MeatGuyver

Uh oh ...

I was supposed to cook BBQ spare ribs long and slow, the kids are coming, and  ... my old smoker grill is rusted out.

How did I miss that?

I pondered the issue.

Maybe I could get away with putting all the charcoal in the little attached smoker box. I was going to use indirect heat most of the cooking time anyway.

Well, that ain't happenin'.
The little firebox has a sound bottom, but the sides are shot.

I couldn't BBQ with hot coals falling down around me and the house.

I had hinted about a new smoker grill for Father's Day, but this was Memorial Day and the BBQ meal was only a few hours away ... at least, according to the eatin' plan.

Dilemma time.

And then ... inspiration.

I hopped in the JEEP and headed to town.

In a little while I was back with a piece of 2' by 2' ungalvanized sheet metal.

First, I took the metal to the forge and shaped it.

Then, I installed it like a skin graft over the gaping iron oxide infected areas.

In no time, the coals were tossing greenhouse gases into the air while
orange flames danced in celebration of  another "adapt and overcome" victory.

After the fire died down, the ribs spent a few minutes over the coals for some surface searing.
Then it was off to the side for about 3 hours of slow cooking.

The end product was verification enough that my MeatGuyvering of the grill's wounds had worked.  The ribs were tender, but not mushy, and so moist ... nothing like your chainBBQ place ribs.

I should have photographed my plate, but use your imagination ... green beans, corn on the cob, and all you could eat ribs.

Desert?
Yes, of course, there was desert, but honestly, I could have just had another rib and been happy.

Since you asked, desert was a sheet cake of pineapple, homegrown blueberries, yellow cake, pecans, and walnuts.

It all blended together into this warm, mushy, cobblery thing that was just outstanding.

Somehow, I had room for it ... right between my ribs.

Tis The Season



Mom's backyard about two weeks ago.

It is the season of writing and tweaking final exams, getting those last student assignments graded, and a whole host of other end of the school year things.
As a result, I've barely had a chance to comment, much less write anything sensible here at PF.

THIS PARTICULAR end season is especially grueling for me, as it is the end of a 22 year chapter at this school.
Yes, I have chosen to shake things up and take on a more challenging (in some ways) teaching mission ... somewhere else.


I'm not moving from PFHQ, just switching to another school in our huge county.
(Huge physically, not populationally)

There's more details on that to come, but for now, just imagine the kind of stuff that builds up in a science teacher's cabinets, drawers, and closets over two decades of teaching.

So, I am a little stressed out, with a wee bit of time left and a megapassle of things to do left on my list.

... and that's not counting the things I have forgotten to put on the list.



Suwannasaurus Rex

This little 6 footer was sunning just to the right of the Manatee Springs junction with the Suwannee River last weekend. A hundred yards away upstream along the spring run, dozens of people were happily splashing and swimming in the main spring.
The gator was enjoying the quiet solitude and sun in a gooshier, wilder area where swimmers do not go, but there is no physical barrier to prevent him from visiting the spring boil.

I was after sturgeon photos in my little sit on top fishing kayak, so I paddled past the sunning gator and across the river to where the sturgeon action was strongest. As I drifted along the bank with the current, I came across a much larger gator.
Much larger.



This one was stretched out in the water, with most of his body just beneath the surface. The Suwannee is tea colored, but clear in this area and I could see her bulk in its entirety.
I'm a fisherman, so I must exercise some restraint in my estimation to allow for fudgenicity of measurement.
My self-corrected conservative estimate is 8 feet.

What was so impressive and cautionary about this one, besides a respectable girth, is the fact that it stared me down and held its floating position while I drifted closer and closer.

In fact, when it never changed position or ducked under, I changed my course to give it even more space.

Perhaps a mound of rotting vegetation containing oval gator treasures sat in the swamp behind it ... incubating the next generation.

Whatever the reason, there was an air of territoriality in the gator's attitude and I did not care to challenge that while appearing to be a small creature atop an oddly shaped log.

You get my drift?



Sturgeon Hunting and Water Under The Bridge

This morning, when I launched my kayak at Manatee Springs, I had a nice surprise.
One of my former students and his Mom were preparing to go kayaking too and they had a little black pup along.

Meet "Bridge", so named because he was part of a litter found under a bridge at Cedar Key.
He's pretty Labbydelicious, and when I remarked on that, they commented that he might have some chow in him too ... he's got a black tongue after all.
Whatever the recipe, he's pretty scrumptious.

The sturgeon were leaping again, but not quite as much as last weekend. The morning river was very calm and pretty clear for the ice tea colored Suwannee. Those plants in the photo above are about 10 feet below the surface.
It was neat to think that beneath me somewhere, hundreds of sturgeon were holding in the current, just waiting for whatever the stimulus is that sends them leaping sky high out of the comforting water.

