Jammin' to Billy Ray Cyrus

There is just something about being on the lake that screams "Billy Ray Cyrus!"  His Some Gave All album is one of my favorites.  I've had this album for so long that I still have the cassette version and I keep it in the tape deck of the pontoon.  We are often blasting Billy Ray when we're on the lake.

The other day we went to my favorite sea glass beach and picked up a few new treasures....

This beach also has some great climbing rocks, so we always scamper around on them and take some pictures....

We also took along a picnic lunch, using the picnic basket I won last year from a give away over at Appalachia & Beyond.

We also found a deep hole of water in one of the bays, anchored, blasted the music and spent 2 hours jumping off the boat....

Floating....

Swimming....

And tossing around our Clif Bar Frisbee!

Any day on the lake with my family and Billy Ray Cyrus is a good day!

Standing Bear on the AT

As of Saturday, Standing Bear and Molasses have crossed the state line and arrived in the state of New York.  Way to go!!!

Check out this video to see the view of them climbing the rocks at Lehigh Gap.

Hike 4 Kids FB page

Photo and video courtesy of Mike McLaughlin.  Do not reproduce without permission.

I Lost My Head at Cousin Hill

Kentucky Lake had record flooding last year and I wrote about it here.  This year all that flooding came back and bit us in the ass, because there's been practically no rain and the lake levels are extremely low.  Low water means it's hard to go boating in some of our favorite spots and the fishing isn't as good as it normally is.  But we're making the best of it and finding things to do in spite of the low water.

The other day Chablis and I loaded up our kayak's onto the pontoon boat and boated over to one of our favorite picnic spots on the lake - Cousin Hill.  We picked a nice day to do it, the sun was out and it was nice and warm.  Plus there was practically nobody else out on the lake.  I felt like we had the entire lake to ourselves.

We stopped to get gas and as we were pulling out of the marina, this sea plane landed right in front of us...

He motored right into the marina for gas.  I'd love to go up in one of those some day...

Once we got to Cousin Hill we tossed the kayak's in the water and paddled up and down the shoreline, just exploring a little bit....

Behind Cousin Hill there is a little pond, so we landed ashore and walked around the pond....

Co-incidentally, I have a geocache hidden over there, named "I Lost My Head at Cousin Hill."  There are only 2 ways to get to this cache - either come by boat or make the drive through the Land Between the Lakes down a road named The Trace to a little side road.  You then take that side road to a cemetery, park and hike to the cache.  Either way, it's a difficult trip.

I decided to do a little cache maintenance while we were there, so I checked on the cache, cleaned out the cache container and took a quick picture of part of the cache to show you.  Doesn't this just make you want to go find it??

Hahahaha!!!!  Come and get it!!

Geocaching in Paris Landing, Tn.

The other day we decided to drive down to Paris Landing State Park in Tennessee.  Some upcoming fishing tournaments are taking place out of there, and Louie wanted to see how far of a drive it was.  Never one to miss an opportunity to geocache, I grabbed my caching bag and we did a couple of geocaches along the way.
If you're new to my blog and don't know what geocaching is, visit this link for more information on my fun hobby.

Here we were at the Kentucky/Tennessee state line.....

At the Paris Landing Marina we stopped to do a cache at the Scott Fitzhugh Memorial Bridge.  The cache was a quick find and placed somewhere on the bridge...

The location was pretty and even Snoopy had to have his picture taken....

After a quick tour of the marina we headed to Paris, Tennessee in search of the Eiffel Tower....

While there we were able to complete a "challenge" cache.  Challenge caches are relatively new to geocaching.  If you're a premium member, you can issue a challenge to other geocachers for them to complete.  In this case the challenge was to find the replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tn. and upload a photo of yourself in front of it.  Challenge extended, we accepted it and then completed it!

We've only done 4 challenge caches so far.  I wanted to do this one because we had to find the Eiffel Tower. The nice thing about this challenge was that it brought us to a place we would probably never have gone to otherwise.  After all, how many times in my life can I honestly say I've visited the Eiffel Tower??

Today I am linking up with Sunny Simple Life.  Stop by and check out the fun blogs!

BB Guns and Birdhouses - A Happy Ending

A couple of weeks ago I put up a post about how my nephew, Kyle, "enlarged" the hole on my birdhouse in April.  You can read about it here if you missed it.

Well, I guess he felt a little bad about the episode, because he went to the wood shop at school and built me a new, custom made, personally designed, super duper birdhouse......

He was so cute the way he was figuring out how to hang it from one of our trees.  None of them have low branches, so he went out to the garage for some tools....

