The Hardley

... heres a pretty cool project...

... the "Hardley"...

... 'brother Howie' rigged this 80cc/2 stroke gasoline engine kit to an old 'Trek 950' mountain bike to create this "neighborhood cruiser"...

... air cooled - single speed chain drive (with option available to convert it to the multiple speed bike gearing), it pegged out at a maximum open throttle 30mph when we took it out to the "test track"...

... "Hardley a Davidson"...

Cowboy Bread

... while hangin' around the homestead lookin' for something to do on a few recent cold winter weekends, we have been tryin' out a few 'Dutch Oven' cooking recipes we came across in a 'Cowboy Chuckwagon Cooking' cookbook we received'... have done a bit of Dutch Oven campfire cooking in the past but never in a home oven - this one is pretty good and the easiest bread you'd ever bake in your life...

... Cowboy Bread...

... screwed this up on the first attempt - the recipe made no mention of greasing or lining the dutch oven with non-stick oven paper, so we didn't - took about a half hour of jack-hammering to separate the badly bottom-burned loaf from the base of the oven - was charcoal at least a solid 1/4 inch thick...

... undeterred - and never one to give up - we returned the following weekend for a second attempt...

... here's the recipe (avoid our mistakes -  items in red are critical steps):

Ingredients :

● 3 cups bread flour

● 1-1/2 t salt - big T stands for tablespoon (tbsp) - small t stands for teaspoon (tsp)

● 1-1/2 cup warm water

● 1 t yeast

Directions:

● Stir the yeast in with the warm water (small measuring cup for container)

● Stir the salt in with the flour (large pyrex pitcher w/ lid for container)

● Stir the water/yeast mix in with the flour - just until combined is enough

● Put the lid on the pitcher and let it set at room temperature for 24 hours

● > 24 hours line the base of the Dutch Oven w/ 'Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Non-Stick Aluminum

   Foil' (what we used) and insert the Dutch Oven in the bake oven and heat to 450°F

● While heating the oven pull the dough out of the pitcher and shape it into a ball on a cutting board

   (sprinkle some flour on the cutting board to keep the dough from sticking)

● After the oven is heated to 450°F, pull the Dutch Oven and place your ball of dough in it and return 

   to the bake oven (don't forget to replace your oven mitts!) 

● Bake for 30 minutes then remove the lid of the Dutch Oven and bake an additional 15 minutes so the 

   bread can brown

● Pull from the oven - let the bread completely cool before cutting

... turned out great the second try- that's it pictured above - have baked several since then... you can also add some Sesame Seeds, Cinnamon/Raisins etc they say - didn't try it yet...

... after the initial failure, we were researching on-line with regard to greasing/lining the Dutch Oven to prevent the bread burning/sticking - one recommendation was to place the bread into the Dutch Oven on a small metal rack supported atop three golf balls - had a small rack but didn't have any golf balls - would like to know if it works if anyone tries it - depending upon how it turns out, we'll later get ya' some plans for constructing a home 'Interocitor'...

Silent But Deadly/Ice Box Canyon

... was on a trip out west to visit 'buddy Matt' a few years back - we had just arrived back at his place after retrieval at the airport - was walkin' thru the house to stash my gear when I noticed he had a wood 2x4 or two nailed across the interior front entrance door and that the interior door frame had apparently been broken from the outside in... "... what's up with your front door?" - he replied that some asshole had broken in while he was out of the house two days earlier and he was waitin' for the insurance company to investigate the damage... "... they take anything?"..."No"... said he didn't even notice until he saw blood all over the floor of the foyer - the door was shut... apparently whoever entered was unaware of  the presence of Desert Dog Koda, M.D....

Koda holdin' the high ground

... she definitely had this punks number.. retracing the scene of the crime, she had probably been snoozing at her usual spot at the top of the stairs when the "perp" broke in - she never ever barks, so ya'd never know she was around unless she's in sight - the creep must have gotten a big surprise when she came charging down the stairs and went for his throat - the blood on the floor was his - drove him right back out the front door which he apparently slammed shut in his hasty retreat...

... she's always pretty easygoing and docile, unless threatened apparently - Matt said that the only visible disturbance to her was that her chest fur was "soaked with slobber" like she was really goin' at this creep...

... said that she earned a steak dinner that night...

... Koda hangin' out with Matt along the 'Ice Box Canyon' trail, a short 2.6 mile out and back at 'Red Rock Canyon'...

... view looking back along the narrow canyon trail ...

... rock solid canyon walls...

