Saturday, March 11, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Why a Truck Camper? or The Swiss Army Camper Alternative
So the question becomes, "Why buy a slide-in instead of a much larger trailer that has more room?" That is a valid question. Let me attempt to explain the thought processes of a very feeble brain that has been damaged by years of loud music and poor diet.
First of all, almost all RV's are compromises between cost and construction -- this is similar to boats. There are really no important generic construction quality differences between the types of RV's. Instead, quality is a characteristic of a particular manufacturer or brand. The majority of RV's are built cheaply on assembly lines by people that appear to be recruited daily from urban street corners and put to work with a minimum of training. "Here, stick some staples into that until it doesn't come apart. Drive the screws in deep until the wood splits." An exaggeration, but not by much!
Quality
Good, reputable RV brands are typically family owned businesses that actually place a premium on quality workmanship and reliability. All one needs to do is look "under the hood" at wiring harnesses, cabinet construction and plumbing details to see the differences. I have seen brand new campers on dealer lots that have literally been coming apart at the seams. Most camper brands are pretty predictable concerning quality control, whether good or bad. Price is always a reliable predictor of how much attention has been paid to construction, so you generally get what you pay for. Truck campers have been built for decades and have been around since the truck was invented. The brands associated with them have often been around for many years too. In fact, some brand names have been bought and sold several times -- be sure the quality has stayed up to snuff if you are considering one of those.
Flexible
Second, we needed a solution for our camping wants that included flexibility. A trailer limits where you can travel by determining how far off paved roads you can go. We actually see ourselves "boon docking" on forest roads once in a while in order to get away from the herds of humans attempting to do the RV thing. A truck camper (TC) also has the ability to enable the truck to tow a trailer with other toys on it, whether it be an ATV, boat, or simply more camping stuff. After all, one can never have too much stuff.
The TC enables carefree traveling. Reservations become a thing of the past as you travel according to personal whims. To stop for the night the TC owner can simply find the nearest Wal-Mart, Flying J, rest area, or other public access to pull over and park. There is no set-up, nothing to do but exit the truck cab and disappear into the TC. Since ours will have no slide out section it will won't take up more than a typical parking lot space.
The TC can be unloaded anywhere that is relatively flat. That means the truck becomes serviceable as a tour vehicle while the camper remains at the camping spot. Electric jacks, one on each corner of the camper make this an easily accomplished five minute load or unload. The jacks even come with a wireless remote! No more having to tow a "toad" vehicle behind the motorhome or having to tow a chain of trailers down the road like a traveling circus.
Footprint
Most national parks and state parks have rather limited capacity for trucks with trailers, and fees are higher for those few spots. TC's are often not regulated like trailers and can slip in under the radar. TC's are also more compact and have virtually no footprint, which kind of helps with the wilderness ethic. They are self-contained, most having their own water, grey water, and black water tanks. Virtually all TC's have DC battery systems to power themselves for days, if not weeks away from electrical hookups. These systems are also charged by the truck when it is in operation.
TC's come in various sizes and configurations ranging from ultra light off road adventure models to giant, Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe behemoths that weigh in at over 5000 lbs. In all of these TC's the owners have made the choice to live a more spartan camping lifestyle than those that require the weight, size and space required by a typical travel trailer. It is a decision that is not made lightly. Many try the TC and find it too cramped. It is not a good choice for a large family with pets. However, there are some who make the switch to trailers only to find they miss the simplicity and freedom of the TC, only to make the move back. This buying and selling of campers is something that we did not have the capacity to afford, so we hope we have made the right choice.
Groovy
Third, TC's are COOL! They have all the amenities of a trailer albeit compressed into an area the size of a postage stamp. The brochures for these campers often have captions under the photos that say "actual size." They are the true swiss army knives of campers. Ours has an impressive list of options including; microwave, air conditioning, hot water, flush toilet, power outlets, USB charging plugs, queen size bed, dinette with table, refrigerator with freezer compartment, screen door and windows, a wet bath with shower, and an outside shower for when you want to really experience the raw outdoors. The camper is ready to go to places that have no facilities or hook ups because it has; two propane bottles, two deep cycle batteries, and almost 40 gallons of fresh water storage.
Warm
Fourth, TC's are often cold weather compatible. They have less area inside to heat and can be built to withstand the cold. Ours is four season rated, which means not only does it have a good heater but it has insulated walls and compartments. The containment tanks are heated electrically and are located in a basement that has heat ducts specifically located to prevent freezing.
So that is why we feel the truck camper is the best solution for us.
If you are interested in following our truck camping adventures please check out our other blog at wolfcreek840.blogspot.com for updates. Since that blog is about our truck camper endeavors it will include some info specific to the mechanics of TC's, so it will not continue to be updated here.
First of all, almost all RV's are compromises between cost and construction -- this is similar to boats. There are really no important generic construction quality differences between the types of RV's. Instead, quality is a characteristic of a particular manufacturer or brand. The majority of RV's are built cheaply on assembly lines by people that appear to be recruited daily from urban street corners and put to work with a minimum of training. "Here, stick some staples into that until it doesn't come apart. Drive the screws in deep until the wood splits." An exaggeration, but not by much!
Quality
Good, reputable RV brands are typically family owned businesses that actually place a premium on quality workmanship and reliability. All one needs to do is look "under the hood" at wiring harnesses, cabinet construction and plumbing details to see the differences. I have seen brand new campers on dealer lots that have literally been coming apart at the seams. Most camper brands are pretty predictable concerning quality control, whether good or bad. Price is always a reliable predictor of how much attention has been paid to construction, so you generally get what you pay for. Truck campers have been built for decades and have been around since the truck was invented. The brands associated with them have often been around for many years too. In fact, some brand names have been bought and sold several times -- be sure the quality has stayed up to snuff if you are considering one of those.