I waited.
They leaped.
I missed shots.

There WERE other  things to see of course, gators, hawks, other fish in the clear water, people, etc.

They were nice distractions ... especially that bignificent gator on the far bank, but I was here for a singular purpose.
Sturgeon.

Eventually, one leaped into my viewfinder, but even this one confounded my Sony as it desperately tried to expose for the dark tree line while presented with the counter shaded white belly of a six foot Gulf Sturgeon.
I"ll take it.

I'm getting closer and eventually, I am going to get that sharp, close-up, correctly exposed sturgeon photo.

I'll save today's gators for another post.

Gopher Urine and Motorcycles

I am pretty sure that I own the only motorcycle in the state of Florida that has had a gopher urinate on the seat.
It's a long story.
Well, no ... , it's actually a short story, but I can probably make it long if I try.

It all began at a 4-Way Stop  in the middle of 4 peanut fields being worked by big tractors.
I was heading north on Raptor Red, just gunkholing and looking for whatever might come my way.

I had assumed I would get more than 3 miles from the house before something interesting did actually come my way.

I was wrong.

I am used to this.

As I reigned in Raptor Red and pulled to a stop at the 4 way intersection, a bit of movement in the road caught my eye.

This tiny guy was crossing the two lane blacktop. He was leaving a field with one big tractor chewing up the ground and heading to the next field where another tractor was working the peanut crop.
Now here was a problem, ... a dilemma if you will.

The infant gopher was heading out of one dangerous place, across a dangerous road, to another dangerous place.
He was also a protected species.

A pick-up was approaching the intersection.
It was time to act.

I leaned over from my perch upon Raptor Red and scooped the baby gopher up and into my windbreaker pocket.
Not a perfect carrier, but I was still close to home and the gopher colony back at PFHQ.
Once I got turned around, I could ride one handed and keep one hand on the jacket pocket.

I swung the bike out of the intersection and headed back home.

In the rearview mirror, I saw the truck reach the intersection. It seemed to pause longer than needed at an empty 4-Way stop in the country.

The driver pointed out something in the road to his passenger.

I felt my pocket.

Empty.


I did a U turn and headed back to the 4-Way.

The truck drove on.

When I pulled up to the 4-Way stop, the little gopher lay on his back,legs kicking, seemingly none the worse for wear after his short fall from Raptor Red.

I thought about the truck as I scooped him up yet again.

What kind of people stop, look at an upside down tortoise baby in the road, and then go on without at least righting it or moving it to the side.

I pondered this as I drove home, one hand on the throttle, one hand on the tiny gopher wiggling in my jacket pocket.

I may have rolled through a few stop signs due to my one-handedness.

Back at PFHQ, home to at least 7 wild and free gophers, I warned the new guy about the neighbors cats who trespass here when Bear is inside. My advice was to share G-5's gopher burrow and not stray too far from the entrance.
He seemed to listen.

I showed him the entrance and he took it from there.
I hope to see him again and if he decides to stay and make his own burrow, it looks like he will be G-8.

What?
Oh, the gopher urine. Yes, well after releasing him safely, I returned to Raptor Red to head out once again.

One of the dimples in the leather seat was filled with liquid ... the one just below where my jacket pocket would be.

I reached into the pocket.

It was soaked.

As were my jeans beneath it.

Oh well, who could blame the little guy.

It was quite a morning for him.

Sturgeon Stampede

A peaceful Suwannee River scene. Did you notice the white explosion off to the right of the picture?
Compare it to the 30 foot houseboat to the left.

That is the splash of a  Gulf Sturgeon slamming the surface of the river after a leap out of the water.

In the picture above, a boat zips along as a sturgeon leaps just off the starboard bow.
The sturgeon return to the Suwannee to spawn in the spring and summer as they have done for millions of years. Part of this ancient ritual is jumping.
Don't ask me why they jump ... it should be clear.
It's mating season, remember?
They jump because they are happy.

It's a really good idea to slow down this time of year as you cruise the river. Already, there has been a boat-sturgeon collision with injuries.

Rentry.

Fosbury Flop.

When I first arrived at Manatee Springs on Sunday morning, I was on my motorcycle. I walked out the boardwalk to the river to see if the sturgeon were there and leaping. Not only were they there, but they were jumping like a bunch of mullet on steroids.
It was hard to get close for a photo since they were mostly jumping between the river center and the opposite bank.
So ... I zipped back home and switched the bike for the JEEP, which allowed me to launch my kayak in the Manatee Springs run and paddle across the Suwannee to where the action was.

That allowed me to get in the thick of things, but photographing these babies is a real challenge since you don't really know the point at which they will suddenly erupt from the tea colored water.

