I promised you: More Bigfoot, Cookies, and Philosophy. Here we go. Gather round the campfire! As part of my Bigfoot Fun Quest, I arranged a Bigfoot cookie baking day last year with two of my friends, fully intending to post the photos here, and then ruminate a little about Bigfoot. And then I forgot to … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Find Your Tribe
Author: Camp Host Chad
Fun With Bigfoot
A few years ago, I got a little obsessed with Bigfoot. Not in a, "Real vs. Not Real" way; more like, "Let's have fun!" Don't worry, I wasn't all, "Knock knock! Anybody home?" (Well, OK. maybe I did. But definitely not again after that second time.) ME: "Hello? Mr. Bigfoot, are you in here?" A … Continue reading Fun With Bigfoot
Cookies Tell Stories: Recipe for Life
Previously, on Campfire Tales: Various sources recounted the invention of the prize-winning Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies, sometimes omitting the theft and replacement of the $10,000 prize check. Today, let's consider the real legacy of Laura Rott. Every celebration, article and obituary focuses on the baking contest, mostly through Eleanor Roosevelt's summary, and including Eleanor's "unmarried" … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Recipe for Life
Cookies Tell Stories: Surprise in the Middle
Even from the very first post, Campfire Tales mixed baking recollections, random connections and storytelling. And lately, one cookie recipe keeps leading me down so many seemingly disparate rabbit holes, I must investigate how they might be interwoven. Let's explore the warren! In one of Eleanor Roosevelt's 1949 "My Day" syndicated columns (weary bloggers take … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Surprise in the Middle
Aye, Golden: Simply the Best
Last week, my long-anticipated vacation to Jamaica included a surprising intersection between high and low points. The high point was a tour — arranged by Mike through his travel connections — of Goldeneye, formerly the Jamaican estate of Ian Fleming (where he wrote all his James Bond novels), later developed into a luxurious resort by … Continue reading Aye, Golden: Simply the Best
Save It From a Rainy Day
What with all the recent rain in California, I was reminded of the lower water levels at the Lake Nacimiento reservoir the last time I camped there with friends (and Scooter-Man) in 2015. So, I ask you, what better excuse to go camping than to check the status of the widely reported California drought? The … Continue reading Save It From a Rainy Day
Into Spring
Picking up where last we left off — Winter passing into Spring — here are a few images to celebrate the turning of the season:
Winter Cascades
Living in California with all the recent rain (for which I'm grateful), I've begun anticipating the change of seasons. Looking back at where I was this time last year, on a trip to Vancouver Washington, what strikes me is the difference between the season I expected flying in, and the one I found when I … Continue reading Winter Cascades
Bring on Summer, I’m Ready (At Last)
I subscribe to Bake from Scratch magazine, and last year they featured a recipe for "Atlantic Beach Pie" as their "Pie Recipe of the Year" in their May/June 2022 issue. Basically a key lime pie but with these variations: Regular limes, and more lemon juice and zest than lime. Saltine cracker crust (which tastes like … Continue reading Bring on Summer, I’m Ready (At Last)
Book Review: Wayfinding
The full title — Wayfinding: Poetry celebrating America's parks and public lands — really tells you everything you need to know about this book. Will you like the book? Umm... I started the book two years ago. At the time, it wasn't for me. I put it down. It gathered dust. But then... this … Continue reading Book Review: Wayfinding
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