Christmas presents'

Hello to all,
Well this may sound a little odd, but today i made myself a christmas present. As i was finishing up EVERYONE else's christmas projects today, i came across a brown paper bag in my shop. I thought "this is odd, where'd this come from." As i opened the bag i found an old set of Mtn. Goat horns, and a giant ceder shake bolt. A flood of memories came back all at once. What i'd opened was something very special to me and that i'd saved and hidden only for myself to find on just the right day. Well, today must have been that day. What i'd uncovered were the horns (i belive the only horns) of a mtn. goat, my grandfather, Jim Blankenship, had shot back in 1965. When Grandpa had passed, and all horns had been given out i'd ended up with these. They were a treasure to me, since today Washington only give's out once in a lifetime Mtn. Goat tags....and they take a lifetime to get! So, i'd set them aside, along with a Giant old growth cedar shake bolt from grandpa's house, with the intentions of mounting them when "just the right day came along". Well, as most of you can guess......today was that day.
As i prepped things in the shop for cutting the old "shake bolt" i had to look at a pic. of gramps holding his goat, and thought you all would enjoy that too.
The horns even had the tag still attached. As i read this, it was October 2nd, 1965!

With a little band saw work, and some touch up with the sander, i had the horns attached to their Cedar Plank, and hung on the wall, in the most appropriate of places....."The Man Room".

So, as i worked on this small project i shed more than one tear. I thought of "Big Timber hunts", that he always talked about, and that i now finally understand. I remebered the first deer i shot with him, the green chevy truck's (one of which my brother now drives), the christmas recaps of hunting seasons that were now in the past, and most special of all, the glitter that danced in my grandfather's eye's as he retold his story's from the passed, that only a select few of us will ever know.

Who'd have thought that an old set of Goat horns would have such meaning and remeberance?

So, to everyone out there, MERRY CHRISTMAS. I wish you your own memorie's of the passed, and a happy holidays to all.

From the North.......Where thoughts are jogged,......people are missed......and new memories are made every day too....which is nice.

Mark...."The Iron Skillet"

SAUSAGE!!!!!!

Today was Sausage day. Chuck and i both had the day off today (a.k.a.....laid off) so we'd agreed that it would be a good day to make some sausage. We'd made a batch about a week ago, and to our dismay we are each down to what is left on this plate of a 10 pound batch of landjager sausage (landjager is a German Sausage also known as "hunter sausage"). We'd used bear meat this year, and both agreed that it was the best batch yet! Hence the reason there is only this much left after such a short period of time!

So, today we decided to make another batch, this time using a pepperoni/salmi mix to make some bigger loafs for the up comming christmas holidays......
These are scheduled to hit my smoker tommrow morning, and go ALL DAY! Chuck will do the same with his batch and then we'll divide it up at the end. His batch it the "HOTTER-N-HELL" version.....and my guess is that the two of us will be eating most of his with LOTS of cold beer, cheese and crackers.

The next sausage session is probaly going to be next week......what's on the menu you might ask.....well, brawt's are what we have planned. The italian brawt was a hit with the locals last year, and we've had requests for more of those style bun busting dogs!

So, that's all for now......

From the North.......where sausage is made......the beer is ice cold....and we eat and drink both too.....which is nice.


Mark....."The Iron Skillet"

The End of Snow Whitey.....ALMOST!

That's right boys and girls you read the title right! Today, was almost the last day for Snow Whitey! See she's been down and out since the Tuesday before thanksgiving. I had the right side front brake caliper sieze up on me! I'd taken "Duckuby" (that's what she's called when she hauls all the duck hunting STUFF) to the Slater Road corn rows, and on the way back the right side brake caliper decided it was done.....about the time i'd hit the Lummi indian reservation. I wasn't about to stop and leave her there on the side of the road, i'd of returned to a bullet riden, stripped down hulk! So i stompped down on the gas, pounded my fist on her dash and screamed "go baby go" while at the same time prayed to the lord himself that i'd make it home. God must of had pitty on me that day, because i made it. Once parked in the driveway the front wheel steamed and almost glowed red, due to the siezed brake! I wasn't sure what to do, but lucky for me, my father in law was here (in my book one of the best mechanic's whatcom county has ever seen). He advised me on the brake, and even braved the rain, and showed me what to do. I can't say thankyou enough! Chalk up another valuable/usefull lesson learned from Cal! So, we went to Schuck's and he helped me order the part, which wasn't due till after he was to leave, but we went over how to replace everything and bleed the brakes.....leaving me with just enough confidence to do the job.