Flexible
Second, we needed a solution for our camping wants that included flexibility. A trailer limits where you can travel by determining how far off paved roads you can go. We actually see ourselves "boon docking" on forest roads once in a while in order to get away from the herds of humans attempting to do the RV thing. A truck camper (TC) also has the ability to enable the truck to tow a trailer with other toys on it, whether it be an ATV, boat, or simply more camping stuff. After all, one can never have too much stuff.
The TC enables carefree traveling. Reservations become a thing of the past as you travel according to personal whims. To stop for the night the TC owner can simply find the nearest Wal-Mart, Flying J, rest area, or other public access to pull over and park. There is no set-up, nothing to do but exit the truck cab and disappear into the TC. Since ours will have no slide out section it will won't take up more than a typical parking lot space.
The TC can be unloaded anywhere that is relatively flat. That means the truck becomes serviceable as a tour vehicle while the camper remains at the camping spot. Electric jacks, one on each corner of the camper make this an easily accomplished five minute load or unload. The jacks even come with a wireless remote! No more having to tow a "toad" vehicle behind the motorhome or having to tow a chain of trailers down the road like a traveling circus.
Footprint
Most national parks and state parks have rather limited capacity for trucks with trailers, and fees are higher for those few spots. TC's are often not regulated like trailers and can slip in under the radar. TC's are also more compact and have virtually no footprint, which kind of helps with the wilderness ethic. They are self-contained, most having their own water, grey water, and black water tanks. Virtually all TC's have DC battery systems to power themselves for days, if not weeks away from electrical hookups. These systems are also charged by the truck when it is in operation.
TC's come in various sizes and configurations ranging from ultra light off road adventure models to giant, Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe behemoths that weigh in at over 5000 lbs. In all of these TC's the owners have made the choice to live a more spartan camping lifestyle than those that require the weight, size and space required by a typical travel trailer. It is a decision that is not made lightly. Many try the TC and find it too cramped. It is not a good choice for a large family with pets. However, there are some who make the switch to trailers only to find they miss the simplicity and freedom of the TC, only to make the move back. This buying and selling of campers is something that we did not have the capacity to afford, so we hope we have made the right choice.
Groovy
Third, TC's are COOL! They have all the amenities of a trailer albeit compressed into an area the size of a postage stamp. The brochures for these campers often have captions under the photos that say "actual size." They are the true swiss army knives of campers. Ours has an impressive list of options including; microwave, air conditioning, hot water, flush toilet, power outlets, USB charging plugs, queen size bed, dinette with table, refrigerator with freezer compartment, screen door and windows, a wet bath with shower, and an outside shower for when you want to really experience the raw outdoors. The camper is ready to go to places that have no facilities or hook ups because it has; two propane bottles, two deep cycle batteries, and almost 40 gallons of fresh water storage.
Warm
Fourth, TC's are often cold weather compatible. They have less area inside to heat and can be built to withstand the cold. Ours is four season rated, which means not only does it have a good heater but it has insulated walls and compartments. The containment tanks are heated electrically and are located in a basement that has heat ducts specifically located to prevent freezing.
So that is why we feel the truck camper is the best solution for us.
If you are interested in following our truck camping adventures please check out our other blog at wolfcreek840.blogspot.com for updates. Since that blog is about our truck camper endeavors it will include some info specific to the mechanics of TC's, so it will not continue to be updated here.
How Much Wood Can a Woodtruck Truck or Our New Camper Adventure
Ever notice those ungainly looking campers that seem to have overtaken the backs of pickup trucks, swaying down the highway at breakneck speeds? Dr. Streagle and I did a few years ago and we decided to keep a sharp eye out for a chance to investigate and planned to obtain one at the earliest opportunity. Fortunately our years-long wait and endless internet search for the perfect slide-in camper is almost over.
K likes to call them "turtles" since we will be carrying it on the back of the truck. Just why we wanted a slide-in (hereafter known as "Turtle") can be a discussion for a subsequent post, so watch for one to come along soon. Since the choice of RV type had been made, the shopping and culling of countless used campers yielded a result we found somewhat disturbing for us. We just didn't want someone else's funky camper that was a total compromise in cost, convenience and cleanliness. When I say clean I mean that to also include structural integrity and condition, as in a "clean bill of health."
The internet, which is the font of all human knowledge and experience, has countless tales of woe regarding used campers which have hidden catastrophic problems ranging from rot to pet funk. Pet funk is not high on our list of fun things to clean up.
A new camper can be purchased easily by almost anyone with a social security number or driver's license. All you have to do is be willing to make payments for the rest of your natural life or until the debt can be transferred to your offspring upon your untimely demise. Piece of cake. Another way to justify this incredibly rash financial faux pas is to continue to say to yourself, "The interest is tax deductible! It's a mini-mortagage!" Somehow that makes it okay. The mere thought that you might be cheating Uncle Sam out of some revenue is a strong motivator.
So then the search for a brand spanking new turtle, er, ah, camper begins. Perhaps the best place to do research on turtles is on the truck camper forums at rv.net, a treasure trove of incessant babbling about everything under the truck camper sun. These people have absolutely NOTHING else to do except talk and play with these contraptions. Luckily for me there are mountains of dialogue there, enabling one to distill some fairly common threads about manufacture, dependability, quality, availability, history, etc. into useful advice. Once in a while you will even discover an actual truck camper guru that even makes complete sense!
"Oh TC Guru, what is the meaning of life?"
"Young Grasshopper, you must find this secret for yourself inside a turtle of your own..."
Another great place to find shopping help is at truckcampermagazine.com. That site is chock full of info on new campers, reviews and great advice on camper matching.