He got Chablis to lend him a helping hand.....

And finally figured out a way to hang it up.....

Did I mention that it's also a bird feeder?

Don't I have a great nephew?  Thanks Kyle!

And don't be shooting this one up!!

Bloodhounded - The Perfect Dozen

This is my buddy Kevin, aka Bloodhounded.  Not only is he a geocacher, but he is also a part time chef.  Last week he posted his recipe for his Buffalo Chicken Wings over on his blog CacheCrazy.  I decided to make them the other night and they were delicious!  Let's just say that this is my new way to make chicken wings from now on. 

12 geocaches in a series? 12 stages to the cache? One dozen of the best geocaches ever?  Sorry guys, not today. Todays DIY will show you how to make that perfect dozen of Buffalo Chicken Wings and unless you’re caching in Buffalo NY and you stop at the Anchor Bar, you’ll find none better.  So be ready to get hungry as I walk you through the very simple steps of "Bloodhoundeds Honey Garlic Wings".

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when chicken wings were relegated as scraps worthy only of the stock or soup pot. Nowadays, hot Buffalo wings are all the rage as appetizers and party fare.They come in all flavors and many different methods of cooking from baked to barbequed but nothing says, “Wings” like the good old fryer method. Oh sure, you’re not going to be reducing calories or cutting out the fat here but common, live a little!

I make these wings a few times per year. They are highly requested for our annual Super Bowl party and my family goes nuts at just the mention of “Dads Wings”.  Today I am going to share my secrets with you, but please, don’t tell anyone, ok?

The method I use insures a nice, crisp, fully cooked but juicy wing. There is absolutely nothing worse than biting into a wing and finding a bloody center! If this happens to you, immediately kick the cook in the crotch! No excuses for this! I learned that you can trim some prep time and get a fully cooked and juicy wing by par-boiling the wing first. A short dip in the bubbling pool of saltwater makes all the difference I assure you and it’s a little known secret amongst us foodies.

Here’s the setup:

Your goal is to make that perfect dozen so concentrate on 12 wings at a time. Even if you’re making 200 wings, they must be done 12 at a time with household cooking gear. Any less and you’re wasting time, any more and you are overloading the pot causing a quick temp drop and poor results. The magic number here is 12. In addition to the ingredients, have the following equipment setup and ready to roll. Once you start there is no time to be fiddling around with things.

•   Have a large pot of boiling salt water going the whole time
•  Heat a pot of canola oil to 375 or just below the smoke point
•   Have a colander ready at the sink
•  Have lots of paper towels handy to catch excess oil and to clean as you go (you want to eat wings too right? Clean as you go)
• Have a large baking dish, large container to hold the raw wings and one to hold the cooked wings
•  A long pair of tongs
•  A good non slip cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife

The wing cooking method:

First you’ll want to work through all of the wings and cut them up. Take the wing tip off and then cut between the drummy and the flat section of the wing. Once you are finished cutting them all, clean everything up with a antibacterial cleaner and wash your hands. The next time you touch a wing with your hand will be holding it up to your mouth!

Now, count out 12 wing sections and slowly place them in the boiling water with your tongs. Keep an eye on the clock because you won’t want to boil them any longer than 8 minutes. Remove them for the water with your tongs and let them drain in the colander. Now place 12 more wings in the boiling water and repeat these steps moving the wings in the colander to container. They should be fairly dry by now from being exposed to the air.

Once you get a few dozen ahead with the boiling you can start to drop the first 12 wings into the fry oil. Be careful as this is the time when most cooks get burned, when playing with hot oil. Nasty stuff so be careful. Your 12 wings will be done in 6 minutes or average 8 minutes for crispier depending how you like them. Have a few layers of paper towels ready and place your wings from the oil onto the paper towels. If you are making a lot of wings you may want to put them on a baking dish in a warm oven to hold them until serve.

That is really all there is to cooking nice juicy, fully cooked wings.

The sauce, OH, THE SAUCE:

Start by melting one half pound of butter in a sauce large sauce pan. Do not use margarine or try to cut calories here by using less. If you’re looking for a low fat meal, try this link instead. Once the butter is melted and bubbling add two medium size bottles of Frank’s hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil and add your granulated garlic and your honey. Again, slowing bring to a boil. Taste your work now. You may like it a little sweeter or maybe a pinch more garlic. Get the flavors working at this stage.  Now add your two teaspoons of vinegar and you’ll know if it’s enough if you take a whiff of your sauce and it takes your breath away or tastes good or both! I like cornstarch as a thickening agent because it clarifies and holds on to the wings better and they look shinier.  Start with two tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with ½ cup of water and only add half. Bring to boil and add more as needed. It will only thicken at the boiling point and it should be the viscosity of homemade gravy, nice and thick.

