Bean Soup

I cooked a bean soup today and we just finished eating it for supper. This soup uses canned white beans. If you want to start with dried beans, soak them overnight, or go here for another take on bean soup.

Bean Soup

4 cans (16 oz) Bush Large Butter Beans
2 cups chopped pork meat (ham, tasso, bacon)
2 cups cubed fresh potato
Salt
Pepper
Crushed garlic

Peel and cube potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes. Cube the pork into 1/4 inch chunks. Dump beans, potatoes, pork into a suitable pot. Add salt, pepper, and just a little garlic. You're going to have to add a little water. Cook until the potatoes are creamy and about to fall apart. Serve with saltime crackers.

That's what we had for supper and it's an easy, quick recipe perfect for a cold, rainy night. Comfort food at it's best.

Alone

I spent a few hours today, alone in the winter woods. The very woods were asleep, brown, sonambulent. Silent pines stood unmoving, watchmen over their neighbors. Nothing moved, not even the wrens who flit from branch to branch. The air was still, like the entire forest had exhaled and was in the moment before the inhale. I was alone in my thoughts and the woods were so quiet that my thoughts seemed aloud. It was a time for reflection and like any reflection, what I saw was myself. I pondered on the year and what it's meant and what I've done and failed to do and just about the time that I had finished my reflection, a rustling, a pattering, and I realized that rain was falling.

I adjusted my hat, picked up my rifle, and walked back to the truck, mindful to not disturb the sleep of my forest. Often times when we hunt, we're looking not so much for game as for ourselves. I found myself today in a silent wood and I am grateful for the opportunity.

On the .410

Over at the Gun Nut, we're talking about the .410 shotgun. It's one that lots of folks started on. Personally, I consider it an expert's shotgun for wing shooting because of the tiny shot charge. For just a very little more recoil, one can step up to the 20 gauge and have a shot charge that is reasonable for most winged game. My grandfather hunted everything with a 20 gauge shotgun, including ducks and geese. For many years I hunted everything with a 20 gauge and it's likely to be the gauge I pick up for upland work.

Still, a .410 has a place in the battery and I have two of them in my cabinet. The first is a .410 pump that belongs to my wife. Her father bought it for her when she was a child so that she could squirrel hunt with him. A .410 is a fine gauge for the squirrel woods. I prefer a shotgun early in the season when the leaves are still on the trees. Later in the season I will carry a .22 rifle, but October in Louisiana shows plenty of foliage.

The other .410 I own is a little H&R Topper shotgun that I bought several years ago. I use it to teach the basics of firearms to the grandkids. Not so much the wing-shooting side, but the very basic shooting tasks. A .410 will shred a beverage can, it will pop a balloon. It has very little recoil and is a good first gun for introduction to shooting. It is a simple, basic firearm with which to teach. As they get older they step up to a real shotgun.

A .410 also makes a good knocking-around firearm for off-season woods traipsing. Primarily as a snake gun. I don't like to go into the woods unarmed and if I'm not hunting, I'll usually carry something that fires shot. I'm generally opposed to being snake-bit. I'm not one of those guys who kills every snake he sees, and I'm generally careful while wandering about, but I've managed to to have some close calls with snakes in my life and I'd just as soon have a little leverage when it comes to dealing with them. A .410 shotgun is perfect for that task.

No, I wouldn't duck hunt with one, but I think a .410 is perfect for a variety of small tasks.

Settled Science

I thought the science was settled. Maybe not so much. It seems a team of German physicists have looked into global warming and decided.... no. The papers introduction states:

(a) there are no common physical laws between the warming phenomenon in glass houses and the fictitious atmospheric greenhouse effects, (b) there are no calculations to determine an average surface temperature of a planet, (c) the frequently mentioned difference of 33 degrees Celsius is a meaningless number calculated wrongly, (d) the formulas of cavity radiation are used inappropriately, (e) the assumption of a radiative balance is unphysical, (f) thermal conductivity and friction must not be set to zero, the atmospheric greenhouse conjecture is falsified.

