Sit. Rep. #76: Campfires and Constellations

1- Think of a couple of things that make you feel loved.  Being held in safe arms?  Special / favorite meal – especially if it is home-cooked?  Puppy dog asleep on your lap?  Someone who listens intently & intensively?  Words of love?  Being taken care of when you are sick, or lonely, or down?
     Think of a couple of things that make you feel safe.  Family?  Parents investigating strange noise in the night?  Locked door?  With loyal friends?  A stout building in a storm?  New tires in the rain?  When the doctor says you are OK?

1B- A campfire in many ways is both to me.  We surround each other with our loyalty and safety.  A campfire usually means that we are fed.  And maybe a cracker barrel or dutch oven dessert is cooking in the coals.  The night darkness is held at bay.  Tales, stories, tips, and connections are all shared around the campfire.  The size of the fire does not matter. The campfire connections are magic to me.

2- More cooking terms:
   Cut-in: To mix flour and fat with a knife or fork to make dough.
   Deep-Fry:  Immerse in hot oil.
   Fry: Cook in an open pan with a minimum of oil.
   Dredge: To coat meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish) with flour before frying.
   Marinate: To tenderize and flavor meat before cooking by immersing it in a spiced liquid.

A- What happened to the worker who fell into the lens grinding machine?
B- He made a spectacle of himself.

3- A couple of weeks ago I found some winter flannel shirts on sale.  I bought a couple in the middle of this summer heat.  They will be warm and on hand this fall & winter.  I plan & shop for camping gear for many months.  As a personal matter, I believe that almost everything goes on sale if I wait long enough.
    Hint:  Make a list of stuff that you need and start shopping, looking, asking fellow campers & Scouts for insight &/or used items.  If you get in a hurry; then you are at the mercy of the seller and will pay more than you need to.

3B- Watch out for equipment/gear ENVY!  If someone has something better, newer, lighter, better looking, more functions, et. al.; then I tend to go green with equipment envy and want one.  My wants will outrun my budget and needs by light-years.  Be careful, be wise with your money.

3C- Shop rental returns and Amazon WarehouseSierra Trading Post is a Wyoming based mail order that I have used & like.  REI also has a used / return / outlet sale pages on the web.  Play it Again Sports used sporting equipment is another place to shop.

A historically known fellow named: Moshe Rabbenu had the first written copy of this.  Moshe Rabbenu  means “Moses our Teacher.”  Envy is # 10 in the list of 10 commandments.

4- Think about making a survival tin to keep in your pocket during camping trips.  Something the size of a breath mint tin, or a prescription bottle will do nicely.  Hard case or soft case does not matter.  I think that a tin has a few more uses than a soft case.  You can boil a little bit of water, or make char cloth in a tin.

4B- A single edge razor blade, some fish hooks, fishing line (monofilament), band-aids, a couple of matches or flint & steel, cotton balls.  Whatever your skillset needs to survive 24-48 hours.  Some may add a small compass & parachute / 550 cord.  Maybe a small signal mirror.  A small magnifying glass.

C- Do you know that computers will never replace mankind.
D- I agree.  They can be smarter and faster than any person in the world.
But let us hope that
they never master stupidity!

5- Isobar lines on a weather map show the atmospheric pressure.   Sometimes atmospheric pressure is called barometric pressure because the atmospheric pressure is gauged or measured by a barometer. The isobar lines a very similar to topographic maps.  The isobar lines join atmospheric pressure of equal or constant pressure.  Just like the elevation lines on a topo map join the areas of equal or constant elevation.  And there are highs and lows in atmospheric pressure.
     Technically the pressure is the pressure of the air above a given point.  (think weight – not mass – why – because gravity is involved)  There are many factors that affect atmospheric pressure:  Altitude, Temperature, and Humidity.

5B- Here is one of the important points:  The closer the isobar lines, the steeper the pressure gradient.  Just like topo maps, the closer the contour lines – the steeper the terrain or slope.
       A steeper pressure gradient usually means more and higher winds!   Be careful.  Be mindful.  Watch the heavens for weather signs. Watch these lines close to a hurricane.

E- I am looking for a hard mystery game with lots of graphics for my computer.
F- Have you tried Windows?

6- Two summer nighttime constellations that should be easy to find:

Leo (the lion): Has a big backward question mark for his head.
Cygnus the Swan (the Northern Cross): looks like a big cross or capital T.

7- July 5, 2020, gives the full moon called the Buck Moon.  August 3, 2020, gives us the Sturgeon Moon.

Observing and absorbing,
Gaither

check out: Campfire Skits:   by Thomas Mercaldo

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