Now time for a little intermisson, i don't normally type this much.....and i'd guess nobody reads this much on a blog.....so PICTURE TIME BABY!

Snow Whitey..."All jacked up and almost dead"
Another shot.....i call this....."She Rides again"

And my favorite.........i like to call this ......"Grrr!....I'm a BADASS!"

Alright, intermisson over....hope you got your snacks and went to the bathroom.....

So, The brake part came in and as of yesterday i finally had time enough to attempt putting on the new caliper, and preparing the car for the road again. To my surprise, it was just as easy as Cal had said, and i was done in just a little under two hours. Not to bad, in my world of car works.

That being said i still needed to bleed te brakes to be truely done, and that's a two man job. So, a quick call to Chuck...and an 8 p.m. time was set to finish off whitey.

Well, with little effort, and in no time at all we had the brakes bled and Whitey was back in business.....at least so, i thought.

Just as Chuck was leaving he asked...."have you put any ANTIFREEZE in her yet, it's supposed to get down to 14 deg. tonight?"...i Quiped back..."naaaaa she don't need any freaken' anti-freeze" ......oh how i now regret that comment.

Well, you guessed it. This moring i awoke to a frozen solid car! I was sick to my stomach knowing, $5 worth of anitfrezze would have solved this but.....OHHHH NOOO.

After a little trial and error......a call to chuck.....a call to Dad.....a call to Brian...... it finally dawned on me to call the master of car's and there workings....MY FATHER IN LAW!

After much debate in all the other phone calls, call simply says...."Thaw the water pump, and LET HER RIP"......he said she'd steam and steam some more, but that should do the trick.....and that is what i did!

Two hairdryers, a heating blanket, a blow torch, a small brush fire, and a two burner coleman stove all going at the same time under the car did the trick and in no time she was thawed enough to giver her a whirl.

She fired off, steamed a lot and in a little over an hour she was back on the road!

So from the North....where car's freeze rock solid under a moonlight night, we look to the south for helpfull advice, and where free cars drive once again...which is nice!

Mark....."The iron skillet"

She's gone!

Well today was both a sad and happy day all in one. Today, was the day i sold my boat to someone else! Happy to be out of a payment, but sad to see her go. As she was pulled out of the driveway, i couldn't help but start thinking about all the adventures she had let us have out here in the San Juan Islands. So, here are a few pictures in her honor.

Early morning, and the rising sun. There is nothing like rounding the southern tip of Lummi Island. I get the same feeling every time.....like i've just passed into another world!
One of her last trips i made with her. This was taken on the west side of San Juan Island. A trip i did by myself (80 miles round trip). I'd just finished up with a limit of salmon, and was starting the journey back to port.

Last years salmon derby, trolling indian village....(my favorite place to troll)

Another early morning trip. Not sure who's along this day, but a friend snapped this pic. as we were in tandem heading to the fishing grounds.

And last, all spiffed up ready for her new owner. She actually cleaned up pretty nice.

So as Brad, the new owner, pulled her out of the driveway i stood there and smiled. I smiled to the fact, that she was going to be used some more, and taken care of too. She's head to Telegraph Cove, at the northern tip of vancouver island. A place i've been to several times, and think of often. Brad and i both chuckeled as we used the fraze "small world" as we talked of Telegraph cove, and other places we'd fished in common. So it feels good knowing she's found just the right new owner, and that she'll contiue to catch fish as she did for me.

So, from the North.....where boats a bought and sold, the travel even farther north, and handshakes still can seal a deal....which is nice.

