighborhood this evening. In years past the neighbors have gotten together around a bonfire out by the street to watch them go by, but that...
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
9/7/26 7:30 52F (11C) AQI 21 Cloudy but not raining. Faint breeze. Watching summer slip away, soaking in the hot tub sipping tea. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
9/6/26 7:00 52F (11C) AQI 18 Overcast, steady rain, no wind. It is grey and still and wet. The only sounds are the hum of the hot tub and the rain tapping through the leaves. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
9/5/26 6:45 49F (9.4C) AQI 19 Cloudy with puddles. The rain has stopped but it hasn't dried out. There is no wind. The chickens are clucking as the rooster attempts to exert his authority (is that what the kids are calling it now?). Birds chatter and trill....
Good Morning
9/4/26 5:30 47F (8.3C) AQI 20 Overcast and raining. In the east the waning quarter moon lends a dull luminosity to the clouds. Rain taps through the leaves and soaks into the ground. Good morning. ...
Good Morning
9/3/26 6:00 49F (9.4C) AQI 23 Cloudy, damp. The waning half moon glows behind a thin veil of clouds. The dark is slow to leave this morning. It rained all yesterday and most of last night. I expect it will rain more today. Good. We were overdue. ...
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...
Tarting Up the Ramen
Ramen noodles are a no-brainer pack food. Cheap, lightweight, quick and easy to prepare, you can eat them right out of the pot and cleanup is fast and effortless. I like to tart mine up just a little. Adding some oil and vegetables and maybe an egg to the mix doesn't...
Wild Cranberry Syrup
Wild Cranberry Syrup Simple Cranberry Syrup Recipe 2 cups wild cranberries 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp water Rinse and pick out stems from cranberries Combine cranberries, brown sugar, and water in saucepan or small cast iron skillet Bring to a boil and cook for 1...
Baked Couscous
Baked Couscous I've made this dish stove top at home and in the Dutch oven while camping. A savory couscous galette, it is an easy, flexible recipe. You can use any mushrooms, or none at all. The same with the meat: use whatever you have, or no meat at all. I've made...
Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken & Dumplings Chicken and dumplings may be the ultimate comfort food. We had this for Sunday dinner on our Halloween camping trip. To ease the work at camp, I did some prep at home, mixing the dry ingredients for the dumplings in a zip lock bag, and cooking...
