stanley

Man, that fire appears to be really raging! REALLY need a good monsoon drenching up there so badly, right now!!! Looks like that's basically the only thing that will have a chance of beating that thing down. Praying for some big/robust monsoon cells (NOT dry lightning) ASAP!!

89A back open! 67 and Kiabab NF still closed, though. One step at a time.... 👍

Ya, I've been watching the containment closely. Containment or out completely, the Kiabab National Forest still needs to make a decision to open, though. The current order states norther district of KBNF closed through September, so hopefully that was just them over-shooting to give themselves enough time to deal with it all. Hopefully once the fire(s) are out and if some decent monsoon moisture finally comes, they will re-open sooner than the current order states.

Curious who's still watching this. My AZ Trail hiking partners and I are completely finished, with the exception of the four most norther passages that go from the GNP boundary north to the Utah border. The trail roughly parallels 67 right through the Kiabab forest. We had this weekend planned for two of the sections and were going to finish the final two in mid-September. I had originally figured that once 89A was reopened, we could then get it done. Like a dumb-dumb though, I hadn't considered the closure of the KB forest separate of the highway closures. Turns-out the northern district of the Kiabab forest is closed THROUGH September (unless said otherwise...). So, no AZ Trail finish for us in the next couple of months, as we had planned. Made me think again of the archery guys. A real drag! Kaibab National Forest | White Sage Fire Temporary Closure for Public Health and Safety | Forest Service Thoughts for those directly impacted by this (like the Jacob Lake Inn and other business, plus the GNP lodge impact), and gratitude to the fire fighters involved in the effort to control/contain! S.

Reminds me of a story from my brother. Growing up in Kearny WAY back in the mid-70s, my older brother had a job bussing tables at the GKI (local motel & restaurant). Some mining executive was visiting town from back east and saw 'chimichanga' on the menu, and asked what it was. My brother told him it was a fried burro. The guy apparently exclaimed; 'You guys eat those out here????'!! 🤣 Side note: Since when did everyone start calling them 'burritos'?? They were always burros where I came from.

Yup, I'm 60 with a sense of humor that ranges from about 14 years old to 20ish. Get my old buddies and I together on a golf course or around a fire at hunting/fishing camp and it's high school & college all over again.

Ya, I'm I'm probably about as old as your dad, I'm guessing..... I've done a couple of smoked Thanksgiving turkeys over the years. I picked that Brinkmann up at a yard sale for $5 almost 30 years ago. GF tells me to get one of them fancy-shmancy Traegers, but this old thing works just fine.

Looks good, guys! I'm doing a pork butt today. Pup wants to get her nose in there anytime I go near the smoker to add more mesquite or to check the temp. LOL Happy 4th!

Gone.👊

Looks like a beauty! Out of curiosity, did you run the serial number through the Winchester manufacturing date site? Can be pretty cool to know that info.... I've got one that my father acquired 'new' in the box in the early 60s (Was found in an unsealed crate in an old warehouse at the Ray mine when they were relocating things to make room to expand the mine to an open pit operation. They found a crate full of brand new Model 94's, that had been purchased by the mine in the late 19-teens to guard against a possible raid by Pancho Villa. They ended-up raffling them off to the miners. Dad ended-up with one....). It was manufactured in 1915. Oldie with full buckhorn sights, etc. Love these old rifles!! Would have put my name hat but looks like you have a line of willing buyers, already!

BOOM

+1 on bleu cheese all day long!

Last night's dinner. Elk stew meat ground into burgers (mixed in about 25% beef fat trimmed from a brisket I smoke a couple of weeks ago), plus grilled sweet potatoes. Went with lettuce wrap style because I'm trying to keep my carbs low. Was VERY good but concluded that burgers are WAY better with a toasted buttery bun!

This popped on my Yahoo news aggregator this morning. Maybe posted here before, but I don't recall. BIG Brown bear!! Giant Grizzly Taken in Alaska Is a New World Record, Confirms Boone & Crockett

Ya..... Sort of sad. My old man was in a B-17 over France on D-day. Always break out his scrap book and look at his old pics, documents, etc. this time of year. They were all heroes. Sort of related, but not exactly; I was in London early last month, and it happened to be during the "VE Day" holiday. Though it is not an official national holiday, there was a BIG parade up The Mall Road (road leading directly to the palace). I saw a few American flags here and there as a remembrance and thank you for our country's huge part in England and all of Europe's eventual victory over the Nazi's. Was nice to see the American reference's here and there as they celebrated one of the biggest unofficial holidays of the year over there.