Oilver would like some more please...

I am NOT a fan of McChrystal. Guy scares the hell out of me in fact. But now that Oliver is behind him I guess I'll have to reconsider.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28808.html

On the other hand, the above appeared on the Politico website and I'm not a fan of Politico either. I once heard a newscaster introduce a speaker from "the left-wing Politico" but have never found any evidence that it is left of anything.

And while I'm at it -- I have heard my entire life that military professionals are the ones who least want war because they know how horrible it is blah blah blah. This is complete garbage. kg

The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past – William Faulkner

Happy Camp 101

A donkey is an animal in its own right; when mated with a horse one gets a mule. The American Chestnut was almost wiped out in a blight in the early 1900s, so the one in front of my house might be the Colossal variety of the European Chestnut. Maybe. It is not illegal to travel to Cuba, it is only illegal to spend money there without a license from the U.S. Govt. Hindus were not vegetarians until the Buddhists shamed them into it. Not all Buddhists are vegetarian; in fact they don't have to be vegetarian. They only have to smile and look smug. Wood Ducks are the only ducks that live in trees and when they get sick of their young they kick them out -- but they fall into the pond under the tree and so survive. Perhaps. An ox is an old steer. Steers with tags on their ears are soon to be sent to death camps though if they are owned by George he might put it off for a year or so.


These are the things it is useful to know if you live in Happy Camp. When to wear white shoes? Not so much....KG

Chestnutphobia -- From the Blogosphere

From  "The Sheila Variations" 2003:
THE CHESTNUT ARMY

Last night, with a sky that looked like impending doom, and a wind that literally blew me down the street, I went and got groceries. And struggled my way, against the wind, up the hill home. It actually was kind of fun. There was no rain. But the wind was a formidable opponent.

The only really dangerous thing I had to deal with, in terms of Hurricane Isabel, was being dive-bombed from above by falling chestnuts.

One of them hit me on the noggin. I thought it was a bolt from the blue, I thought it was an invisible lightning strike, I shrieked as though I had been electrocuted. Then I saw the shiny hard chestnut rolling on the sidewalk. Like an idiot, I stood and contemplated it for a moment. I love chestnuts. And in that moment, 5 more came hurtling down from the tree and pummeled me about the head and neck.
___________________
From honigmaeulchen on Dailybooth.com --

2) Autumn is my favourite season, I even like it if it's grey and misty all day. But this time of the year I always develop a totally irrational fear of being hit by a chestnut falling out of a tree. I mean: Look at the spikes on that shell! It's like a RL minesweeper-bomb coming out of nowhere to kill you! (If you are laughing about me right now, I want to point out to you that there are people out there who are afraid of being hit by the remainings of a New Year rocket falling from the sky. THAT's stupid!) –

______________________

Japanese Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology(2005)

Two cases of corneal injury by chestnut burs

Abstract;We observed two cases of corneal injury hit by falling chestnut burs. One was a 31-year old woman and the other was a 65-year-old man. Both were collecting chestnuts. The burs had penetrated the corneal stroma with their tips protruding into the anterior chamber. Removal under the microscope was difficult due to fragility of burs and presence of splinters. Additional keratotomy was needed in one case. Cure was obtained in both cases leaving corneal opacity. Chestnut burs contain a toxin saponin, which will induce inflammation when left in situ. We advocate early removal of chestnut burs taking their structural features into consideration. (author abst.)

Nuts that Kill

Nice weather here. Even when rain is forecast, there is very little (if any). I had dinner last night at Christopher's and we sat outside even unto 7 o'clock, watching the bats go by. He's a good cook. I roasted some chestnuts and he served them mixed with  mole sauce. Yum. Tonight we are having dinner at the Manor House as it is his b'day.  I'm going to (try to) make a pound cake.

The chestnut tree is right in front of my house and though I walk past it several times a day it is smart to give it a wide berth. The burrs are now constantly falling from the tree and being hit on the head by a heavy spiked tennis ball cannot be fun. Most of the ones I gather are going in the freezer at the big house but I'm keeping some; Lydia B was making pasta with a chestnut sauce once and I have her recipe. In her cookbook. She never just sends them to me. But Nicki (George's sister in law) is sending me her mother's chestnut stuffing recipe.  So to hell with you, Lydia.
My computer desk faces my living room window (just as I wanted!) which looks out onto: the Chestnut tree, then the greenhouse, and then the pasture. Summer, the pasture is mainly populated by deer (starting at dusk); then in fall with the cows (steers, heifers, their children etc) and now they have been joined by 3 horses and a donkey. Or a Mule. Nature's screensaver.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Like most of my rare finds, this caterpillar is common in North America.

 It becomes the Isia Isabella Moth, which is nowhere near as dramatic.

Who knew Yeats was such a fox?

On Barack and the Nobel

Matt Taibbi nails it again.

So who Knew? Via Courtney on Facebook

Courtney Chambers:  Hey Roberta, in north America we consider zucchini, pattypans, and crooknecks summer squash (which wikipedia tells me are harvested before they get too mature) and bigger squashes/gourds such as pumpkins, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and Hubbard are known as winter squash.

You can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_%28plant%29

So who knew, Walnut Edition

I love walnuts, so when I was told the location of the English Walnut Tree at the Diamond D I merrily set forth with my bucket and nutcracker, envisioning an hour of sitting in the warm October sun, stuffing my face with walnuts.

Whoa!