Okay, enough preamble. So what have we done so far? We visited many RV lots over the last couple of years. Last week we were at a dealer in Boise that carried the brands we liked. Both of us struggled with the choice between hard side or pop-up for months, and we found prime examples of both at Nelson's RV. Wolf Creek (a brand of Northwood, they make the Arctic Fox) has two models, a rear bath and a mid bath, both hard sides. Northstar makes some of the best quality pop-ups on the market, so we wanted to see them too. These were brands we liked, but the pop-up was a specific model we had not considered before.
The Wolf Creek 840 was the obvious choice for us between the two WC models. The rear bath has a 180 degree view around the rear of the camper and has a layout that suited us. There is something magical that happens just going and sitting in a camper for an hour that tells you whether or not it is the right one for you. Just sit there and talk, meditate, play cards, whatever. Yea or nay becomes apparent quickly. Either that or it was the one you wanted all along. Want, want, want!
When we looked at the Northstars I expected just a cursory glance, since I thought there were none on the lot to fit a long bed. WRONG! Turns out the web browser cuts off the description of the models and does not include "or long bed trucks." This threw a wrench into the decision making process. We really liked the openness of the pop-up, the workmanship, the features, and especially the lower center of gravity when closed. The Northstar 850 is a sweet camper! In the end it boiled down to accessibility issues for the Dr., bath privacy, and kitchen cabinet placements. I really believe we could have made this work and work well if we had been less than 35 years old, but we are no longer able to run or jump, so a more (ahem) comfortable camper was a better choice. Middle aged fat people need accommodations!
The Wolf Creek 840 was our choice. An hour later we were deeper in debt and rolling down the road toward home with a delivery date in two weeks. What! No camper on the truck? No silly, you can't just rush these things. They take time and planning if you want to drive away loaded. There are all kinds of things involved -- things like tie-downs, suspension modifications, dealer walk-throughs, gnashing of teeth, moments of indecision, and more.
So the search for the perfect truck camper suspension mod begins. On to the next posting!
K likes to call them "turtles" since we will be carrying it on the back of the truck. Just why we wanted a slide-in (hereafter known as "Turtle") can be a discussion for a subsequent post, so watch for one to come along soon. Since the choice of RV type had been made, the shopping and culling of countless used campers yielded a result we found somewhat disturbing for us. We just didn't want someone else's funky camper that was a total compromise in cost, convenience and cleanliness. When I say clean I mean that to also include structural integrity and condition, as in a "clean bill of health."
The internet, which is the font of all human knowledge and experience, has countless tales of woe regarding used campers which have hidden catastrophic problems ranging from rot to pet funk. Pet funk is not high on our list of fun things to clean up.
A new camper can be purchased easily by almost anyone with a social security number or driver's license. All you have to do is be willing to make payments for the rest of your natural life or until the debt can be transferred to your offspring upon your untimely demise. Piece of cake. Another way to justify this incredibly rash financial faux pas is to continue to say to yourself, "The interest is tax deductible! It's a mini-mortagage!" Somehow that makes it okay. The mere thought that you might be cheating Uncle Sam out of some revenue is a strong motivator.
So then the search for a brand spanking new turtle, er, ah, camper begins. Perhaps the best place to do research on turtles is on the truck camper forums at rv.net, a treasure trove of incessant babbling about everything under the truck camper sun. These people have absolutely NOTHING else to do except talk and play with these contraptions. Luckily for me there are mountains of dialogue there, enabling one to distill some fairly common threads about manufacture, dependability, quality, availability, history, etc. into useful advice. Once in a while you will even discover an actual truck camper guru that even makes complete sense!
"Oh TC Guru, what is the meaning of life?"
"Young Grasshopper, you must find this secret for yourself inside a turtle of your own..."
Another great place to find shopping help is at truckcampermagazine.com. That site is chock full of info on new campers, reviews and great advice on camper matching.
Okay, enough preamble. So what have we done so far? We visited many RV lots over the last couple of years. Last week we were at a dealer in Boise that carried the brands we liked. Both of us struggled with the choice between hard side or pop-up for months, and we found prime examples of both at Nelson's RV. Wolf Creek (a brand of Northwood, they make the Arctic Fox) has two models, a rear bath and a mid bath, both hard sides. Northstar makes some of the best quality pop-ups on the market, so we wanted to see them too. These were brands we liked, but the pop-up was a specific model we had not considered before.
The Wolf Creek 840 was the obvious choice for us between the two WC models. The rear bath has a 180 degree view around the rear of the camper and has a layout that suited us. There is something magical that happens just going and sitting in a camper for an hour that tells you whether or not it is the right one for you. Just sit there and talk, meditate, play cards, whatever. Yea or nay becomes apparent quickly. Either that or it was the one you wanted all along. Want, want, want!
When we looked at the Northstars I expected just a cursory glance, since I thought there were none on the lot to fit a long bed. WRONG! Turns out the web browser cuts off the description of the models and does not include "or long bed trucks." This threw a wrench into the decision making process. We really liked the openness of the pop-up, the workmanship, the features, and especially the lower center of gravity when closed. The Northstar 850 is a sweet camper! In the end it boiled down to accessibility issues for the Dr., bath privacy, and kitchen cabinet placements. I really believe we could have made this work and work well if we had been less than 35 years old, but we are no longer able to run or jump, so a more (ahem) comfortable camper was a better choice. Middle aged fat people need accommodations!
The Wolf Creek 840 was our choice. An hour later we were deeper in debt and rolling down the road toward home with a delivery date in two weeks. What! No camper on the truck? No silly, you can't just rush these things. They take time and planning if you want to drive away loaded. There are all kinds of things involved -- things like tie-downs, suspension modifications, dealer walk-throughs, gnashing of teeth, moments of indecision, and more.
So the search for the perfect truck camper suspension mod begins. On to the next posting!
Saturday, August 15, 2015
A Year is Too Long!