I'm no scientist, but for me the greatest bullshit factor is when someone tells me that the science is settled. In no other discipline is the science settled. We're still arguing about Darwin and physics is still searching for the Unified Theory. Science is never settled, it continues to seek, to search, to question.

Anyone who tells you that science is settled is lying to you.

Tuesday morning

Some things that I read in the newspaper.

First this. They're instituting stricter safety measures after the failed Christmas day bombing. Go figure. Now that the horse is out, they're closing the barn door. I used to enjoy flying. Not that I did it much, but flying was an adventure. Now it's an exercise in the herd mentality. Not only have the airlines instituted standing-room-only seating plans, but the security folks make you run through a squeeze chute before you get on the plane. If I can get there in eight hours by auto, flying is out of the picture.

Several fake $20.00 bills have surfaced on the North Shore. For those of you not in Louisiana, that's the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. (You know, the side whut New Orleans ain't on.) Those little pens that are used to mark money are good, but for the very best counterfeit detection get someone who handles a lot of cash. A bank teller, a fast food cashier. There's nothing better than an experienced bank teller at spotting fake bills. Also, I heard several years ago that the US $20.00 bill is the most counterfeited bill. Why? There's so many of them. Inexperienced cashiers will look closely at a 100, but they see 20s all day long.

Red light cameras and parking tickets are a growing source of revenue in New Orleans. Red light cameras are in fact a revenue source. They have nothing to do with public safety. Nothing whatsoever. If you're going to New Orleans, be sure to park in a pay-lot. There are lots of them downtown and in the French Quarter. The last time I was in town, I parked in what looked like an un-marked block and came back to find a parking ticket. So, you either pay confiscatory parking rates, or you pay a parking ticket. Take your choice. You'd think that a town that wants the tourist dollar would offer lots of free parking. Not so much in New Orleans.

Progressive

I'm having trouble getting my head around this statement:

But as a progressive, I would sooner lay my child to rest than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime.

I'd lay down my life for my kids, grandkids, the kids at school that I'm sworn to protect. I truly don't understand the mindset of the guy who'd rather lay his child to rest than to defend that life.

It's as alien to me as anything I've ever considered.

I've got two grandkids here today. I'm going to go hug both of them, then do something productive.

Hat tip to SayUncle.

Bonus Dawg

Our dog has a strange predilection. He's got plenty of fresh water at his disposal, but he prefers to drink from mud puddles. If he can find a puddle, he'll stop and fill up.



It tastes better, I guess.

Sunday Morning Dawg

My youngest sister was talking about this meme and said that knowing our house, she tries to envision from the spot I'm taking the photo. I was chasing the dog Christmas Eve after everyone had gone home, trying to get a good photo for Sunday morning. The dawg doesn't like cameras. I think the flash bothers him.

Without further ado, I give you the Sunday Morning Dawg.



Oh! And Sis, just so you know, I completed this post on Christmas morning and scheduled it to post on Sunday morning. That's one of the features of this program.

But, because it's Christmas, I'll post a double Christmas bonus. Here's a picture of the dog with our good friend, Susan.

Suburban Deer

If you look at a map of any city, you'll find patches of woods in and near the city. People like trees and some patches of land aren't suitable for development for one reason or another. If you look more closely at the map, you'll find patches of woods that aren't in the city limits. Some of those places can be hunted if the hunter uses good common sense.

My friend Craig has access to one of those places and I won't tell you where it is located because ... well, just because. Suffice it to say that it's in central Louisiana, it's perfectly legal to hunt there with permission, and Craig has permission. Today he called and invited me to hunt that small patch of land.

I jumped on the invitation like a duck on a june bug.



It's a mixed hardwood deciduous forest with hills and a stream. Lots of vines and understory and plenty of trees that were downed in the hurricanes several years ago. About sixty to eighty acres and I was within shouting distance of some factories, churches, and suburban homes. Craig's taken three deer in there this year, all with a shotgun. I carried my .45-70 Handi because it is tailor-made for patches of woods like this. I could see only about sixty yards and it's a whole lot easier slipping through the woods with a rifle that is only 37 inches long when you've very seldom walking upright.