Walnuts have HULLS. Thick green hulls which are messy and difficult to remove until they turn brown and crack. At which point one risks the squirrels making off with the good ones (like they did with the hazelnuts). So in the spirit of Save the Walnuts (especially save them for ME) I picked the ones I could reach and proceeded to remove the hulls. This involved a hammer, nutcracker and not a little perseverance. But sitting outside and watching the Spotted Towhees while pounding walnut hulls is not at all an unpleasant way to spend an hour or so. Then George showed me The Other English Walnut Tree. The one where the hulls had cracked and practically fell from the nut. But I’m sure the ones I sweated over will taste so much better.

When hulling walnuts, wear gloves. ”The indelible dye from the husk stains hands, clothes, tools and work surfaces”

When gloves develop holes, put on new ones. My thumb looks like I have just voted in Afghanistan. The rest of my fingers merely look like a hygiene problem.

So who knew, part two...

The term atavism (derived from the Latin atavus, a great-grandfather's grandfather; more generally, an ancestor) denotes the tendency to revert to ancestral type. An atavism is an evolutionary throwback, such as traits reappearing which had disappeared generations ago.[2] Atavisms occur because genes for previously existing phenotypical features are often preserved in DNA, even though the genes are not expressed in some or most of the organisms possessing them. (from Wikipedia). My brother Chris threw this word at us. I’m still not sure what he meant.

So who knew?

Western Gray Squirrel

Ground Squirrel

Fox Squirrel

OK.  So.  The Gray Squirrel is the one most often seen scampering around and chatting chatting chatting.  G tells me the Fox Squirrel -- I think -- is even chattier and pretty much hangs around the tree tops.  The Ground Squirrel stays on the ground.  This is all I know about squirrels, but is more than I knew yesterday  morning.
                               Redneck Squirrel Fry
                                           Thanks to Justin for sending in this recipe.

~ squirrel legs, amount depends on how many you have or how hungry you are.
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 tbsp ketchup
~ salt and pepper
~ 1 can beer
~ Drakes batter
~ butter

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ketchup. Salt and pepper to taste
Add 1/2 can of beer and drink the rest. (you don’t want to waste it!) Mix well.
Put some of the Drakes batter in a shallow dish.
Melt several tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Dip the squirrel into the egg mixture and then roll in the Drakes. Repeat for thicker coating.
Add to the skillet and cook until golden brown. Turn as needed.
Serve with mashed potatoes and cream corn.
Enjoy.

"It is to die for!" - Justin 
(especially if you're the squirrel...)

Department of Tag Lines I Couldn't Pass Up

"An agnostic not because I don't know if there's a God, but because I don't care"

by filmgeek83 from today's DailyKos

Tom Lehrer: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Prize.”

I have no idea why Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize, though after 8 years of warmongering neocons merely not threatening to nuke Switzerland would make him look like a saint. Nevertheless, I am pleased and in spite of my disappointment in the new President it is certainly a plus that U.S. citizens traveling abroad no long have to pretend they are Canadian.

Obama says he will accept this award as a call to action. Hopefully he will consider this as he decides whether or not to unleash more predators on the people of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, it will be fun to see how the Ugly Americans spin this as a negative.

Compare and Contrast:

Erick Erickson of Red State (blog): It looks like it is the Nobel committee throwing its lot with the terrorists and those who sympathize with them.

Former President Jimmy Carter says the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Barack Obama is a 'bold statement of international support for his vision and commitment.'"

Malia Obama: "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday."

Life at the camp...

Too lazy to post, so here is my latest email to Carol:

First of all, my sincere condolences regarding the ouster of The Hammer from Dancing with the Stars. I know how much you enjoyed watching him strut his banty stuff. And that beltless bling-studded costume Jack LaLanne would have killed for...

So. Saturday Night was Open Mic Night at the Pizza House (every first Saturday of the Month -- but of course you knew that). MC'd by my Bro; Dee (who was at the Garrett Diamond D Open Mic Night) sang and played her geetar and Barry (who literally needs a hand) played what I used to call a harmonica but now is some sort of Harp or, if you aren't squeamish, a "mouth organ." A Trio came in and that was good that there were new people and the music was ok, though I couldn't understand a word the singer said (sang). One of the guitarists also needed a hand. I wonder -- is there some sort of secret repository here where teeth and hands go to their final rest? So I drank a lot of wine and ate a lot of pizza. Did I mention that the Pizza House has very good pizza?

The temperature fell and it was drizzly for a while. Got the fireplace working in the cabin and yesterday Chris lit the pilot in the heater. Now it is clear and beautiful -- coldish at night and especially in the morning but warm in the afternoon (if you are in the sun) and a warm wind reminiscent of Santa Anas (or Santanas if you wish).

Went to Oregon on Monday with the Bro on the County/Forest Service Road which closes during the snowy season (elevation up to about 4000). Even now there were icy patches and there was some snow on the tree branches and shady sides of the road. Made me look forward to Winter. Also the leaves are turning (dying actually). Casey has her Halloween decorations up. From Cave Junction we went to Grants Pass where Chris looked at a guitar and I went to a thrift store and found a warm winter jacket and a cotton hoodie, dark green, that I LOVE. It was half price day so I spend a total of $8. This makes a total of $110 I have spent on clothing this year. Do you think that's too much?

Had a late lunch at Sesame Asian Kitchen in Ashland which is opposite Lithia Park; it was warm enough to sit outside with the dogs and the food was terrific. Went shopping at Market of Choice in Ashland, where I had been before. This is a great market -- lots of bulk stuff and a good wine selection.

And this is all the excitement I can take. -- KG

It takes a village to screw this one up, and Harry Reid is the Village Idiot. Harry, you dolt: "Die Quickly" is the CURRENT Public Option...

"I favor a public option. We're going to do our very best to have a public option. But remember, a public option is a relative term," Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday.