July

[DockShootinJack]

I pull Boston Butts and put them in a cooler to rest and re absorb the juices. Sure makes for a better quality pulled pork

[Micanopy]

Turned out OK. Not my best effort. It is hard to ruin a pork butt, but ribs are easy to get wrong.

[DockShootinJack]

No two racks cook the same.

[GrumpyLoomis]

I agree that ribs can be stubborn to get perfect. I did a hind quarter on the smoker the forth and it was really smoked. Kinda like breathing over am ash trey LOL. Win some and loose some.

[GrumpyLoomis]

Wow, I can't believe I put forth in that last post meaning to say 4th of July. That must have been a little elixir from the 4th hitting the keys.

[Micanopy]

The charbroiler is finally working like it should. Took a small adjustment to the regulator, and now it lights easily and has a very nice flame. I cooked chicken tenders on it last night to make her tacos. Today I am putting a chuck roast in a sues vide bath and will roll it around some on the grill later tonight. They tell me it will be like a really good tasting steak. She had been asking for ribs, but I didn’t do any this weekend.

I filled her 5 x 10 pool for her Friday night and she splashed in it all day Saturday. I found an olympic sized pool open to the public and just down the road about five minutes. An old YMCA affair that the county has acquired.

Yesterday morning I got her up and at em early and we headed off on an hour long drive to do something nice. We tubed down the Ichetucknee River. This is a fabulous river that is fed by springs along it’s path and is crystal clear and cold. Only about five feet deep, it makes the perfect tubing river.

To enter, you gather the tube around you as if you were sitting in it….. and you jump in. C O L D.

Along the way are majestic cypress trees that are extremely old. Some very impressive trees all along the trip. I imagined what it must be like to live along the banks of such a beautiful place, for 300 years. There were also limestone cliff formations rising about fifteen feet above the surface. Very cool.

We spotted a family of river otters making their way along the bank. Moma, Papa, and baby. They walk along head to tail in tight formation. Down a little further we saw large turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees. We floated very near to them and they ignored us. Then we rounded a curve in the flow and were eye to eye with an alligator. Looked like he was about 5 feet long. We were within striking distance to be sure, but he seemed miffed more than hungry. He swam past us and headed towards the group of folks floating behind us. My wife hollered gator, but I shushed her and suggested she let them discover it as we did.

The way the place works is you pay an entry fee at the ranger station entrance. Then you buy a tram pass from their general store and rent your tube. I brought our tubes and that worked out pretty well. Then you take the tram to the drop off point and get in. At the take out the tram comes and picks you up and brings you back to the general store and your car. There were tons of picnic tables strewn about the property.

It fills to capacity very quickly on weekends, especially Saturdays and holidays. Tubing is only allowed during Summer, the rest of the time it belongs to plastic navy types. Boooo Hisss. Anyways, if you arrive around the time it opens, 8:00 am, you can get in. Later in the day and you may not be allowed. You can show up early, get inside, then relax and eat something and wait for the Sun to get things sizzling, then get in.

There is a long four hour float, and a short two hour float, and a quickie one hour. We chose the two hour float and when we got out she mentioned that that was as long as she could take the cold water. That no way she could manage the long float. I suspect so and two hours was still plenty long enough. My neck was getting tired of holding up my head as the tubes don’t really fit me. Mine has a head rest but it is designed for punk kids and such. The rented tubes are larger but they limit private tubes to just 60”.

The cold water is really only on your hands from paddling, your feet from dangling, and your butt from from soaking in it. Didn’t bother me any. You will want to wear water shoes as there is some walking over stone getting here and there as needed. Bare feet would be tricky. I about died at the landing as the rocks were slippery and I did that old fall this way then that way trick. My bag with the car keys came loose just then and started floating away. I had to make the grab.

There is a Subway restaurant just before you get to the park, and a KFC and a Hungry Howies. Looked like most people brought there own food. We stopped at Slugway on the way home and she inhaled her sandwich. I mean inhaled it. As in gone already. So be prepared to be hungry when you get out. I think you can make multiple trips if you want, but like with all springs, that second dip in is always much colder than the first.

I had my keys with me but no camera. Unfortunately the key to my truck is attached to the FOB, so I had to wrap it up in bags and such. Would have been great to have just a key, but Ford has a better idea.

The chihuahua is getting used to being all alone now. We leave for work and she sleeps all day. In the bed of course. I know this because that is where she is when I walk in the door. Poor thing.