Mark....."The Iron Skillet"

Turkey day 09'

Well, yesterday being thanksgiving, found me watching Kai, while being thankfull he was feeling better than the day before. He'd had a super high fever the day before and a modest one most of Thanksgiving. Soooo ....it was decided that he could hang with dad while the rest of the family headed out to the Benders (Nicole's sister) house for the elusive DOUBLE turkey dinner. There were promises of food brought back, so that was good enough for me.
Kai followed me around as i cleaned a little house and did some more dishes. At some point i must have gone to the bathroom and come back out.......it took a couple minutes for me to realize the little guy wasn't right beside me. So i called for him and he answered.......inheredaddainheredadda.....translation...."in Here".....So i peared into the bathroom and here he was. Practicing his "Peee". I laughed so hard i had tears, and was pleased a boy and his Dad were able to share such a special moment!

He just has to figure out how to get that darn diaper off, and he'll be pee'en like the big boys!

Well, with all that being said, i had to have some time with Isa, so she helped me bake a blueberry pie. I'd told here during our blueberry picking outings that she'd get to help me bake a pie.....And she did. So here is the outcome. A pie from pickings to pan. Have to say it was a little runny, but darn tasty!

So from the North...Where men bake, cook, and clean......Little girls bake pies.....and little boys know what to do too.....which is nice.

Mark...."The Iron Skillet"

Duck 2009, Trip 2...The Season Really Starts

Well, as the title says. I found myself in trip number 2 of 2009/2010 duck season. This one had been planned for the last few weeks, with a former co-worker. He's been hitten the duck grounds hard, and has managed 70 ducks already this season, with many a trip under his belt. For me, today was the first serious day of the season. Unfortunatly, the ducks didn't want to coperate. None the less, it was good to hit the "corn", try the new duck cart out, and get back into swing of things.

Here are a couple pictures of our set up. I know it doesn't show it all, but we've got 5 "Wind ducks" this year, along with a cart that'll carry 48 ducks, along with the dozen field decoy's i can carry, for a total of 60 decoy's. Needless to say, we've got a pretty good spread this year, only time will tell on how well it pays off.

When we arrived in the dark this morning this little puddle had 200 + ducks roosting in it. Pretty cool to hear that whirrrrrrr of wings, with inadvertant quack's as they take off.

Unfortuantly, the weather didn't turn nasty like it was supposed to, and the roosting ducks didn't return, like they have in past hunts. Way it goes i guess.


Of course we have to have a picture of the "hide out" in the "corn". Man, that cart was nice and i think we really "upped our game" this year. Chase give'n the high sign......to bad it didn't bring in any more ducks!


And, last a picture of me with the only duck of the morning that was dropped, a small bull pintail.
By 11 we called it a day with little flyer's and clearing skys. Still, a good day to re-aquaint ourselve's with the corn, and for me to get back into the swing of things.



so, signing off from the north. Where ducks sometimes fly, seasons blend from one to the next, and we still have fun too....which is nice!


Mark...."the Iron Skillet"

Another Season Starts

Yesterday found myself at home. I worked around the house, wrapped Nicole's birthday presents and finished most of my list of "To-Do's" by about 1:30. It was kind of rainy and nasty (like it's been for the last few weeks) so i decided that it would be a good day to start duck season of 2009. Nothing special mind, just a good hike and see if i couldn't puddle jump a bird.

So.....that's what i did. Walked a few miles, just enough to get a good sweat going and just about where i normally turn around up popped this nice drake mallard.

A couple quick bursts from the trusty stoger shotgun, and down he went. I nice way to end a good hike, and to start a duck season. (Sorry about the picture, doesn't really do this guy justice, but he'd been stuffed in a coat pocket for awhile before i got a chance to snap a photo)

So, there you have it the start of duck 2009. Whith the last day of deer season on Sunday, i'll be full swing into ducks by Thanksgiving.

Like i've said before we live in a pretty cool place if you like the outdoors. There is always something to do!


So, from the North......Where birds fly south......we shoot to the North........and get ducks too......which is nice.


Mark...."The Iron Skillet"