Yep, been almost a year since a post. Shameful. Shamed into posting an update by Karren's friend Harper. So here goes;
We are firmly settled into Idaho life. Our big news stories consist of bears eating hikers in Yellowstone (If you go out in the woods today, you'd better not go alone...), Bears getting hit on the interstate just a few miles from our house, neighbors having to shoot a cougar that was dragging a deer up the back yard (I don't blame them, they have small kids), and deer invading the garden and laying waste to our recently planted strawberries. Critters, they are a fact of life out here in the western mountains, and most folks from the city don't understand this experience.
So we tilled the garden last spring and got it planted.
That woman can work I tell you. She's a frontier woman and tough as nails. Just ask her students. Something about their writing skills...
Anyway, We felt relieved to have the crops in and settled back to watch the epic story of germination - growth - harvest. Here are the planters in their moment of reverie!
By the way, I just love my Mork suspenders. Those greenish-blue things are water walls, which guard against frost damage. Essentially mini-greenhouses. They are great for peppers and tomatoes during the early spring, which around here is late April-May. Also notice the rather large difference in size between the two individuals in the photo. It is an optical illusion - we are actually almost the same size - it is the selfie camera angle that exaggerates the perspective. Right? Or am I just really sensitive about our disparity? Moving on...
Cattle drive time in Idaho. The cows get to walk to their summer pastures, which can be virtually anywhere nearby. Lots of public land for grazing out here. It is always fun to watch them saunter down the road almost oblivious to the herding dogs nipping at their heels. here they are in front of the house:
Then the deer struck. They wailed on the strawberries, often just ripping them out by the roots. The peas got hammered as soon as they erupted, so something had to be done. Last year we lost our entire pea crop to the fiends. Enter the internet. I read about a novel system of fishing line and tin can noise-makers that showed promise. So I strung the fishing line around the garden and terminated it into large coffee cans filled with smaller cans. The first night was a constant din, but the deer were spooked. The successful strategy was augmented a few days later with the addition of a motion detecting sprinkler. It saw frequent action over the next few nights and seemed to keep the monsters at bay. Then we kept getting the same two does penetrating the defense, oblivious to the protections offered.
Enter phase three, the enforcer. Ruger makes an awesome pellet gun called a Blackhawk, and I procured one from a friend for a bargain price ($50!) and began the midnight patrols. After waiting a full four hours the first night I heard the tell-tale racket of the cans followed by the sprinkler. Dashing to the back door I struggled with the lock, then fought with the mud room door (it seems to swell in the summer, making it difficult to open). By the time I got the flashlight and gun combo aimed and ready, those deer were history. I vowed revenge and steeled myself for the coming effort.
Wouldn't you know the deer found other things to do? After a week and a half absence they managed to sneak in one night without detection and mow down half a row of carrot tops, two onions, and then ravaged the strawberries yet again. This was the last straw.
It began with the rustling of cans. I was out of the bed faster than Mama Cass fighting to the front of a Chick-Fil-A line. I had left the kitchen door unbolted and the mud room open to the elements. I had rehearsed the flashlight-gun maneuvers meticulously and took quick aim. I leave the rest to your fertile imagination. The result? Gone. Vamos. Exiled. End of problem.
It seems we have no other problem animals, or that we have just planted enough crops to feed them yet still harvest. Most others visit so infrequently that I have not had to take drastic actions again, but I do remain vigilant.
As June crawled by the rains came and the house was set in a verdant green of grass and weeds, but there were some wonderful discoveries. We found peonies, daffodils, various fruit trees, and more varieties of iris than we had ever known existed. They were all over the yard and in the tall grass. Here is a particularly stunning variety:
Another favorite we have is the color of a dream sickle, orange and white. The colors were vibrant and glorious. Not much of a flower guy but these things are beautiful.
I took a day and put some concrete and wood together to form a rudimentary rack for our truck topper. We were tired of using the chain hoist in the garage and losing the space, so we built this thing and can now remove or install in minutes! Highly recommended.
Here is the happy couple again, watching the garden grow and taking a moment to relish the absence of mosquitos - eat your heart out VA peeps! Notice the rather lush lawn which is now a forest of two-inch long, brittle, brown stalks of dried sharp stuff just waiting to punch a hole in your mower's tires.
So Karren got this crazy idea that we just HAD to get away during the height of the garden watering season and go camping. So, after training the neighbor's kids on how to water the place we took a full week off and hit the trail to Stanley, Idaho for some R&R. Of course this meant we had to put the stupid truck cap back on the truck on the hottest day of the year, but anything to make the admiral happy. I grumbled as I rummaged through all our camping gear. I grumbled as we pulled out the fishing stuff. I grumbled as I tuned up the canoe and greased the trailer hubs.
We pulled out of the driveway like a herd of turtles and as any good american would do, headed to Wal-Mart to stock up on provisions. Satisfied with our quotient of imported camping gadgets and block ice we proceeded to take the longest possible route to our destination and arrived a bit late to find an open campsite. Well, any campsite really. Then we just threw a dart at the map and said, "How about up this way?" I just knew we were going to spend a night moving from parking lot to parking lot but Karren refused to accept defeat. Accusing me of being a sourpuss she surprised me by pointing out a killer spot that no one else had found. It had all the merits a campsite should; Off the main highway about a mile, on a river, no stagnant water nearby, no adjacent campsites, a pre-existing fire ring, and enough space for the truck, trailer and our screen house. Presto! We were in camping heaven!
The next week was spent in timeless reverie of fishing, eating like starved Ethiopians, swimming, gold panning, reading books, and sleeping like the dead. Each night was cool enough to require snuggling into the down bags and each day was spent wading the river abusing trout. Here is a pic of Karren virtually standing in downtown Stanley, fishing the Salmon River just a few hundred feet from the main road. We must have caught 30 fish that day and the other fishermen were not having the same luck. Lightweights! We come from Virginia were the fish are smarter and bigger, but the rivers are dirtier and bigger, so "we is educated to the wily ways of any fishy fish." And we cheated with spinning reels. All caught on Blue Fox Vibrax and Mepps spinners BTW.
