Camp Tittyhahaha 2005 Day 3

Camp Tittyhahaha 2005 Day 3

Saturday morning, I awoke to babies screaming in a neighbor's tent. Camping in a parking lot, even a pretty one, has its drawbacks. 7/ 26/25 Walter and I took a short walk to relieve ourselves, then returned to camp. The Activities Director was updating the days...

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Camp Tittihahaha 2025 Day 1

Camp Tittihahaha 2025 Day 1

Amy organized the family, reserved some campsites at Beverly Beach and put together another Camp Tittihahaha. We got packed, hopped in the truck with Walter the Wonder Dog and all headed to the coast Thursday, July 24th.            ...

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A Good Afternoon on Pistol Creek

A Good Afternoon on Pistol Creek

The weather forecast was for  hotter than blazes. It met or exceeded expectations, touching near 100f (38.7c) according to the thermometer app on Mike's phone. Anticipating the heat, Mike,  Walter and I headed up to Pistol Creek  to stick our feet in the water.  ...

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Walter Gets His Sea Legs

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.                  ...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/15/26 45F (7.2C) Broken cloud cover drifts above wet ground. It rained some more last night. An inconstant breeze flutters the oaks' leaves, making them shimmer. A crow caws over the cooing of doves, like the rasping smoker's voice of a bar floozy...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/14/26 5:45 49F (9.4C) Cloudy.  Calm, no rain. I think I will put some more corn in the ground this morning. If the wind doesn't come up, I'll burn the blackberry briars I cleared from around the rabbit hutch yesterday. Perhaps I  should go up in the...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/13/26 6:00 50F (10C) Mostly cloudy,  windy, damp. A solitary spring storm to punctuate the drought. Trees sway and rattle in the gusts, spent blooms and small cones falling like last night's rain. The ground is wet, with puddles here and there. The...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/12/26 6:00 48F (8.8C) Calm, partly cloudy. Clouds dot the blue sky like tufts of cottonwood dander drifting by. A robin buzzed me, so low I felt the breeze of his wings beating the air. Amy is home from California. Good morning.      ...

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Good Morning

Good Morning

    5/11/26 6:00 43F (6C) A clear,  windless morning,  calm and quiet. The waning crescent moon floats ghost-like between the trees. A swallow glides by, white belly shining in the sun. The water casks have been soaking overnight. They still leak but are...

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Potato Stuffed Morels

Potato Stuffed Morels

  Several years ago, my brothers and I went out in the woods to camp. It had been raining, but that weekend the weather was fair.  It being springtime, we determined to hunt for morels. We were successful enough to enjoy the delectable mushroom with every meal,...

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Rabbit Roulade

Rabbit Roulade

We've hosted the Easter Bunny BBQ the day before Easter for decades. Friends and family show up at Bunny Hump Ranch to listen to music, drink beer and eat rabbit. Some times the bonfire burns all night long. The party was canceled this year due to The Contagion. ...

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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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