“Courage is almost a contradiction. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”
I’ve been unexpectedly, actually exceptionally, no, more like overwhelmingly busy since my last post in April of this year. Please forgive my prolong absence. There are times when my busy is still running at full speed while the suns sets behind me.
Still, I was able to snatch a moment here and there to catch up on the news on my phone. By late last winter. . .
. . . I began to notice the news cycle was too, well, quiet, too ordinary. You know, when the kids get quiet in the other room you just know they are up to something sneaky.
Newscasters implied that things were back to more normal but the quiet was screaming like a neon light over a bucolic saloon to me. The anticipation and anxiety about more coming lockdowns, food and medical shortages, Earth Ex black sky drill on September 14th Black Sky link here or whatever other horror they may have planned for us by this winter hung on me like creepy, old wallpaper. I could smell it, something isn’t right. With that erie “something is up” feeling ever present we filled the greenhouse with seedlings this spring. We watched our little miracles grow with awe and admiration. Like helicopter parents we attended to their every need. When our Yooper weather finally cooperated we had enough sturdy baby plants to plant in the 3 large waiting gardens spots on our farmstead. If we put all 3 garden plots together, I’d guestimate there is a half acre of veggies growing.
In June we became vendors at 2 different Farmers Market, under protest mind you. The organizers of the markets needed warm bodies to fill booths so they could fulfill their grants. Ok, ok, I said after succumbing to the bagering. Yeah, we’ll be there.
One market is on Wednesday evening and a turn around for farmers market number 2 at 8 O’clock the next morning. Take my word for it, that’s more work than I was ready for or wanted to do. But in all reality I love Farmers Markets. I have so much fun once I get there. People at these places are genuine and friendly as a rule.
About mid July hubby had surgery with an extended recovery time so he was out of the game for awhile. We had bought day old chicks in early April who were now out growing their temporary warm box. Luckily, we had an old critter proof, shitty shed to house them in while they waited for us to get around to building them a nice, new home. Due to the fact that hubby was laid up longer than expected we ended up ordering a cute 8X10 shed from Home Depot. Three nice guys brought it to our place from someplace in Illinois and put it together for us. It turned out exceptionally well and a lot sooner than hubby and I could have gotten around to build it ourselves. And for the price, I’d have to say it was well worth it.
Saying May was a hot month could be called an understatement. The newly planted seedlings needed constant watering which caused all 3 gardens to need constant weeding. The woodland forest is always on guard for an opportunity to take back that which we took from her to grow our veggies. Strong, thick rooted weeds and tiny trees pop up between the vegetables if left unattended even for a day. It is a game of “whack a weed” the forest and I play every growing season. She pops them up, I whack ‘em off. But in the end Mother nature always gets the last word.
Abandoned: Angelique's Isle is a moving true tale of perseverance and survival set in Upper Peninsula’s Isle Royale during the 1845 great cooper rush. This powerful story left a harrowing mark on my soul. Could I have survived the hardships of being alone on the deserted Lake Superior island during a long, frozen winter like the newly married Indian girl did? She survived with only a knife, a hatchet and a cast iron pot after her husband died. I’m most sure that I would not have had the energy to persevere as she did. But this movie did inspire me and get me motivated to check in on my wilderness skills. There are actual plaques on the island dedicated to the heroic Angelique.
With a well earned break in our schedule we decided on a camping trip. The camping spot where we like to camp is a far cry from your familiar glamping KOA. We settled in at a township park 35 miles between nowhere and anywhere. It does offer a few amenities like a fire ring and a picnic table. Having watched “Abandoned” movie earlier and now the camping trip, I was afforded the perfect opportunity to dust off my wilderness cooking skills. The girl in the movie didn’t have the luxury of store bought food available or even the excess fat on her body that most of her modern sisters carry around. She had to pick shriveled dried berries still hanging from the trees, dried plants sticking up through the snow and maybe a fish from Lake Superior if she was lucky that day to keep herself alive. Plenty of icy cold water from Lake Superior was available for nutritious herb tea. In 1845 Lake Superior had not yet been terribly polluted. You could call the Lake pristine by today’s pollution standards.
I haven’t really put my outdoor cooking skills to the test in about 20 years, opting instead to use more modern camping gear. Oh yeah, my wilderness cooking skills needed a kick to knock the rust off for sure! Photos were taken with my phone and uploaded when we got home as there is no cell signal here. Mother nature provided the entertainment.