... located at the back of the short canyon is a pretty nice waterfall and cascade which feed some tiered pools - a pretty popular spot on a hot day in the desert...

The Knobs in Winter

... didn't really need 'em, but picked up a pair of these skis/short skis/skiboards/skishoes/sweepers - whatever they're called depending upon where you're reading on-line... but hey, they look like skis to us so we'll stick with that... took 'em out for a cruise last weekend to check 'em out...

... they're the 'hok' manufactured by these guys 'Altai' - pictured is the 125cm x 124/110/122 - they make a longer 145cm version as well as another similar 162cm model called a 'kōm' - each equipped with metal edges and a built in climbing skin - think these guys used to work for 'Karhu' before they closed shop - they're basically the same ski as the old 'Meta' but a bit narrower at the tip and a bit wider at the tail - we mounted 'em with the 3-pin boot bindings but you can fit 'em to pretty much whatever ya' want...

... got 2+ feet of snow the previous weekend so we had some good conditions - although, after some much warmer weekday weather, we had since missed the great powder which fell originally and the snowpack had dwindled to about 1 foot of packed snow with a thin icy crust - but still not bad...

... where to go?... hey... never skied up to 'Rob's Knobs' (aka: 'the Knobs') before - that's a good "out and back" - about 3.5 miles R/T and around 750ft elevation gain - probably some fun downhill 'ta boot on the return...

... great time to be out - nice trip up thru the 'Limestone Run' stream valley - tons of "critter tracks" this day - lots of deer, one bobcat, a rabbit, 'subnivian' tunnel activity - was checkin' out a large spot of wild turkey scratchings at the large meadow near the head of the valley when a flock of four or five broke unexpectedly from the adjacent brush - saw the tracks of a single black bear while heading thru the woods and up thru the "steep" along with flushing two grouse...

... end of the trail and the 'Knobs' - so named for a jumble of large sandstone boulders situated atop a wooded knoll ...

... personally found this place (as far as climbing goes) about thirty years ago while lookin' for the 'Lost World' (aka: 'Lost Crag') - which exists opposite the next valley to the west... 

 

... originally did several climbing routes here along with 'Rob Goodman' and 'buddy Matt' over the course of several visits - the place soon caught on and had since become a pretty popular sport climbing crag...

... sports several steep and thin lines...

 ... some short, hard stuff...

... don't know how many climbers visit here anymore - if at all... can't complain about today, though...

... man!... that "climbers trail" on the way back out is pretty steep and narrow in spots on skis and a bit difficult - goes straight down the fall line - been a few years since we were on skis - was gettin' beat up a bit and "bit the dust" a few times - decided to make our own switchback route thru the woods which was way more fun...  for what they were made for combined with the conditions, the performance of the skis was great - however, we're sure that some will ski 'em a lot better and some will ski 'em a lot worse...

... the wide trail joining the upper and lower meadows was lots of fun - was able to link together a long series of decent telemark turns down the slope...

... and thru the meadow...

... snapped a few images of 'Dunbar Creek' after loadin' up back at the vehicle and before headin' out -  spooked one trout which darted for cover while stopping along the stream bank to click this photo...

Model Man

... was searching thru the "archives" during a snow day last weekend and came across this old snapshot...

... HA! - hangin' out with our old friend from NYU days - British buddy 'John Pearson' - John has been one of the worlds top male fashion models for the past 30 years with working credits too numerous to mention here (click on the link for a short biography - or "google search" 'em)... as recalled this photo was taken while hangin' out with some other folks at another friends apartment - relaxin' outside on the second floor fire escape drinkin' some beers and watchin' the New York nightlife below, which can get pretty interesting... definitely recall that the gal who took this photo was gorgeous with great legs (we tend to notice things like that) and wearin' a pretty small miniskirt and perched several fire escape ladder rungs overhead, which definitely got our attention to look at the camera - or at least in that direction...

... we're not very "fashion conscious" around here (although do own a 'Harris Tweed' sport coat or two which we're fond of) - but here's a vintage 'Drakkar Noir' mens cologne ad we came across featuring our boy and "supermodel" Stephanie Seymour":  

... "that shoot was full of great moments; I got to drive this AC Cobra, and they said to me 'Don't go over 40mph; we'll speed it up in post', but I couldn't not go over 40mph, so went for it, and there was a guy on the walkie-talkie yellin' at us the whole time. Little did I know that the car cost $500,000!"...

... our kind of guy...