That girl is a fishing trick! Below, she is thanking the fish gods for her last catch. Or is it just an expression of sheer joy to be away from a desk and computer screen? We may never know.
Even though the water is runoff from the snow and glaciers it was pleasant enough to wade in. We'll be back. When we got back home we found the radishes had matured so we picked them. And ate them. And found recipes to even cook them. Of course it was time to plant more!
The beginning of August found us picking the first of many baskets of produce. Here you see squash, chard, peas, and beets.
This means the canning rituals are not far behind. This year I figured I'd get a more streamlined setup in place by cooking the stuff in the garage. The trial run worked out well and we now have about a third of our canning done for the season. A new canner for the glass cooktop is on order and we have a portable invection hotplate for jams and jellies too. Don't want to get that sticky stuff on our new kitchen cooktop. It's a glass smooth top and they don't do well with sugars. Gotta use flat-bottomed cookware too, hence the new canner.
We are getting serious about the zombie-apocalypse thing. Are we preppers? Not really, but there is a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that we can survive out here with wood heat, a diesel generator for the water well and refrigerator, shootin' irons with ammo, and a mountain of well preserved food from our own garden. Another nice thing is that most of our neighbors are well prepared too. This winter is beginning to show signs of being a serious one, so we are better off than most.
The next installment of the Western Ho! blog is likely to be in the middle of the winter so we shall see how the season goes. Until then, be safe and ..... Hey, did I just hear the cans get knocked over again? Sorry, gotta run!!!
We are firmly settled into Idaho life. Our big news stories consist of bears eating hikers in Yellowstone (If you go out in the woods today, you'd better not go alone...), Bears getting hit on the interstate just a few miles from our house, neighbors having to shoot a cougar that was dragging a deer up the back yard (I don't blame them, they have small kids), and deer invading the garden and laying waste to our recently planted strawberries. Critters, they are a fact of life out here in the western mountains, and most folks from the city don't understand this experience.
So we tilled the garden last spring and got it planted.
That woman can work I tell you. She's a frontier woman and tough as nails. Just ask her students. Something about their writing skills...
Anyway, We felt relieved to have the crops in and settled back to watch the epic story of germination - growth - harvest. Here are the planters in their moment of reverie!
By the way, I just love my Mork suspenders. Those greenish-blue things are water walls, which guard against frost damage. Essentially mini-greenhouses. They are great for peppers and tomatoes during the early spring, which around here is late April-May. Also notice the rather large difference in size between the two individuals in the photo. It is an optical illusion - we are actually almost the same size - it is the selfie camera angle that exaggerates the perspective. Right? Or am I just really sensitive about our disparity? Moving on...
Cattle drive time in Idaho. The cows get to walk to their summer pastures, which can be virtually anywhere nearby. Lots of public land for grazing out here. It is always fun to watch them saunter down the road almost oblivious to the herding dogs nipping at their heels. here they are in front of the house:
Then the deer struck. They wailed on the strawberries, often just ripping them out by the roots. The peas got hammered as soon as they erupted, so something had to be done. Last year we lost our entire pea crop to the fiends. Enter the internet. I read about a novel system of fishing line and tin can noise-makers that showed promise. So I strung the fishing line around the garden and terminated it into large coffee cans filled with smaller cans. The first night was a constant din, but the deer were spooked. The successful strategy was augmented a few days later with the addition of a motion detecting sprinkler. It saw frequent action over the next few nights and seemed to keep the monsters at bay. Then we kept getting the same two does penetrating the defense, oblivious to the protections offered.
Enter phase three, the enforcer. Ruger makes an awesome pellet gun called a Blackhawk, and I procured one from a friend for a bargain price ($50!) and began the midnight patrols. After waiting a full four hours the first night I heard the tell-tale racket of the cans followed by the sprinkler. Dashing to the back door I struggled with the lock, then fought with the mud room door (it seems to swell in the summer, making it difficult to open). By the time I got the flashlight and gun combo aimed and ready, those deer were history. I vowed revenge and steeled myself for the coming effort.
Wouldn't you know the deer found other things to do? After a week and a half absence they managed to sneak in one night without detection and mow down half a row of carrot tops, two onions, and then ravaged the strawberries yet again. This was the last straw.
It began with the rustling of cans. I was out of the bed faster than Mama Cass fighting to the front of a Chick-Fil-A line. I had left the kitchen door unbolted and the mud room open to the elements. I had rehearsed the flashlight-gun maneuvers meticulously and took quick aim. I leave the rest to your fertile imagination. The result? Gone. Vamos. Exiled. End of problem.
It seems we have no other problem animals, or that we have just planted enough crops to feed them yet still harvest. Most others visit so infrequently that I have not had to take drastic actions again, but I do remain vigilant.
As June crawled by the rains came and the house was set in a verdant green of grass and weeds, but there were some wonderful discoveries. We found peonies, daffodils, various fruit trees, and more varieties of iris than we had ever known existed. They were all over the yard and in the tall grass. Here is a particularly stunning variety:
Another favorite we have is the color of a dream sickle, orange and white. The colors were vibrant and glorious. Not much of a flower guy but these things are beautiful.
I took a day and put some concrete and wood together to form a rudimentary rack for our truck topper. We were tired of using the chain hoist in the garage and losing the space, so we built this thing and can now remove or install in minutes! Highly recommended.
Here is the happy couple again, watching the garden grow and taking a moment to relish the absence of mosquitos - eat your heart out VA peeps! Notice the rather lush lawn which is now a forest of two-inch long, brittle, brown stalks of dried sharp stuff just waiting to punch a hole in your mower's tires.
