Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

Pretty mellow, actually. I stood out in the warm rain and scrubbed it all over with a floor mop, and dish soap to get some old road grease off, then gave it a quick rinse with the pressure washer.

Our water is hard here, so the softer water rain rinse was welcome. Saved the $20 usually spent after a trip at the hand wash place.

Now I really need to put in a couple days of elbow grease in polishing aluminum then marine waxing...

 

I’ve seen video clips of people doing some pretty amazing things, including using a Rokon as a floatation device going downriver!

I’m fascinated by that old/new tech… but don’t seem to have an actual use for it. Also on the radar is that NZ 2WD all-electric farm cycle, the UBCO.

 

Yeah, I hear ya. Sometimes you really have to think hard to come up with a reason to justify a new toy.

 

Hard water stinks. Even with a softener, we get spots. Years ago, I bought a Deionized Water kit -- that does a NICE job. You only need to give it a quick sprtiz to wash away the minerals -- but you still don't get a tremendous amount of water, and the catalyst you use has gotten very expensive.

I never have that problem....I think I got my PhD in justification..

I think it gets busy then. I was looking around. But who knows who is going to cancel. With every service I subscribe too doing "adjustments" and $4 gas, and $8 hamburger...I'm glad for the camping but hate the reason for it. Or, at least what I perceive the reason to be...

I've had no problem finding space when I had time. THAT has been the hard part.

 

The first day of September is going to be a hot one here in Wisconsin although not as hot as in three to six days. I enjoyed my first cup of coffee on my new swing.

C95EC4FC-8638-4CE3-B497-8FF6E38E6933 by Tour 931 posted Sep 1, 2023 at 7:37 AM

 

I bought one just like that for my wife for mother's day about 35 yrs ago. With a fresh coat of cedar toned semitransparent oil stain every few years it lasted about 30 years before gradually succumbing to the incremental effects of weather.

 

It’s raining! That sure wasn’t in the forecast.

 

Looks like it rained at the Burning Man event in Nevada.
Quite a bit, looking at the photos in the news this am.
One attendee dead.

 

I heard they closed it because of mud.

 

Yeah, crazy what different effects can be caused by a 1/2 inch of rain, just depending on where it falls. Here, that much could have fallen overnight, and by morning you might not be able to tell it even happened. In some places in the southwest like @ Burning Man, you might have floated away.

 

Yep: dont be camping on the playa when monsoon rains are forecast.

"The Playa is an ancient lake bed and when wet, and can be impassable. Vehicles can get very stuck due to the fine silt and clay minerals that exist on the Playa," Nevada's Bureau of Land Management announced"...

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/burning-man-2023-videos-tiktok-18344678.php

 

"S....happens..."

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/chris-rock-says-burning-man-toilets-can-t-18344552.php

 

No guarnatee that the desert WILL be dry.

I don't quite understand the draw to this event anyway. From all I know about it, its an excuse for debauchery, drugs, and rather immature behavior. Then again --- to some --- that may BE the draw. I think some of the art vehicles I've seen were 'fun'

Personal taste and choice I suppose.

I grabbed 2 spots again at my beloved Brown county --- and sites are still available for the weekend. If the weather holds out, its going to be a great couple of nights for campfires and friendship. I think I'm going to try to score a brisket, and take the pellet smoker with me. If not Brisket, maybe some strip steak...though it is as expensive as ribeye...the king of steak

The pellet smoker is huge and heavy -- the time I wish I had a van. The Traeger Scout is probably the best cooking investment I've ever made - load it up, set it and forget it. The smoke just rolls for hours. With the class A, it rode in the belly and was used almost every trip. I also have a big green egg, but there's no way it travels...

 

I got the small Traeger based on your tips, Sweeney, and really enjoy it.

 

My wife swears by her Ninja Wood Fire Outdoor Grill and Smoker. She has cooked some awesome ribs in it.

 

Oh, I do --- I've had mine for years...I got them about the time the 'ranger' or 'scout' came out (mine has the larger fuel box --- I think its a ranger) and I LOVE it...The only hard part is cleanup. But that's the nature of a smoker.

I like "Pitt Boss" competition blend fuel the best so far.

It looks really interesting... a couple of questions about it (their website isn't helpful)

1. How hot does it get --- can you get a good searing heat --- 550+? The biggest limitation of the Traeger is it only goes to 450, which isn't HORRIBLE it just not great. I got spoiled by the Big Green which will get >HOT< and is great for flatbread and searing meats.
2. How long does a load of pellets last? I don't think you're going to get a 10-hour smoke out of it. The Traeger uses the pellets as the heat source; the 120 volt use is very low, only a small probe to light the fire. This means lots of smoke for the duration of the cook.
3. Cleanup - traeger is bad. "liquid smoke" is everywhere, and the outside is usually sooty/dirty making moving it really a pain. Its also heavy...45 pounds plus.

Drat --- Now I need me some brisket! Which, I'm taking with me to Brown for Saturday night

 

Terri said the pellets last several hours, but you can add as needed while cooking. She said the max temperature is 500 degrees. Cleanup isn’t bad because the smoke comes out the back and she lines the pan with foil. It is heavy! The Ninja uses pellets and electricity for heat. I haven’t used it, so everything here is second hand information.

 

It looks like the gasket seals against the insert, then the insert, which drains out the back...and I read there are foil inserts which would make cleanup pretty easy That - I like. I'm lazy.

This looks pretty clever, though a 220-degree "smoke" session look like the meat would still have quite a bit of direct heat from the elements below.

I'll have to look more closely at these -- it might be a better alternative for camping than what I have...

 

Looks like they left a mess behind...
Sheriff Slams Burning Man Attendees Who Abandoned Cars and Left Behind 'Trash for Miles'