A Winter Afternoon

A Winter Afternoon

Winter weather and the contagion have sharply curtailed opportunities to get together with friends. Mike and I took advantage of a lull between storms to enjoy a socially distanced winter hike. https://vimeo.com/506384649            ...

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Winter Exploration

Winter Exploration

There were a couple of spots on the map that looked interesting; a stream I had been trying to find a way down to and, across the road, another stream with a pond I hadn't checked out. Last weekend, we went looking for them.            ...

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Bushcrafty

Bushcrafty

New Year Day 2021                                                                      ...

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My Big Red Kelty

My Big Red Kelty

  You guys would have loved the backpack I started Boy Scouts with. My father was so proud to hand down to me the pride and joy from his Boy Scout days, a Trapper Nelson pack. Wooden framed, with a canvas bag, web shoulder straps and leather straps with buckle...

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Still Living My Best Life

Still Living My Best Life

Amy has been gone for three weeks, gone south to California to take care of her mother who is recovering from hip surgery. Our niece, Tessa, remarked to her: "Uncle Vernon must be living his best life, up there unsupervised." "Vernon lives his best life every day, "...

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Bob Verpa

Bob Verpa

A morelity play starring Amy Wheeler. Featuring morels by Andy Wade. https://vimeo.com/416343095  

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Impermanence

Impermanence

My morning walk takes me past landmarks no longer there:   Coe Primary, where I attended first and second grade, now offices.   Down the street, third and fourth grade gone. Only a park remains   Last year, May Street School razed, replaced by a brick...

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Troubled Sleep

Troubled Sleep

I lie perfectly still, refusing to open my eyes, refusing to roll over struggling with my own thoughts desperate for just another thirty minutes of repose   Outside a bird calls from high in a tree striving to make its song heard above the incessant noise of...

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Systems Check

Systems Check

I walk out under a dark blue, faintly luminescent sky The moon, one day past full, shines down on the hot tub My morning routine has become an anti-viral struggle against the pandemic     Systems check: Water clear, thin islands of bubbles, 103 degrees,...

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Social Distance Monday

Social Distance Monday

They didn't need me at work Monday, so I did the responsible thing and stayed home and messed with my dugout canoe project. I am just at the beginning stages of burning out the cottonwood log. Using birch bark, pine pitch, dried grass and a ferro rod, I got a fire...

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Barley Camp Stew

Barley Camp Stew

Barley makes a hearty, thick base for a stew. It scorches easily, so stir frequently and cook over moderate heat. At camp, we hung the stew pot from a tripod and raised it high above the flames. If you use a Dutch oven, put more coals on top, fewer underneath. Rotate...

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Potato Chowder

Potato Chowder

This recipe was a staple for me during my college years. It was cheap, easy and filling. A big pot of it could feed me for a week. I would gather and dry quantities of fairy ring mushrooms (Marasmius oreades) from the little park down the street from my apartment, and...

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Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

I made this soup in the Crockpot. You could simmer this stovetop or over the fire or cook it in a Dutch oven. No matter how you choose to do it, you will end up with a thick, hearty soup.Ingredients bones and fat trimmed from a cut of lamb shoulder or chop 2 cups...

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Humus

Humus

My wife showed me how to make humus. She is extremely camera shy, so there aren't any photos of her, but take my word for it, she's just as cute as a bug's ass. It was nice of her to let me take any pictures at all; she doesn't get the whole taking photographs of what...

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