So Karren got this crazy idea that we just HAD to get away during the height of the garden watering season and go camping. So, after training the neighbor's kids on how to water the place we took a full week off and hit the trail to Stanley, Idaho for some R&R. Of course this meant we had to put the stupid truck cap back on the truck on the hottest day of the year, but anything to make the admiral happy. I grumbled as I rummaged through all our camping gear. I grumbled as we pulled out the fishing stuff. I grumbled as I tuned up the canoe and greased the trailer hubs.
We pulled out of the driveway like a herd of turtles and as any good american would do, headed to Wal-Mart to stock up on provisions. Satisfied with our quotient of imported camping gadgets and block ice we proceeded to take the longest possible route to our destination and arrived a bit late to find an open campsite. Well, any campsite really. Then we just threw a dart at the map and said, "How about up this way?" I just knew we were going to spend a night moving from parking lot to parking lot but Karren refused to accept defeat. Accusing me of being a sourpuss she surprised me by pointing out a killer spot that no one else had found. It had all the merits a campsite should; Off the main highway about a mile, on a river, no stagnant water nearby, no adjacent campsites, a pre-existing fire ring, and enough space for the truck, trailer and our screen house. Presto! We were in camping heaven!
The next week was spent in timeless reverie of fishing, eating like starved Ethiopians, swimming, gold panning, reading books, and sleeping like the dead. Each night was cool enough to require snuggling into the down bags and each day was spent wading the river abusing trout. Here is a pic of Karren virtually standing in downtown Stanley, fishing the Salmon River just a few hundred feet from the main road. We must have caught 30 fish that day and the other fishermen were not having the same luck. Lightweights! We come from Virginia were the fish are smarter and bigger, but the rivers are dirtier and bigger, so "we is educated to the wily ways of any fishy fish." And we cheated with spinning reels. All caught on Blue Fox Vibrax and Mepps spinners BTW.
That girl is a fishing trick! Below, she is thanking the fish gods for her last catch. Or is it just an expression of sheer joy to be away from a desk and computer screen? We may never know.
Even though the water is runoff from the snow and glaciers it was pleasant enough to wade in. We'll be back. When we got back home we found the radishes had matured so we picked them. And ate them. And found recipes to even cook them. Of course it was time to plant more!
The beginning of August found us picking the first of many baskets of produce. Here you see squash, chard, peas, and beets.
This means the canning rituals are not far behind. This year I figured I'd get a more streamlined setup in place by cooking the stuff in the garage. The trial run worked out well and we now have about a third of our canning done for the season. A new canner for the glass cooktop is on order and we have a portable invection hotplate for jams and jellies too. Don't want to get that sticky stuff on our new kitchen cooktop. It's a glass smooth top and they don't do well with sugars. Gotta use flat-bottomed cookware too, hence the new canner.
We are getting serious about the zombie-apocalypse thing. Are we preppers? Not really, but there is a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that we can survive out here with wood heat, a diesel generator for the water well and refrigerator, shootin' irons with ammo, and a mountain of well preserved food from our own garden. Another nice thing is that most of our neighbors are well prepared too. This winter is beginning to show signs of being a serious one, so we are better off than most.
The next installment of the Western Ho! blog is likely to be in the middle of the winter so we shall see how the season goes. Until then, be safe and ..... Hey, did I just hear the cans get knocked over again? Sorry, gotta run!!!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
If It Doesn't Move, Can It!
The garden is through for the year, mostly. Two weeks ago we experienced a freak freeze that killed much of the vulnerable plants. 25 degrees will do that if it lasts for just a few hours, and it did. We lost the zucchini, tomatoes, sweet peppers, green beans, butter beans, a couple of cucumber hills that weren't covered and the pumpkins and cantelope were punished. The corn crop was a week or two from being finished and it was killed outright. Such a waste. But there is a bright side...
Canning! We have put away more produce than ever before. Pickled beets, bread and butter pickles, sweet pickles, dill pickles, dilled green beans, cherry preserves, cherry jam, pickled jalapenos, zucchini pickles, pickled plums, plum preserves, plum chutney (YUM!), gosh I could go on and on. This stuff is yummy and we will be wading through it all winter.
So we have now entered the fall phase of recovering any produce that survives into the cool weather. Last 3 nights have dipped to 31 or so for a few hours but the plants go grudgingly into the great beyond. Here is what I picked today:
So we have now entered the fall phase of recovering any produce that survives into the cool weather. Last 3 nights have dipped to 31 or so for a few hours but the plants go grudgingly into the great beyond. Here is what I picked today:
Amazing that I could still be picking jalapenos after the cold spells we've had. Under the corn are a few tomatoes that wouldn't give up and there is even a few cucumbers that have toughed it out. And the Corn! It continues to fill some of the kernels even though the plant is brown, blowing like paper in the wind!
Our onions, carrots and swiss chard continue to grow as if they are possessed. I expect these carrots to be about 12 inches long and an inch in diameter. The onions are bigger than the biggest ones at WalMart. Everyone here says to leave the onions in until the tops die. I need to check that out - but they sure are happy! We have about four decent sized pumpkins in the patch, one is larger than a basketball. The melons are diminutive, about softball size and hard as rocks. Will they ripen? I harvested the remaining beets today, they are beautiful. I love them pickled, plain not so much...
On another note, we have plunged back into kitchen renovation once again. My friend Pat Dillon (from Virginia) visited us last week and put 3 days worth of work into rewiring some of the electrical here at casa Streagle. Turns out (as I had suspected) our main 200 amp house breaker was worn out, so Pat pulled the meter and installed a new one. All I had to do was fork out over 300 bucks for it. A new panel was about the same price but lots more work. Besides, the old panel was actually heavier duty than what is currently available at the big box stores today.
