Camping with Suzi

This is the question Fred asked on the ForestCamping.com Facebook page.  So, what is your answer?

My favorite from last year’s research – Toadstool Park in the Oglala National Grassland.  Why?  Hiking, star-gazing, and quiet!

Do you have “important” papers that must travel with you?  I think medical records fall into this category.  Get a scanner and load onto a thumb-drive or a cd.  When need, just stick your device into your computer, or any computer, and there you are!  Our doctor actually provided a digital copy of our medical records including X-rays!

Here we are – February 1 – and my crocus have been in full blooming for almost a week, already!  Has this been a weird winter?  The national forests in Arizona are already expressing warnings of major fire danger.   Although December did see several good rain events, January saw nothing more than a couple of heavy frosts (we’re over half-an-inch behind already for this year’s rain/snow fall amounts).   Remember, last year Arizona was truly a tinderbox but those major fires (Wallow and Monument) were all man-caused.

Please, let the sight of the Spring remind you to be careful with your burning material.  Thank you.

There are people in the Forest Service who regard geocaching as nothing more than littering and tries to discourage this popular ever-growing outdoor activity.  Personally, I think any activity that gets people into the forest has merit.

A recently discovered blog, Camping and Family, has an article about an international movement called “Cache It Trash Out”.  According to the Geocaching website, “Cache In Trash Out is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places. Through these volunteer efforts, we help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources!

Geocachers around the world celebrate International Cache In Trash Out weekend annually by hosting and participating in Cache In Trash Out Events in their local area. Events might be focused on litter clean-up, removal of invasive species, revegetation efforts or building trails. Together, we make an enormous positive impact. Did we mention that we also have a bit of fun while we’re at it?

The 10th Annual Cache In Trash Out Weekend is scheduled for April 21st and 22nd, 2012.”

Imagine, less trash in our national forests!  Now that is a super thing.

FYI: According to the Cache In Trash Out event calendar there are event February 4 in Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Washington and two events in the United Kingdom.  From what I can see this is a fairly typical weekend.

For many campers, gathering or buying firewood is a daily activity.  If you have some leftover from one campfire to the next, be sure to store it off the ground.  You want to keep you firewood as dry as possible.  One suggestion is a tarp on top and something to keep the wood off the cover underneath.  Bring some strips of “waste” lumber from local hardware store (2″X2″ are prefect) or use the rv’s leveling blocks.

Some of the helpful websites recently discovered:
PBS Learning Media, a treasure trove of interactive, learning but it feels like play, snippets. One problem for me was the volume which varied from one snippet to the next. One the other hands, colors are bright and the narrative engaging.

Best Friends Animal Society, if you are an animal lover, this is your place. Even Betty White supports these guys. (FYI: For my birthday gift, I’m hoping to “adopt/sponor” Wink, a 15 hand tall mare – if anyone in my family is listening.)

This is a very comprehensive list of sources for Dutch Oven use and cooking. It is actually almost too much information for a beginner like me but a good place to start getting smart.

I, and maybe you do too, sometimes forget that the Forest Service is really multi-dimensional. A recent article about their “Seed Bank” in the USDA Blog reminded me of this. Not only is the Forest Service a premier wildfire firefighting agency, busy teaching the forest service groups in other countries how to fight wildfires, but they are also helping countries reforest damaged land.

As the article, “Laughing all the Way to the Seed Bank” tells us, “The U.S. Forest Service recently held a workshop with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources in Dry Branch, Ga., focusing on ways to increase the capacity to develop and maintain a seed bank for reforestation in the Dominican Republic.”

Maybe you have seen this NASA photograph showing the de-foresting of Haiti? That’s the Dominican Republic on the right. This photo graphic illustrates what could await the Dominican Republic if something isn’t done to help counter timber and fuelwood practice in the area.

Dry Branch, the name of the above mentioned workshop, discussed methods and approaches to compiling the native seeds and best practices for seed preservation. The hope is participants of the workshop will manage the Nigua Seed Bank in the Dominican Republic. The Forest Service provided technical expertise through an agreement with the US Agency for International Development that aids in equipment administration as well as the staff training and facility management.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Dominican Republic enacted the Forestry Action Plan in 1991, establishing the goal of becoming a self-sufficient timber and fuelwood producer by 2016. The seed laboratory will contribute to this goal and this little Caribbean nation’s plans of reforestation. Their seed bank will also contribute to an international commitment to biological diversity and habitat conservation.

So, once again we see the Forest Service is taking the lessons they have learned and passing them on to other in an effort to improve forests everywhere.

Organize and protect electronic’s cords in your recreational vehicle by using strips of Velcro.  Simply cut a two-inch piece and wrap around those pesky cords into neat bundle.  Take it one step farther and use a cardboard tube, like the ones used for the Christmas wrapping paper (but a paper towel tube worked well for us) to hide the unsightly rat’s nest.  You can thread your electronic’s cords through the tube or cut a slit the length of the tub and just slip the cords into the tube.

Mark Twain is credited with saying, “Nothing improves the scenery like a plate of bacon and eggs.” I think this Grilled Egg Sandwich has the same effect on my attitude first thing in the morning.

Put skillet over a low flame to heat. Take two slices of firm bread, and using a large spoon, push a dent in the center of each slice. Butter, all the way to the edges, one side of each slice.

Put slice, buttered-side down, on the hot skillet.  Gently break one whole egg into the dent. Top with second slice, buttered side up, and very gently press down enough to ensure the bread has made contact with the egg. Let sit, untouched for a few minutes or until bottom slice is nicely browned.

Now, with confidence, turn your sandwich over and grill the second side. Let grill for another few minutes or until the yolk is the way you like it.

Put on a plate and eat! Caution, can be mess but always good.  As you can see from this photograph, I like my egg with the yolk still soft so I can wrap it up with the crunchy crust.  The trick is to cook your sandwich slowly over low heat.

I’m always looking for ways to combine fun with learning experiences that cost next to nothing. One of my favorite place to look are national forests or grasslands. Here’s a great idea that combines science, the study of animal behavior, and development of observation skills, plus it’s Free – Grousing Viewing.

Fort Pierre National Grassland is considered to be one of the best grousing hunting areas in the Midwest so why wouldn’t is be an outstanding location of observing grouse spring courtship behaviors? From early to mid-April through the end of May, this little national grassland in the middle of South Dakota has three viewing blinds available to the public, FREE of charge. You do have to make a reservation so the number of observers can be controlled (each blind is large enough for only four adults at one time) and the blinds are not heated but what a great learning experience.

Reservation are made through the Fort Pierre National Grassland office at 605-224-5517. Maps and other pertinent information are provided after reservations are made. The grassland folks will be happy to help you make your bird-watching experience memorable but it is not a “Ranger led” experience so you will have to do some “homework.”

The grouse viewing blinds are provided by the Missouri Breaks Audubon Society of Pierre, SD {www.missouribreadsaudubon.org} and they are also available to help with your “homework.”