Walter Gets His Sea Legs
The weather forecast this afternoon was for hot to unbearable. Amy and I loaded up the kayaks, Walter jumped in the truck, and we all headed north to Goose Lake in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. ...
Good Afternoon
7/5/2025 4:00 79f (26.1c) Tuckered out after a late night last night. Amy and I ran up to Trout Creek Ridge and bought a stack of books at a garage sale, including Jack London, Earl Stanley Gardner, and Robert Service, for a...
Down the Rabbit Hole
When we camped at Peter’s place up above Lyle, I found some pretty, red rocks that fractured with a sharp edge and threw good sparks when struck against steel. They were granular, not glassy where they were broken, so the edge didn’t stay sharp very...
The Barge
Walter has been out in the canoe with me several times. He does well - doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic about it, but it beats being left home. The canoe isn't as much fun as my kayak but the kayak isn't big enough for the both of us, so I had...
Good Afternoon
7/1/25 2:00 91f (32.7c) Sunny, hot, and windless. Walter, Mike and I went up into the Gifford Pinchot to seek relief from the hot weather in the tall trees. We did a couple of short walks (no mushrooms, no surprise), then sat down had a whiskey and...
Good Morning
2/17/26 6:00 27F (-2.7C) Cold, still, and dull gray. A dim, frosty morning. Not actually snowing but ice crystals brush my face. The cat's water is freezing. I break through the thin crust so she can drink. By 6:30 Amy is up making the bed. Birds...
Good Morning
2/16/26 6:45 40F (4.4C) it's raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock. The rain is pounding straight down with an incessant, rattling tattoo. The dog is hiding undercover of the front porch, studiously ignored by the cat. Or so I assume. I haven't...
Good Morning
2/15/26 6:00 38F (3.3C) Cloudy and raining. Walter Dawg is always happy but Sheila Kitty is not a morning person Earlier an owl was calling through the darkness from over near the creek. As light seeped into the gloom birds began to wake. I eaves-dropped...
Good Morning
2/14/26 5:30 34F (1.1C) It's a dark morning. No wind, a few clouds, a great many stars. If things go as...
Good Morning
Friday the thirteenth, February, 2026 5:45 33F (0.5C) It is dark and quiet. A single star pierces the overcast. On the back deck Walter naps with one eye open, vigilant even while sleeping. A car rolls by, headlights slashing through the morning...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Stew is one of the easiest, most comforting foods to make. With slightly more attention this slow cooker recipe would work just as well in a Dutch oven or even in a kettle on the stove-top or over a fire. You hardly need a recipe, but the dredging the meat in flour...