We fished wires in the kitchen, installed a bedroom ceiling fan and light kit, restored power to our upstairs guest room, fixed a hall light circuit, and installed a generator plug and breaker for emergency power. While all this was taking place our other guest visitor, Betty Cochran cooked up some yummy treats for the evening meals. Betty also checked out Karren's new (to her) sewing machine and gave her a quick lesson on making it whirr.
This has been the season for mice. I haven't been able to mouse proof the basement yet, as it will have to wait until I do a complete demolition of the space. Well, they found us in a big way. I have fed them a steady diet of D-con and trapped a few. I have been through 3 boxes of poison and they ate it all. I have not seen much sign of them in the last few days. Maybe they are feeling the effects? Not much smell yet, hope they find their way outside first!
Since we had such a boost in morale from our visitors, K and I decided to tackle the kitchen cabinets. They have been a nasty shade of light avocado and lime for the last two years and it was time to say adios to the grossness. We began by disassembling the drawers and cabinet doors, then painting the carcasses white. Next came the drawer fronts and the drawer interiors. These drawers have had a raw (nasty) interior that had never seen paint. Here is a few of the completed drawers:
Now all we need to do is get some new countertops and we'll be able to live with it until we find a money tree. BTW, the doors are still being painted. What a pain to paint! I hate painting. What do you think of the flat dark red interiors? Cabinet interiors are still waiting for their treatment. One day at a time...
It seems like winter will be on us fairly soon and we have much left to do to get ready. The remainder of the wood must be split and stacked, the front porch stocked with firewood, the chimney cleaned, the garden tilled under, a new door installed to the barn, etc. We have a lot to do and not much time left.
Idaho is the wettest it has been in over twenty years. Our grass is green and needs mowing. There is dew every morning and frost frequently. It has been primarily rainy or cloudy for the past 3 weeks. I have seen rain, sleet, hail, and snow within a 2 hour time frame. This weather is crazy. The old timers here are shaking their heads and are at a loss as to what the winter will be like. I have a bad/good feeling about it. Bad - that there is likely to be a ton of snow, and good - that it will mean lots of plowing, i.e. overtime for work : )
I promise to punch out a few more of these blogs as things get colder. Keep checking back...
Smoked Up in Sequioa
The long anticipated break from work has come and gone. Back to the Salt Mines for us! However, let me tell the story of our epic journey to land of fruits and nuts and back again...
Karren and I left home late that hot July day after performing an act of community service for a friend in need. We didn't leave until 3 PM so my goal was simply to get out of Dodge asap. The first night we opted for accommodations in St. George, Utah, at the local Super 8 Motel. It proved a wise choice, as the temperatures had risen dramatically with every foot lost in elevation as we descended out of the Colorado Plateau. By the time we reached Las Vegas, NV it was 106 degrees in the shade. People actually live there! The city is a weird oasis of concrete and electricity in a desolate void of sand and mesquite. We didn't stop and couldn't wait until we reached our first destination: The house of Sarah and Kevin Hopkins in Manhattan Beach, CA. Driving across Los Angeles was like a bad dream - just when you think you have reached the Pacific Ocean, there is yet another freeway to navigate. I have never seen so much development across a flat landscape. It is really odd to see such a large metropolis lacking vertical buildings.
Anyway, we arrived there to find the Hopkins' house was sandwiched in between other monstrosities, lost in a maze of development and sprawl. They are situated not quite three blocks from the beach, and the area actually has a slight resort feel to it, even though it is like living in the middle of a file cabinet. The salt air and humidity brings the beach into the home with its mild climate. Temps never got above 80 degrees, yet inland just 5 miles it was brutal. Here's a view of their period beach cabana, which has a period flavor. I would like to have seen it back in the day...
It is amazing that real estate there is priced by the square inch, not foot! Their place is deceptive in that it fills the entire lot from front to rear, road to alley, and features a wonderful courtyard. Their house brings me back to memories of beach houses on the Outer Bank of NC, until I walk out the front door and see the other stucco high rises that predominate the hillside. Here's a view from their front porch down to the water:
And watch where you step! The density of people is only rivaled by the density of dogs. Why do people have so many pets in such close quarters? I'll never understand the need for urban dog or (insert favorite pet here) worship, especially when there is no place for the critters to roam, bark, defecate, or otherwise antagonize others in high density living. I love dogs, but giant ones in the city? Really?! End of irresponsible pet owners rant.
After three glorious days of visiting Kevin and Sarah, we steered ourselves onto the drought ridden highways of California toward Sequioa National Park, the first stop in our NP tour. Sequoia is lovely and the roads are sometimes impossibly narrow, but they do not quite rival Mesa Verde in terror factor. The trees are magnificent.
It was there that we first began to notice the haze that was settling over the high Sierras. SMOKE!
Evidently there was a complex of fires burning in several places. I inquired as to where these fires were at the Sequoia NP visitors center. Yosemite!?! Why that's on our itinerary! Great... how bad can it be? Resolved to the situation being what it would be regardless, we continued our trek.
The trees of the sequoias are massive. The human brain does not register the immensity until hours have gone by. Then it really has an impact; these things are as big as ships! The trunks easily block half of your vista and have a feeling of ancientness and antiquity reflecting their age. After a while one begins to pick out the younger members of the species apart from "regular" pines and cedars.
Yosemite was mostly shrouded in smoke. Needless to say the views were not what we had anticipated, however we managed to find some clear camping above 8000 ft. This is the domain of the bears. These critters have their way with anyone foolish enough not to heed the warnings, which are pervasive throughout the parks. One night I woke to the sounds of an entire section of the campground being pillaged by ursa major and minor. The morning light revealed the signs of the struggle between creature and man. Total destruction of coolers and everything else that smelled of food that was not locked up in the bear boxes (provided). City dwellers - MEH!