I would partially zoom in on an area and wait. If I was pointing in front, they would erupt behind me.
If I swung left, they would jump just a little to the right.
Maddening.
The digital delay of my beloved, but 5 year old Sony was a little maddening also.
I have a lot of splash only shots ... probably 5 of those for every shot shown here.

I did SEE beautiful photographs of sleek sturgeon in mid-leap with backlit gems of water spraying all around.
Just didn't capture those.

I think even these close cropped less than perfect shots can give you a feel for sturgeon spectacularity though.
It really is something to see ... and hear as these huge fish belly wop back into the river after a vertical flight of 6 feet.

I plan to return for more attempts, so maybe I can get that one shot that got away.

This shot is soft focus, but it does show a sturgeon at the peak of his leap.
These fish are so AWESOME!

Go see for yourself.
Prepare to be sturgeonated.

FCSI

The Crime: Unauthorized taking and dispersing of used frying oil after a wing feast.



AHA! The thief left trace evidence behind.
The game's afoot Watson!
(You love it when I call you Watson, don't you?)



Hmmm ...

These prints are pretty clear, but we should follow procedure.
Watson, hand me the fingerprint powder.

Excellent!
Although I prefer Hersheys fingerprint powder from the great state of Pennsylvania.

A light dusting will do, Watson.
What? You forgot your fingerprint brush.
You'll have to get low and puff the powder away.
Pretend it's your birthday and you have a wee tiny cake with those irritating restarting birthday candles atop it.
Puff, Watson, Puff!

Ah well, not the greatest, but it will have to do.
Now, Watson , based on the evidence at hand, ...
... who was the culprit?

Time Lapse

 The lovely La Diva Cucina once commented that "Life trumps blogging" and that is exactly what happened around here this week. We were pulled in all directions here at PFHQ as Emma graduated from USF officially last Saturday ... and of course, Mother's Day roared in the very next day like a comet on an annual orbit.

And then there is work,work, work.  MAJOR changes are a foot there. More details to come.
Let's focus on Emma a little bit more ...

 Mrs. FC made a massive Key Lime Cake  with all Emma's graduating girl buddies mentioned in fondant stars. We hauled it down to Tampa for a post graduation multi-family celebration in the back room of Whiskey Joe's restaurant on Tampa Bay.

 Emmortalized in icing.

 Emma relaxing in post graduation gown picture taking glow. Big sis Katie is in the background.

 I did find just a little backyard time to add a cypress raft to the turtle tank in the garden. The turtle pictured is one of the babies I hatched back in '06. There are two of them in the tank and they are as tame as puppies.

The blueberry crop is just about to kick in to full scale ripening. The early bush has been keeping us busy, but now the other heavily laden bushes are blushing into blueness. Soon it will be hard to just keep up with the blue avalanche, but somehow, we always manage to do so.

I've started cobblestoning my peanut butter sandwiches with them ... like you might do with banana slices.
Yum!

Now, I must go.
It's still Mother's Day around here since we could not get home last weekend to celebrate Mom.
Today is her day and Bear needs a bath before we head over.

Have a great weekend ... I will do better next week.

Marine Field Trip Part 2: Das Boot

 Well come on, hop on board. Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?

 What? Yes, you have to pitch in during this expedition. Now grab that line and pass it along the starboard side all the way up to the bow. It's time to pull the net in.

 It will be heavy with algae and critters, so heave ho and all that.  Oh, and try not to get your fingers between the metal net frame and the gunnels.
Kinda' pinchy when you do that.

 Wow! Talk about fresh eggs!  These tulip snail eggs must have been laid very recently. Look how clean they are. We will take these back to the saltwater tanks at school and see if they will hatch. They have done so on previous trips.

 What a cute Gulf Flounder pup. We'll let him go to grow up. They don't seem to do well in the aquaria at school and knowing that, I say we toss all baby flounders back.

(Plus ... they taste really, really good when they grow up)

 Thank you (NOT) Coast Guard for requiring this boat for hire to REQUIRE us to wear life jackets made for pelagic voyages miles from shore. I 'm a huge fan of the Coasties, but dang, we are staying inshore in shallow water surrounded by islands.  A smaller vest type jacket would be so nice AND REASONABLE in these inshore waters.

As you can see in the photo above, we spend a lot of time bending over to go through what the net brings up and the jackets were not very popular.

 Luckilly, the dolphins showed up just as the megalifejackets were making us grouchy and we all forgot about the fact that we were all wearing foam versions of medieval stockades around our neck.

On the way back in to the boat harbor, this brown pelican gave us the once over, in case we were fishermen returning with some leftover bait.
We couldn't help him this time.