I spoke with my fishing buddies and they all say that the fishing has been horrible. They catch maybe six a trip now. I am not sure what is going on but it probably has to do with the size of the shad. Probably just the right size to inhale and swallow. So I haven’t been chomping at the bit to get out and go. Been over a month since I wet a line.

Things are slow at work, too. I had one lady that got nasty with me. She kept trying to get me to engage her in a verbal conflict, but I just smiled and spoke quietly. Finally she got mad that I was not mad and stormed off. This week the boss is planning on handing me some old files. They want me to go through and see if I can collect on some of them. People who had weddings, paid a deposit, but then offered excuses on the day of the wedding and refused to pay later. I don’t know why you would choose to bring karma like that to your marriage. I have been told that usually other family members don’t know that old so-n-so stiffed us on the meal.

I am pretty good at collecting. I ask first, then convince later. Ask- tell- demand…. is a pretty good way to approach folks that want me to just go away. I am not above contacting other family members either. Hey your husband never paid. Hey your son never paid us. I might only convince a handful but nowadays every dollar counts. [ insert: forbidden commentary here ].

Not even sure my reels still reel. Never did spend that BassPro gift card money. Still got my Lowes Gift Card money, too.

I did make some progress on my outdoor kitchen. I have leveled off the ground and have dumped a goodly amount of sand on top. Next I will be smoothing out the surface to get it straight and flat in every direction. Once done, I can flop down the stepping stones and not have to worry about making adjustments. I chose to go with level vs. sloping because my charbroiler cart rolls super easy. Could roll right off and flop over and bust. I plan to put in place small wheel stops anyways, but having it level will help with griddling. The wheels have locks on them, too.

Once I get that done then I will build the roof, then the walls. I want tin roof and slat walls so smoke can fly away and water cannot get directly onto the cookers. Partially walled where I can store then, then open where I can roll them out and cook. I plan to hang my cast iron stuff out there as well and get all of that out of the kitchen. She will appreciate that I assure you.

My friend gave me an old rusted up Lodge skillet and asked me to season it for him. He liked the way mine are mostly non stick. I will get around to doing it someday. Sanding them smooth is definitely the way to start. Then several thin layers of oil. The trick is to do thin layers. You heat it, apply the oil in a thin fashion, allow it to stay hot, then cool off completely- one layer. Any other way and it doesn’t seem to work as well. Applying layer after layer while hot and not allowing it to cool leaves you with one thick layer, not multiple thin ones.

I really need to find other things to eat for lunch than ham sandwich. Sucks. Been two months of ham sandwiches and I am so tired of them. Guess what I will be eating today ? Ham sandwich. I did make a tuna sandwich last week, but still sandwiches get old quickly. There is a microwave available, but I don’t like to make huge messes. I don’t really have left overs from our meals as I make just enough. She doesn’t eat chili, spaghetti or roasts and such, so there is none of that stuff. There is a small fridge but no freezer, so microwavable meals are out. Hmmmmmmm

[DockShootinJack]

Sounds like a fun trip

[Micanopy]

Well Friday I developed a cough and a runny nose. As the day progressed these became more prevalent with an occasional sneeze. I home tested Friday evening and the kit said positive for Covid-19. My symptoms are similar to a cold. Runny nose and an occasional cough. No fever, or any of the other symptoms like sore throat.

My wife has more of the symptoms of covid though. She started showing Saturday with sneezing and diarrhea and sore throat. She tested negative three times, but we think she has it.

This is the latest Omnicron variant -BA 5. It was discovered in recent months and has covered the globe very quickly. It spreads much more easily than the previous virus and can circumvent our immune response. My wife and I have received both vaccinations and a booster.

They say that this one is screaming through our population right now. Apparently so. I mention this so that you might better avoid it. I am not horribly sick or anything near that, but you need to be aware that this variant is not like the others, which I managed to avoid.

[Micanopy]

Read some and they say it is the most virulent virus known. Prior to this the measles was the one most easily spread. This means many will get this. I had two vaccines and a booster, as did my wife. Today I feel like I have rounded the corner, but still congested and still sneezing. The end is nigh but not for her. She is really sick now. Time for me to score some bonus points. LOL. Yup a little pampering is in order.

I think I need to. be outside today. Might clean the boat for motivation.

[DockShootinJack]

Hope y'all recover quickly