Let's heat things up!

How hot is too hot? That is a matter of taste and opinion. If Big Al were eating these he would be basically setting the sauce on fire! My 10 year old daughter, not so much and me, I’m somewhere in the middle. Red Cayenne Pepper is no joke. It can make your sauce hot fast! I would separate my sauce at this point and then add the spices to only one. The sauce by itself is good for most. Start with a pinch of red and a pinch of white. Stir it up real good and taste it. Then add as needed but remember, too much heat will ruin the flavor for most. I place a shaker of red pepper flakes at the table so if someone wants to add heat they can and with flavor and good eye appeal.

Have two “shaker” containers available too, one for hot and one for mild. Place 12 wings into the container, add some sauce, place the lid on tight and shake her up to coat the wings fully. Serve with a quality blue cheese dressing like Margarita's Chunky Blue Cheese and slice up some celery.  Supply a lot of napkins and an abundance of your beverage of choice.

You too can build your own chicken wing legacy just like me, 12 wings at a time…..The perfect dozen, enjoy!

When I made these, we made pasta on the side and then just mixed the pasta, the sauce and the wings all together.  Talk about GOOD!!  Thanks Kevin!

Q & A With Standing Bear 6-12-12

Mike and Brooke are making tracks!  Hiked so far - 1330 miles.

At LeHigh Gap they had to do some serious rock climbing.....

Mike taking a much needed rest after 1200 miles.....

Taking a break in New York after 1330 miles....  They look great, don't they?

Mike took the time to answer a few more questions while they are resting.

How is Brooke adjusting to the hike?

Brooke has had some physical issues.  Initially, she was using a pack with a different type of shoulder strap than she was accustomed to and her shoulder was bothering her.  She also had problems with her feet due to walking on the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania.  She seemed to be recovering and even put in a couple of 20 mile days, but then yesterday the heat and the climbing made her dizzy and she needed a nice break and a shower.  Overall I would say Brooke is off to a great start, as all hikers encounter issues along the way.  She has hiked 314 miles with me so far and I believe she can make it to Maine with me!

Explain what “trail magic” is and tell me what you like to find the best.

Trail magic is when someone who is not hiking the trail performs an unexpected act of kindness toward a hiker.  Typically, trail magic consists of finding a cooler of cold drinks and snacks near a road crossing on a hot day, but I have even been fortunate enough to have people invite me into their home, make me a nice dinner, give me a ride into town, etc.  There are some really nice people in this world and it's so wonderful to run into them after a long day of hiking!  The best trail magic is meeting a nice group of people and sharing the evening with them.  Good company is priceless!

What food do you crave while on the trail?

Fruit, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Simply Orange juice, anything from Dairy Queen.  Brooke craves pizza!

Do you like to stop and take a break in town or would you rather just keep to the trail?

It depends on the town.  Sometimes you are just dog tired and need to stop in a town to rest or resupply, even though the town isn't that enticing.  For example, Brooke was exhausted so we took a zero day in Duncannon, PA even though the room we were renting didn't have air conditioning, a tv, or really anything except a bed, and was kind of dirty.  The ideal town to stop in includes a hotel chain such as a Days Inn and a grocery store and Dairy Queen within walking distance.  If it's a nice town and I've been on the trail a few days then it's a breath of fresh air to stop in town.  

Have you ever felt uncomfortable around another person you’ve met on the trail or do you feel relatively safe?

I have felt uncomfortable around quite a few hikers.  While there are many, many nice people on the AT, it's important to remember that a six-month 2,200 mile journey will attract some odd characters.  Sometimes you are wondering "is this person just weird, but essentially harmless?  Or should I be worried?"  Machete Mitch scared a lot of hikers, as does anyone who openly displays a weapon.  We ran into a guy bicycling the trail in PA who was openly carrying a large handgun.  Then there are people who are clearly off their meds, people who are not necessarily hiking the trail but are living on the trail, etc.  Quite a few characters out here!  That's why I've stopped using the shelters.  There are a lot of great people out here but all it takes is one oddball to ruin it for everyone in the shelter.  If I sleep in my hammock or a tent, I have plenty of privacy and peace and quiet :)

Don't forget to stop by the Hike4Kids FB page or the Hike4kids blog page for more information.  If you'd like to make a donation for the cause, please feel free to do so through the blog page.

(all photos courtesy of MikeMcLaughlin.  Do not use without permission)