No, I didn't see a deer, although I saw lots of sign. Tracks everywhere and plenty of rubs were evident from when the deer were in velvet. Craig has already taken three deer this season and he tells me that there is an absolute monster lurking in there. Ole Mossy-Horns hisself lives in those woods.

This afternoon I got to look at new woods, was able to walk a creek I had never seen, and was told that I'd be invited back. It was a very good Saturday afternoon.

Learnin' Photography

This is interesting.

I've been playing with the new camera and I can see that I've got a lot of learning to absorb. Playing with lights and focus. Stick a bore light in the breech and try to focus on the muzzle. I thought I had cleaned that pistol last week, but I can see that I missed some spots. You can click the picture for a larger version.



Then, a standard shot that every gun-writer takes at one point or another.



I can see that I'm going to have to be really careful with serial numbers. This camera catches everything.

Under the Tree

In 2000 I bought a Canon Rebel 35mm camera for business and pleasure. I learned to use it and really liked it, but then the digital revolution came along. As much as I like SLR photography, I wanted the immediacy and convenience of digital media.

For the past several years I've been using an HP Photosmart camera for all my digital photo work. I've taken thousands of pictures with the thing and while it works well for snapshots, it had a few little bugs that I didn't like. The flash would delay a shot and sometimes when you're shooting grandkids and pets, you want the shot when you push the button, not three or four seconds later. I'd be trying to get a shot of the dog and he'd move, the camera would shutter, and I'd have a photo of empty floor. Aggravating!

Every time I would miss a shot, I'd exclaim that one day I was going to have enough and I'd go buy a digital SLR. My wife had heard this exclamation for the past several years. So, last night as we were opening gifts, I found that she'd bought me a digital SLR. A Canon EOS Rebel XS. This camera is a lot like my Rebel film camera and has a lot of the same bells and whistles, but has additional features that I'll have to learn. The lens has a feature called Image Stabilization that I'll have to explore.

I've taken maybe half a dozen shots with it and I think I'm really going to like this camera. It won't entirely replace my old HP pocket camera, I can see that I'm going have a lot of fun learning this new camera.

One shot, of poinsettias taken at the smallest megapixel range of the camera. I was piddling with the camera and snapped this shot over the top of the computer.



I think I"m going to like this camera. I'm not a photographer, but I am a picture-snapper. This camera will expand my repetoire. I am indeed a lucky man.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve at PawPaw's house and the grandkids will start arriving in several hours. I'll put away the computer and begin entertaining family. The nature of extended families being what they are, the kids have in-laws and out-laws and Milady decided several years ago that she wanted Christmas Eve to celebrate with family, leaving the kids available to see the other folks on Christmas day. So, by the time everyone gets gone this evening, PawPaw will be free to piddle away Christmas day.

The oven is working, cooking cornbread for dressing. We'll shortly begin cooking other things, cleaning, straightening, getting ready for family and friends. I'll probably feed 30 people tonight and by bedtime the house will be a wreck, the presents will be opened and Milady and I will pile happily into bed.

In short, Christmas Eve is our celebration. Tomorrow we'll clear the wreckage, give thanks, and be free to do whatever we want to do.

My grandfather worked for Coca-Cola for over 40 years. He brought home Coke-logo items to decorate his house and I remember lots of Santas holding coke products. When I think of Santa Claus, this old fellow is the one I'm seeing.



In the midst of all the activities today, lets not forget the reason for the season. Take a minute to say thanks for all that's good in your life and thanks for all the good people in your life.

And, to all my several readers, I'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy, prosperous New Year.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

This recipe is from my maternal grandmother. She probably got this recipe off a box of whipped topping, or off the back of a condensed milk can. Where-ever she got it, it's a family favorite.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

2 tubs (8 oz) frozen whipped topping
1 can (12 ox) frozen condensed lemonade
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 pre-made graham cracker crusts.

Mix whipped topping, condensed milk and lemonade. Roll mixture into pie shells. Refrigerate for several hours. Makes two pies.

Lots of variations on this theme. Substitute limeade and make Key Lime Pie. Or puree strawberries for a strawberry cream pie. It's easy, quick and tasty.

Mine are in the freezer right now. I'll take them out tomorrow about an hour before meal time. Cooking doesn't have to be hard.

