We are already transitioning into fall. The seasonal shift announces itself in the cool nights and chilly, damp mornings that set in after the August full moon. The edges between each season are predictable, comforting times. Fall migration begins with flocks of smallish birds heading southeast. The garden fades. Round bales of hay rest quietly…
Cooking is not the big thrill for me while camping, not like the old days when I cooked big meals for my son. However, recently I developed a love for cooking over campfire coals in dutch ovens and other cast iron pans. Last year I bought a tripod that suspends a pot over a direct…
Our adventures were low key this time. I confess that I slept a great deal on the Turtle Mountain trip. I was exhausted and the weather was perfect for sleeping. I zonked out for 8-9 hours every night – despite screaming Loons — and took long naps too. No matter, with the skies light until nearly…
I like camping in the Turtle Mountains. Seriously. However, there is some weird stuff around here. The first weirdness presents itself as I hook up Half Moon to the electric box at my campsite.I splurge on electricity because I do not expect enough open sky to run the solar panel. As I reached over to…
Sometimes people who name mountains choose a descriptive and/or dominant attribute. Consider the Rocky Mountains, which are rocky. The Smoky Mountains, with their smoke-like fog. The Snowy Range—a small range within the Rockies—appears snow covered every month of the year. At other times, the mountain names seem arbitrary—like the White Mountains, which are not…
The beautiful state of ND is still brown, yet I love wandering and exploring in the early spring. Migrating birds overhead and the return of resident ducks in the ponds and lakes draw me out into the sunshine. Sandhill Crane, Duck and Snow Goose migration continues overhead. In the water I observed endless species…
The northern migration along the central fly way is proceeding con gusto. I downloaded lists of which birds are in the area, which are moving on, and which are about to arrive. But, more fun than the lists: driving around Kidder County for a “look see”! Kidder County is a top ten North American birding…
Flying Cloud and Half-Moon Ride Again! My camper Half-Moon has been in the garage all winter. The garage ceiling is so tall that I can fully set up the camper. This has made getting ready to roll much easier. Been rounding up all the gear: dishes, food, clothes, electronics, reading material, chair, bedding, campfire…