Author: Steve (Page 19 of 20)

Rocket Stove

February 27, 2012 / Steve

I bought a Rocket Stove, which is a cookstove that’s very efficient. One of Cathy’s friends’ sons is involved in bringing this design to the third world, where it could be use with just about any fuel. I bought this one from a company in Oregon. It was made in China.

We tried it out at Terry’s house. Helping us were the next door neighbors, Jack and Colin. Jack is a Cub Scout so he knows a bit about how to make a fire.

We put some more green wood in the stove and it backfired, or so it seemed. Note how Colin has disappeared and Jack has backed up to a safe distance.

But when we got home, it worked just fine. Terry noticed that I was using a grill that puts fake grill marks on the hot dogs. I hadn’t noticed that.

I broke the clock!

November 10, 2011 / Steve

In 1982, I bought a mantel clock kit as a Christmas present for everyone. It was a pleasure to assemble, and you all know what it looks and sounds like. It originally came with a mechanical movement (from the Emperor Clock Company) which struck four chime bars along the bottom.

After about ten years, the spring broke. I sent it back in to be repaired. Then seven or so years later the repaired spring broke again, so I ordered a quartz electronic clock movement (this time from Klockit) which sounded different but worked flawlessly … until Sunday. Daylight Savings Time ended, and guess who forgot the instructions about never, never turning the clock backwards? It stripped the nylon threads so the time was perpetually frozen at 4:20.

Half past nothing!

Fortunately, Klockit still has electronic movements, and I ordered one which should arrive shortly.

Please remember never turn the clock backwards in November!

[UPDATE] New electronic movement installed and it works just fine.

Sound of the old movement

Sound of the new movement.

Grandma Ken’s cinnamon rolls

November 9, 2011 / Steve

Sent this to Becky by email today.

Dough (your best bread dough). After it rises, roll it out to about 1/4 in. thick, spread butter, cinnamon and sugar. Roll up. In the pan you will bake the rolls, rub the bottom with butter, then put enough brown sugar to cover the bottom, then nuts if desired (I use pecans). Cut the rolled up dough about 1 inch. put into the baking pan. Let rise, after it has doubled, pour half and half, or cream (about 1 tablespoon)over each roll and bake at the directions of the recipe you used for the dough.

Grandma Sugar used to give is very thick cream and when it soured Grandma Ken would make us cinnamon rolls.

Dad

November 6, 2011 / Steve

Georgia reminded me earlier this week that November 3 was my father’s birthday. He would have been 94 years old.

Me and my father, in Boulder, probably about 1970

Then I started looking around and realized that October 24, 2011, when we were doing – nothing important – was the twentieth anniversary of his death in Keizer, Oregon. I had forgotten.

Finally, I found that sometime I had uploaded a really maudlin song by one of my favorite performers, The Old Man by Phil Coulter to my webspace.

I listened to it for awhile and then started crying. God, I sometimes forget how much I miss him. And I always will.

Cruise

November 4, 2011 / Steve

I wrote a lot of emails during our recent cruise aboard the Holland America Line’s Eurodam, and thought it might be fun to string them all together so that you can enjoy the trip with us. Pretend that these are an edited series of letters.

Rifle Conoco closed

July 15, 2011 / Steve

Dave Higuera bought what then was the Rifle Chevron station when he was 18 years old, probably about 1972 or 1973.