The lake water was warm, the air was cool. Unike the poor Indian girl suffering the cold in a blanket and moccasins, I had shoes and a jacket. I’m the first one up in the morning so I started the fire and coffee for the day. In most of ancient history the hearth has been tended by the woman. She cared for and fed the family so she got the fire going and hauled the water for the morning meal.
One thing the movie didn’t show was the howling winds and ice crystals that stampede inland off Lake Superior. That morning while I was trying to get breakfast underway a fierce, cold wind reminded us who was in charge here. “But breakfast must be made,” I protested to the wind. Nope, she wasn’t going to cease for a lowly human. So I moved it into the camper. “Haha on you,” I said to mother nature. Stay tuned she takes her revenge here shortly. Mocking her was a big mistake on my part.
Oh, this is luxury making breakfast in the camper out of the wind. We gave up tent camping a few years back when during one fateful camping trip the nylon tent we we sleeping in proved unreliable in a freaky, fierce rainstorm. These things are fair weather shelters and are just not made for the unpredictability of the U.P. weather. Believe me when I say I hate a cold, soggy bedroll. Plus, that stray tree branch hitting the ground way to close to my head wasn’t fun either. Deciding that age has its priorities along with hubbys health issues we opted to buy a small camper and drag it behind the truck from then on.
Mother natures revenge—Our daughter and husband stopped by to enjoy the campfire. Remember this is August and we are bundled up against the cool temperature plus that brutal cold wind never let up. My hubby is a polar bear. Takes some really cold temperatures to freeze him out. The guy will literally go out to the woodshed to bring wood into the house for the woodstove while wearing a pair of slippers and shorts in a straight line blizzard and winter temps of -40 and not think anything of it. Most of the winter he dons beads of sweat down the side of his face because he likes to keep the house warm for me. What a sweetheart he is.
The wind let up only momentarily to let a bright flash and a drumroll of thunder into this party. I’m under the canopy cutting up veggies on a table trying to get them ready for our evening meal. The sky grew blacker and drew closer and closer like an evil dark glove slowly sneaking up and grabbing its prey. More lightening and more thunder. By now the wind picked up its speed. Instantly, the rain began pelting us with huge, hard, cold drops. Me and the wind were playing tug of war with the overhead canopy when hubby noticed my struggle and lent a hand. Then the kids took a corner. More wind drew the rain straight across our campsite. Any paper on the table was now long gone, as well as a few utensils and dishes. Teamwork won the day, at least we were able to save the canopy and dinner, although now everything was quite soggy.
We endured at the very least 10 full minutes of mother natures wrath before she began settling down. By now we are cold, soaking wet and hungry. The fire in the water logged fire pit had to be restarted which absolutely delayed dinner. Everybody and everything was icey wet but the meal must go on!
It must have been palatable because that was a big pot full of soup! I guess the biscuits were edible too, at least if you separated the top from the bottom half. The bottom got a little dark. Well, more than just a little dark. Butter and jelly helped mask the flavor of the burnt part. Heat control is the key. I need more practice.
Mother nature graced us with a spectacular sunset. Perfect ending to the day. I would guess it is her way of rewarding us for the icy pounding we took from her earlier.
It was getting dark by now so we all decided to forego campfire that evening, the days events were still hanging around on our chairs and shoes. So we bid each other a good night and went to our respective campers.
I can only imagine what the life of our ancient ancestors must have been like. To read about it is one thing but to experience it for real is another. The Indian girl made a hut from pine branches to shelter her from the wicked northern weather. Heated rocks placed in a hole and covered with dirt under her sleeping place would have given her the only available warmth although the movie didn’t show that she did that. It is what I would have done. The cold ground can and does greedily suck all the heat from your body if you let it.
And we were in the woods with a box on wheels that had a heater. My great-great-great-great grandparents could not have imagined such a haughty accommodations. What a palace they would announce with great wonder and exhilaration!
Ah, excuse me good sir. How many goats for your lodge on wheels? I wish to make a trade.
Pioneer Dutch Oven Biscuits—
2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup shortening or butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup of milk
Cut shortening into flour and dry ingredients until coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle and add the milk. Stir quickly with a fork, only until the dough follows the fork around the bowl.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 to 12 times. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into circles using a biscuit cutter or water glass.
Place biscuits in a greased dutch over and cover with the lid. Push back some of the coals in the fire pit and place the dutch oven in the fire pit. With tongs pick up a few coals and place on the lid of the dutch oven. Turn the dutch oven a few times for more even heating. The biscuits should be done in about 15 minutes or until golden.
Always informative and entertaining!!!