Crowbait Creek Camp

So after our old camp was overrun by poison oak, my father in law and I decided to abandon it and scout a new place on the property he takes care of. We found a perfect flat area just above the 10 year high water line near the creek. 

I give you our new camp, Crowbait!

Sort of finished the shelter, but we need to put in side walls, and get a tarp that doesn’t have any holes in it.

Inaugural fire, and quick, slapped-together reflector.

Did a little panning in the creek, didn’t find anything but a couple little specks of gold. But a lot of black sand, so I’ll just need to dig a deeper hole.

Little warmup by the fire, to get feeling back into our hands.

Made a little coffee table (and remembered to put out the fire before I left)

Little peek at the creek. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but at the pine on the right the ground drops about a foot. Then it flattens out for about 15 feet toward the creek, then drops a couple more feet to the creek. The highest the creek has gotten in the last 6 years wasn’t quite to the lower flat area. And that includes the drought-busting rain California had a couple years ago. Not too worried about getting flooded out even though camp is like 20 feet from the creek. 

Future plans: make a couple bush chairs so we don’t have to sit on the ground. Get a new tarp or roof the shelter with brush. Reinforce the table (it’s a little wobbly but will support a coffee cup and a billy can). Bring down some buckets with lids to store space coats and miscellaneous dry goods.

Let me know what you think!

Pond fishing

Took the wife down to the pond at the bottom of the property I take care of today to do a little fishing.

I paddled around for a bit in my old, plastic Coleman canoe. One of these days I'm gonna do a post extolling the virtues of such a craft, and its place in among the "finer vessels" of cedar strips, carbon fiber, and fiberglass; but I just haven't made time.

However, I wasn't able to do much paddling, or even fish for myself. Why? Because my wife was catching up a storm! Every time I started to paddle away, she hooked another bass and needed me to come rescue her! Have a look:

This was the third or fourth one she caught, after I gave up on spending time in the boat. Since I couldn't convince her to unhook 'em herself, I made her take the pictures!

 Here's the next one. She didn't catch a single bass under 14".

Talked her into handling one, before they quit biting for the day.

 

Mwahahaha...just call the fire department right now

 So I've been learning farriery for about a year or so. My mentor traded a couple of shoeings for a forge for me so I can practice fitting shoes on my days off. And if I make a bottle opener or a steak flipper now and then, well,that's just part of the fun!

Took the wife fishing...and caught something odd!

So I finally convinced my wife to try fishing again. She used to a lot when she was younger, but hasn't in years. In the interim she changed to an all vegetarian diet for health reasons. Anyway, we have been looking for something we can do together that doesn't cost a ton of money, so I found a spincast rod for $5 at a thrift store, gave her an old tackle box I had lying around, and filled it up. We went to the in-laws place and paddled around their pond for awhile, and she caught about 12 bluegill.

She even did some "vegan fishing!"

I caught a handful of 'gills, a couple bass, and this weird looking dude.

Body and coloring of a bluegill, but a huge mouth like a bass. This fish was about 8" long and you could have fit a golf ball in that yapper.

I posted this over on Bushcraft USA, and the general consensus was that it is a warmouth, or goggle-eye.

Made a friend.

I think I made a friend! 

 

 For a few weeks, this red-shouldered hawk has been following me around the property every time I weed whack. 

The weedeater must sound like a dinner bell.

Fatwood

Went for a walk with the father in law the other day. Came back with this:

Overall about 6 feet of 3" diameter prime ponderosa fatwood, once all the rot gets scraped off. By far my biggest find, and there's a lot more where this came from if I just look! 

Made me a holster

So I had a hide shoulder on hold at the local trading post until I brought in enough acorns, roadkill, and rocks to trade for it. I finally brought it home the other day, and decided to make a holster for my ranch edc revolver. 

Glued the edges and drying.

Stitched up and ready for wet forming. I used dental floss since I didn't have any artificial sinew.

Wet formed and drying. Next is the first burnishing and dyeing.

All set up and ready to dye, put on a nice smooth coat of dark brown...ah crap!

Alright so it's not all smooth and even...I guess that's what you get for using wood stain instead of proper dye...but hey it looks pretty cool!

I'm happy with how it turned out. I like the horsehair tassel for the hammer loop.