27 November 2011

Wind, Wool, & Bacon...

 I wanted to trim out the neck, cuffs, and the slash pockets on my Asbell pullover. Was a pretty simple process if a bit time consuming. The leather is from a tanned deer hide.





We had a warm system come through a couple days ago that had some rain in it. Melted most of our snow, now the temps are dropping again. It's unusual to be able to see the ground this time of year up here.

Awfully windy today, didn't figure I'd see any deer but I wanted to get out for a bit anyway. Try out my modified wool shirt, bum about and do some stump shooting to keep by bow-eye sharp so to speak.

Not a lot of scenery pics today, was more focused on shooting stumps and covering a bit of ground. The wind was pretty fierce but I stayed toasty in the shirt.

Stopped for some lunch, hope you enjoy the pics. The video at the end, is guaranteed to spark some hunger!



Where I stopped for lunch, the pines were breaking the wind a bit and there was some good dry fuel about as well.






Getting started on the fire prep. Dug out a bit with a rock, then used some of the other rocks to lay a dry flat and some walls.





Prep laid up with tinder and some Birch bark. The little bottle has some pure pine sap I gathered back in the summer, wanted to see how flammable it was.



FIRE!



When we kill and process a hog I don't have the bacon sliced, instead we have it smoke cured in 2 to 4 pound chunks. I like it this way so I can slice my bacon the way I like it. Mankilla thick if I had to put a name to it. I also like to have it in chunks like this for transport, just wrapped in some butcher's paper and toss it in the possibles bag.





Getting the fire just right before I set the iron pan on.



Laid up in that wool shirt, I like the way it came out. Trimming the cuffs, neck, and pockets with tanned doeskin changed the whole shirt, not just the looks either. The neck line and cuffs are more comfortable.

Waiting on the crispy goodness!








Finally!!!!!




This should get your juices flowing if you're a bacon kind of person.




11 comments:

  1. Bacon looks delicious, pullover looks warm and quite improved.

    You know, some of your posts really make me wish I'd been able to spend more time in the northern parts. Beautiful country.

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  2. I hear ya, they'll bury me here brother, I'll do whatever it takes to remain. I grew up in the south and the south east. Never was much for hot weather though. Did some growing up in the Green swamps of Florida, and up through the Appalachian mountains into the Blue Ridge, Virginia and West Virginia. Sometimes miss the oak trees, as I have none of those up here. Short of that, I don't miss much else.

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  3. Did you hit any of those stumps you were looking for? I like the new shirt, it seems to suit you and is a great color to blend with the rocks and bark of the North. Thanks for sharing yer bacon.

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  4. I like the shirt. I love bacon, but prefer it a tad crispy.

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  5. Nope, not hungry. It could be because I just ate some pork cracklins, though. ;) I'm all porked-out for the moment, but normally I would have been drooling. :)

    Great-looking wool pullover. I think I might try my hand at making one out of my Italian wool blanket this winter.

    I love that Kephart knife! That's my kind of blade.

    I give you credit for stopping for lunch where you did. I probably wouldn't want to eat where so many pine trees were breaking wind. ;)

    I, too, am not native to the great white north, but have absolutely adopted it as my own. It is a very special place.

    bmatt

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  6. What brand is your cast iron pan? Nice video.

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  7. Never mind the knives and such, i´d rather steal your skillet, with or without the bacons,and then sleep under the sky wearing that shirt.

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  8. My wife came home with that 7" flat skillet one day and it was mine the next, been using it ever since. The only markings on it are Skookie Mini-Skillet.

    I believe it was a part of a cookie/brownie cooking kit. It's a good size for solo-bushbummin.

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  9. "Mankilla thick"... oh yeah. You got me primed for an evening ramble myself - thanks for that.

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  10. Waugh! I can almost smell that bacon! And it's been a year since you posted it! It's gotta add like 15 pounds to your pack...

    I like the skillet, too. I have a #5 & a #8 made by Griswold and I love them!

    Happy Trails

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