Our time in Yosemite was tempered by the incredible press of crowds and vehicles. I will not attempt to enter the valley again in this lifetime, but will probably revisit the Tioga Pass area. Lake Tenaya is pristine and spellbinding. The entire eastern area of the pass is spectacular. So there we are, driving along in barely 60 degree temps and Karren says, "Stop the truck!" Within minutes she is daring me to take the plunge. You know a glacier feeds that pond don't you? A whole new meaning to the word "cold."
We left the high country to descend into Mono Lake and Nevada. That state is a jewel. I think most probably see Nevada as a barren wasteland but I see the solitude as a gift. Mountains that no one is climbing, high lakes that see few visitors and roads that beg for traffic.
We ended up staying the next night on top of a mountain near the north end of Nevada at Angel Lake, a nat'l forest campground. The weather was windy and wet, and the mosquitos were fierce, so we ducked into the tent quickly for the sanctuary. This CG was above 9000 feet and the road up is not for the faint of heart either. I had to take a five minute break on the way up to get my breathing squared away because it rose so rapidly from the desert floor below.
The next day saw us taking in the sights at the Golden Spike National Monument in Promontory, Utah. A wonderful exhibit and two actually working steam locomotives made the visit memorable. Then home. Trying to get the blog moving so on to the next post!
Karren and I left home late that hot July day after performing an act of community service for a friend in need. We didn't leave until 3 PM so my goal was simply to get out of Dodge asap. The first night we opted for accommodations in St. George, Utah, at the local Super 8 Motel. It proved a wise choice, as the temperatures had risen dramatically with every foot lost in elevation as we descended out of the Colorado Plateau. By the time we reached Las Vegas, NV it was 106 degrees in the shade. People actually live there! The city is a weird oasis of concrete and electricity in a desolate void of sand and mesquite. We didn't stop and couldn't wait until we reached our first destination: The house of Sarah and Kevin Hopkins in Manhattan Beach, CA. Driving across Los Angeles was like a bad dream - just when you think you have reached the Pacific Ocean, there is yet another freeway to navigate. I have never seen so much development across a flat landscape. It is really odd to see such a large metropolis lacking vertical buildings.
Anyway, we arrived there to find the Hopkins' house was sandwiched in between other monstrosities, lost in a maze of development and sprawl. They are situated not quite three blocks from the beach, and the area actually has a slight resort feel to it, even though it is like living in the middle of a file cabinet. The salt air and humidity brings the beach into the home with its mild climate. Temps never got above 80 degrees, yet inland just 5 miles it was brutal. Here's a view of their period beach cabana, which has a period flavor. I would like to have seen it back in the day...
It is amazing that real estate there is priced by the square inch, not foot! Their place is deceptive in that it fills the entire lot from front to rear, road to alley, and features a wonderful courtyard. Their house brings me back to memories of beach houses on the Outer Bank of NC, until I walk out the front door and see the other stucco high rises that predominate the hillside. Here's a view from their front porch down to the water:
And watch where you step! The density of people is only rivaled by the density of dogs. Why do people have so many pets in such close quarters? I'll never understand the need for urban dog or (insert favorite pet here) worship, especially when there is no place for the critters to roam, bark, defecate, or otherwise antagonize others in high density living. I love dogs, but giant ones in the city? Really?! End of irresponsible pet owners rant.
After three glorious days of visiting Kevin and Sarah, we steered ourselves onto the drought ridden highways of California toward Sequioa National Park, the first stop in our NP tour. Sequoia is lovely and the roads are sometimes impossibly narrow, but they do not quite rival Mesa Verde in terror factor. The trees are magnificent.
It was there that we first began to notice the haze that was settling over the high Sierras. SMOKE!
Evidently there was a complex of fires burning in several places. I inquired as to where these fires were at the Sequoia NP visitors center. Yosemite!?! Why that's on our itinerary! Great... how bad can it be? Resolved to the situation being what it would be regardless, we continued our trek.
The trees of the sequoias are massive. The human brain does not register the immensity until hours have gone by. Then it really has an impact; these things are as big as ships! The trunks easily block half of your vista and have a feeling of ancientness and antiquity reflecting their age. After a while one begins to pick out the younger members of the species apart from "regular" pines and cedars.
Yosemite was mostly shrouded in smoke. Needless to say the views were not what we had anticipated, however we managed to find some clear camping above 8000 ft. This is the domain of the bears. These critters have their way with anyone foolish enough not to heed the warnings, which are pervasive throughout the parks. One night I woke to the sounds of an entire section of the campground being pillaged by ursa major and minor. The morning light revealed the signs of the struggle between creature and man. Total destruction of coolers and everything else that smelled of food that was not locked up in the bear boxes (provided). City dwellers - MEH!
Our time in Yosemite was tempered by the incredible press of crowds and vehicles. I will not attempt to enter the valley again in this lifetime, but will probably revisit the Tioga Pass area. Lake Tenaya is pristine and spellbinding. The entire eastern area of the pass is spectacular. So there we are, driving along in barely 60 degree temps and Karren says, "Stop the truck!" Within minutes she is daring me to take the plunge. You know a glacier feeds that pond don't you? A whole new meaning to the word "cold."
We left the high country to descend into Mono Lake and Nevada. That state is a jewel. I think most probably see Nevada as a barren wasteland but I see the solitude as a gift. Mountains that no one is climbing, high lakes that see few visitors and roads that beg for traffic.
We ended up staying the next night on top of a mountain near the north end of Nevada at Angel Lake, a nat'l forest campground. The weather was windy and wet, and the mosquitos were fierce, so we ducked into the tent quickly for the sanctuary. This CG was above 9000 feet and the road up is not for the faint of heart either. I had to take a five minute break on the way up to get my breathing squared away because it rose so rapidly from the desert floor below.
The next day saw us taking in the sights at the Golden Spike National Monument in Promontory, Utah. A wonderful exhibit and two actually working steam locomotives made the visit memorable. Then home. Trying to get the blog moving so on to the next post!
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