Talarine

This is a recipe from my maternal grandmother. I don't know where she got it, or what the provenance is, but it's a quick easy meal a lot like spaghetti. I'm cooking it tonight simply because I haven't had it in a while

Talarine

1 lb hamburger meat
1 can (25 oz) Hunt's traditional spaghetti sauce
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lb egg noodles.

Brown hamburger meat and drain fat. Add garlic, spaghetti sauce and corn. Simmer sauce while noodles boil.

Boil egg noodles until tender. Drain and mix with sauce. Serve with grated cheese, garlic bread.

That's it. Nothing much to it. It's easy to double the recipe and make enough to feed a regiment of grandkids. I guess you could start with whole tomatoes and make your own sauce, but that would take the quick out of it.

The .45-70

Farmist asks, in comments:

Would you consider doing a post on reloading for .45-70. I have a Marlin 1885, am a big fan of the caliber, and have been considering reloading for it.

Whoa! That's a broad subject for a blog post. Let me preface this post by saying I'm no expert, but I do have some limited experience with the caliber.

Junior and I have done some small work with the .45-70 over on the castbullet site and you can find two articles here and here. Those articles talk about loading black powder or substitutes in the .45-70, but the common ground of reloading and load development are followed.

The .45-70 is the only cartridge I'm aware of that has loading data published in three levels. The first, and mildest data is for the old, low-pressure Springfield (trapdoor) rifles of the 1800s. The second level of pressure is for the modern rifles in the caliber. The third level of power is for Ruger #1 and Marlin 1895 rifles. You can load this cartridge to levels that approach the .458 Winchester Magnum and it is capable of taking all the game on North America. Alaskan guides routinely use this cartridge as a back-up to client's rifles.

I don't load anything that heavy. The bison herds of the 19th century were wiped out by guys using black powder and that level of power has shown to be utterly effective on the game fields. In the .45-70, I like pushing a soft lead bullet at black powder velocities (about 1200 fps). I have two loads that I routinely load in that caliber. The first uses the Lee 459-500-3R bullet. This bullet is a spire point and I load it over Hodgdon 777 for my Sharps. It turns in very good accuracy in that rifle and closely approximates the load that wiped out the bison herds.

I've tried that load in my Handi-rifle and it just didn't work as well in the carbine as it did in the Sharps. So, I worked up a load using IMR 4895. IMR 4895 is a great cast-bullet powder and works well in reduced loads in a number of calibers. My recipe for smokeless in the Handi uses the Lee 459-405-FP bullet cast of dead-soft lead and lubed with liquid Alox. I size them to 0.457 using a push-through sizer, then load them using a 2.5 cc dipper to measure the powder. I've weighed the dipper charges and they come out to 34.3 grains of powder using MY dipper technique and MY scales. Your technique and your scales might show something different.

Because the 4895 takes up so little space in the cartridge case, I use a tuft (tiny pinch) of pillow dacron to hold the powder down near the primer. I take a tiny pinch of dacron and roll it between my fingers, then stuff it in the case with a pencil eraser. It'll immediately swell up to fill the case, then I seat the bullet using standard reloading practices. I've figured that with primers costing 3 cents each and my bulk powder costing about 2 cents, I'm loading this particular load for a nickel each. That's cheap shooting.

It's a fairly accurate load in my Handi, averaging about two inches at 50 yards, which is the distance my front sight covers the bullseye on a reduced SR-1 target. Below is a picture of the target my son shot yesterday with that rifle and load.



I'm not afraid of recoil and enjoy the thump of a heavy rifle, but with newer cartridges available I don't see the need to push this particular combo. I've never made meat with this rifle, although I've killed deer with my muzzle-loaders using loads like this. A 405 grain bullet traveling 1200 fps is something to be reckoned with when the cover is thick and the ranges are short. I'll be using this combo next week as I'll be hunting two patches of land where 100 yards is a long shot.

Chapters in loading manuals have been devoted to loading for the .45-70 and I hope this little posting helps. The .45-70 is a very versatile cartridge, economical and a lot of fun to shoot. I'm glad I have it in my battery.