Culture Time

... snowed in for a few hours yesterday - ran out of stuff to do (that we wanted to do) around the homestead - so we finally looked in to how ya' herein link to other websites - always been too lazy up to this point - as well as afraid to screw something up and lose all... next we'll figure out how to change the header photo - maybe next 2ft snow day...

... seems easy enough - need to run a test - what to use...?... hey... got a good idea!...

... always liked the films of the Hollywood badass bad guy 'William Smith' (the real one)...

(internet image)

... he was featured in some great "Grade B biker flicks" and such during the '70's that were always fun to check out at the local 'Drive-In' (what's that?) with the "chicks"...

(internet image)

... was also in a pretty memorable episode of 'Gunsmoke' - was on TV a few weeks back...

... this is good...

... kickin' 'Joe Namath's' ass in 'CC and Company'...

(internet image)

... was 'Arnold's' dad in Conan the Barbarian'...

(internet image)

.... always sported a pretty impressive set of "guns" that would give ya' some incentive while poundin' out sets of 'Scott Curls' - was also the 'World Arm Wrestling Champion' several times - that's him above (in his 'Laredo' TV show get-up) havin' some fun with bodybuilding great 'Dave Draper...

(internet image)

... not just some "dumb actor" - he's got an additionally impressive list of life achievements a mile long - among them a pretty good book of poetry...

(internet image)

 ..."The Poetic Works of William Smith"...

... click on the "link" to go to his 'poetry page' to listen to a few of his brilliant recitations... man... he needs to do a disc of this stuff...

The Duck Pond

... been a long time coming...

... but with the recent publication of 'Tracks & Sign of Reptiles & Amphibians', publisher 'Stackpole Books' has completed their excellent 'Guide to North American Species - Tracks & Sign' book series...

... got us thinking of a once great local area for observing/catching/trapping several order of turtles, snakes, frogs and lizards...

... the 'Duck Pond'...

... been many years and the old pond has since been dredged and along with the surrounding habitat had been "reclaimed" (although, we understand that the pond was doomed to siltation from soil erosion of the drainage pastureland) and now functions as a drainage pond for the current landowners and their cattle ranching endeavors - is now fenced and inaccessible, so don't know what "critters" may have reestablished residence, if any at all ...

... but the pond and the former riparian woodland adjacent to the small outfall stream (now open field) used to be excellent habitat for snapping turtles, painted turtles, bullfrogs and several species of lizards and skinks...

... a few of the habitant species...

(photo: PA Natural Heritage)

... eastern snapping turtle...

... here's a small baby snapping turtle - for scale, he's in the palm of a gloved hand

(... forgot about this tale - was in town visiting my mom years ago and was down in the basement lookin' for something - there was a large metal garbage can in the middle of the floor - took a look in the can and there's a giant, live snapping turtle in there?? - asked her what is going on with the turtle in the basement, and she said it belonged to a guy that she was currently renting a room to - ? - I got a flashlight and went back down to get a better look at the turtle currently living in the bottom of the trash can in the basement, and it's got about a quarter pound of chipped ham layin' on the back of it's shell - so not only is it being tortured by living in a 2-1/2ft diameter metal can, it's probably starving as well and unable to get to the load of food on it's back - I got pissed and told her I'm gettin' rid of the turtle and if the guy says anything to me I'm gonna' knock 'em out - took the turtle out to the duck pond and let 'em go - never heard another word about it...)

(photo: paherps.com)

... eastern painted turtle...

(photo: paherps.com)

... five lined skink...

... spent quite a bit of "kid time" at "the pond" observing and identifying the various aquatic critters as well as occasionally catching or trapping a few for the home terrarium...

... the old 'Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians' used to be the "bible" back then - still possess

our original 1958 copy...

... now'days, along with the aforementioned works, the brilliant naturalist/biologist 'Bernd Heinrich' is a favorite reference for gaining a better understanding of the natural world which surrounds us - 'Winter World' is a particular favorite...

... direct register walk of a bobcat in snow... came across a set of bobcat tracks in the snow while backwoods skiing a few years back and tracked 'em for nearly three miles before they disappeared at a rocky outcrop along the ridge top - was out the following winter hiking the opposite side of the ridge and came across another set of similar tracks and followed them as well - again nearly three miles (and past an apparent kill site - was some disturbance in the snow cover with blood stains and some fur) - and ending at the exact same rock outcrop as the previous encounter... 

... signs of some species of 'subnivean' lurker...

... relic shell of an eastern box turtle...

... a large molehill - photographed this just last night - this small area contained probably fifteen similar mounds with raised ridges running in every direction in between...

... plenty of things to keep ya' busy in the PA hills...