Mistwalker
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2007
- Messages
- 19,037
I've spent more time in my own back yard since the spring growing season is back, it's a constant battle to keep the rain forest from reclaiming its territory. I worked my way back to the fire pit area so the little one thought we were going to do hot dogs and smores...in fact that's about all I heard out of her for the next couple of days. Sooo, yesterday I stopped by and picked up supplies for hotdogs and smores, gathered the wood...some of it from my neighbor's fire wood pile, as big chunks of seasoned oak meant more relaxation time for me 
. That's one cool thing about us having been friends and neighbors for over a quarter century, and actually they're more like adopted parents than neighbors, I've likely done more construction projects on their buildings than on any other one location I've worked on. Bill is also as much as a knife nut as I am. The day I met him right after I moved here, back when I was maybe 20 yrs old, he was mowing his grass and had an old school Ka-Bar on his belt. I was pretty sure I was going to like him. I stopped and we talked a while, over the next few weeks I worked in his yard helping him with brush and on breaks we talked about life in general and his time in S.E. Asia. Over time I learned about his knife collection, including some custom Randalls he designed and had made back in the 70s, and I have since gifted him a few more knives over the years. So, a few good hunks of oak now that winter has passed was no problem and made my day more enjoyable. Anyway...on to the evening. It's not really a wilderness, but considering I can walk out my back door and walk 10 miles through the woods seeing no houses and crossing only one road...it's close enough to suit me sometimes.
I cut the hot dog sticks for the three of us, and got Lisa to come out and get them ready while I gathered tinder and kindling. Yesterday was the first testing of the new ESEE advance fire kit, so I did a little video of it in action, the last pic in this series is a movie, just click on it to play it.
I know some of you just winced as I used the edge of the knife to spark the rod, but that's likely how it would go in the field so that's how I tried it. Most of the time I would just use a lighter or some matches anyway. However, while it looks like it's really screwing up and chipping the edge, it isn't really doing all that much to it. Most of the slag just wiped off on my pants and what's done is nothing that a diamond stone can't take care of pretty quickly.
The grub, beef hotdogs for Lisa, Cheese hotdogs for Alayna (I really don't care and can eat either...) This was the first time in the fire for the Tatonka since I got it to, before now it had only been used on a stove.
The other cutlery that was present, the Fiddleback machete made very quick work of cutting down the hotdog sticks, Lisa's (now) Fiddleback Hiking Buddy, the Spartan Hunter, and the black and blue Izula to check the fit of the sheaths that came from in Godspeed yesterday. Awesome sheaths Eli, this one picture doesn't do it justice as the light was failing, better pictures later on today or tomorrow.
Lisa burning off the sap and flame-hardening the hotdog sticks.
Alayna ready anxious to cook her first hotdogs of the warm season....first ones over the flames in months. She still has issues with the proximity to the flames at times...It was here that the light was really failing and I switched out cameras.
A funny look crossed her face as the breeze blew and the flames kicked up a little.
Keeping the chili warm at the edge of the fire.
A relatively calm Alayna, after a couple of chili dogs
Lisa making...and breaking...smores.
A wired and spastic Alayna doing her happy dance after the smores...
Lisa spent a while playing with her camera and the fire...I'm scared to see some of the shots she got of me and Alayna...
Then it was just kicked back, and relaxed, feet propped by the fire and watching the flames and sparks and listening to crackles and the owls on the ridge above us. It was a great evening and I was still out by the fire at midnight.
.
. That's one cool thing about us having been friends and neighbors for over a quarter century, and actually they're more like adopted parents than neighbors, I've likely done more construction projects on their buildings than on any other one location I've worked on. Bill is also as much as a knife nut as I am. The day I met him right after I moved here, back when I was maybe 20 yrs old, he was mowing his grass and had an old school Ka-Bar on his belt. I was pretty sure I was going to like him. I stopped and we talked a while, over the next few weeks I worked in his yard helping him with brush and on breaks we talked about life in general and his time in S.E. Asia. Over time I learned about his knife collection, including some custom Randalls he designed and had made back in the 70s, and I have since gifted him a few more knives over the years. So, a few good hunks of oak now that winter has passed was no problem and made my day more enjoyable. Anyway...on to the evening. It's not really a wilderness, but considering I can walk out my back door and walk 10 miles through the woods seeing no houses and crossing only one road...it's close enough to suit me sometimes.I cut the hot dog sticks for the three of us, and got Lisa to come out and get them ready while I gathered tinder and kindling. Yesterday was the first testing of the new ESEE advance fire kit, so I did a little video of it in action, the last pic in this series is a movie, just click on it to play it.
I know some of you just winced as I used the edge of the knife to spark the rod, but that's likely how it would go in the field so that's how I tried it. Most of the time I would just use a lighter or some matches anyway. However, while it looks like it's really screwing up and chipping the edge, it isn't really doing all that much to it. Most of the slag just wiped off on my pants and what's done is nothing that a diamond stone can't take care of pretty quickly.
The grub, beef hotdogs for Lisa, Cheese hotdogs for Alayna (I really don't care and can eat either...) This was the first time in the fire for the Tatonka since I got it to, before now it had only been used on a stove.
The other cutlery that was present, the Fiddleback machete made very quick work of cutting down the hotdog sticks, Lisa's (now) Fiddleback Hiking Buddy, the Spartan Hunter, and the black and blue Izula to check the fit of the sheaths that came from in Godspeed yesterday. Awesome sheaths Eli, this one picture doesn't do it justice as the light was failing, better pictures later on today or tomorrow.
Lisa burning off the sap and flame-hardening the hotdog sticks.
Alayna ready anxious to cook her first hotdogs of the warm season....first ones over the flames in months. She still has issues with the proximity to the flames at times...It was here that the light was really failing and I switched out cameras.
A funny look crossed her face as the breeze blew and the flames kicked up a little.
Keeping the chili warm at the edge of the fire.
A relatively calm Alayna, after a couple of chili dogs
Lisa making...and breaking...smores.
A wired and spastic Alayna doing her happy dance after the smores...
Lisa spent a while playing with her camera and the fire...I'm scared to see some of the shots she got of me and Alayna...
Then it was just kicked back, and relaxed, feet propped by the fire and watching the flames and sparks and listening to crackles and the owls on the ridge above us. It was a great evening and I was still out by the fire at midnight.
.
