Whistling Badger Blog

My long time readers (come on, you know you're out there--all three of you) might or might not remember my attempt at winter fly fishing a couple years ago.  That day, I got skunked.  And very, very cold. Last weekend, I had another go at it, with guide service provided by my friend Mike, a fishing guru if ever there was one.  That know-how, and a loaner set of waders, did the trick. Here is the smallest one I caught: And here is one of the bigger ones: I landed about five or six roughly this size; I was too busy laughing and hooting to keep count.  They were all browns, though I hooked one monster rainbow that got off after a fairly epic, ten-minute battle.  The fishing was so great, we almost forgot how miserable the weather was.  Good thing I was wearing more wool than the average sheep. We let them all go, so they're still out there.  And no, I won't tell you where "there" is...unless the price is right.  But you probably can'...

A nice picture of Thailand. I made up this recipe for my wife.  She can't eat meat and wasn't in the mood for stir fry, but all we had in the fridge was stir fry-type veggies, so I decided to try something different.  I used this as a starting point, but heavily modified it from there.  It ranks 4/5 on the coveted Wilson Recipe Scale, losing one point only because it doesn't include chocolate, bacon, aged cheddar, or onion rings. As-is, it is vegan and gluten-free (the latter being accidental).  It would be nice with the addition of some thin-sliced beef, shrimp, or chicken.  And like most recipes, it would be INCREDIBLE with bacon added:  just a slice, fried crisp, finely crumbled, and added to the sauce. What you need For the sauce: *1/4c peanut butter, preferably a smooth, all-natural type *2 T Hot water *The juice and zest of 2 limes.  If you don't know (I didn't until today), zesting limes is really easy:  Just scrape them over a...

Sarah and Katie have been reading Care Bears books lately.  They decided I was "Braveheart Bear."  I guess I can live with that.  But the original Care Bear in question wasn't really my style.  So, a bit of fun with Gimp... Aye.  Much better.  ARE YE READY FOR A MAULIN'?!

Try again, Kevin. I love my bow.  It is one of the few physical possessions that actually sort of matter to me.  I'm no expert, but I love shooting, and I love watching others make great shots.  Over the years, I have had a good time watching the many movies which prominently feature archery.  Among my favorite archery-intensive movies have been various incarnations of the Robin Hood story, Braveheart, The Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Avatar, and assorted dystopic/post-apocalyptic action flicks, most recently The Hunger Games. Let's face it:  Archery is one of those pursuits, like combat driving or sky-diving, that is inherently, universally cool.  Movie goers can't seem to get enough of bow-and-arrow wielding heroes and heroins. As an archer myself, however, reality matters, too.  There are many more wrong ways than right ways to shoot a bow.  Most archery movies bug me, at some point.  With that in mind, I offer the following li...

Being a meditation on a Scottish Clan, a Wyoming Distance Race, and the Deeper Meanings Thereof In the extreme northeast corner of Scotland, there is an area of quiet farms and ranches, towering sea cliffs, and tiny fishing towns, where the sea is a constant presence and the wind is more a part of the landscape than a mere meteorological phenomenon.  These hills and coast-lands were once the home of a rather fierce group of Norse-Celtic people who called themselves clan Gunn.  And descended from that clan is a family called the Wilsons. My connection the Gunn clan is sketchy at best, more a matter of choice than historical certainty.  Even my brother, the history teacher, has been thwarted in his efforts to trace our ancestry:  "Wilson" is an absurdly common name, and there are simply too many on the books to sort them all out.  For all this, the Gunn lands felt like home when I visited years ago.  The story of the clan --from its Viking o...

I am supposed to be taking a nap right now.  But I can't.  There is something I have to say. I have been mining my Facebook records for fun Katie quotes.  That is the only place I have recorded them, and I want to get them saved somewhere else before FB decides I don't need them anymore.  There are many, and they are hilarious and heartwarming, and I will share them once I get them compiled.  But while looking, I came across the story of January-March, 2011.  The worst time of my life. But that isn't what I need to tell you. I read all of the posts, and all of the comments, mine and yours, from the time Sarah first got sick until the memorial service.  I have laughed and cried a lot this afternoon.  This one entry sort of sums it all up: February 11, 2011 Feels like I'm riding down a raging river--nowhere to pull out; just have to ride with it until it's over--on a lifeboat made of friends: Their prayers, love, hope, and acts of servic...

...with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. --Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, 4:2-3 Here is something that has been really driven home to me recently: The trouble with conflict is that everyone involved thinks they are right.  That is so obvious it seems rather hare-brained to even point it out.  But consider the implications: Since I am right, I feel justified hardening my heart, manipulating, bending the truth ever so slightly, raising my voice, or whatever else I need to do.  Because I, after all, am right.  But if the other person does any of these things, they are being unreasonable and unworthy of my efforts.  Because they, after all, are wrong. Since I know my motives are good, I must assume that the motives of the other person are bad.  Having decided that, I form conclusions about not just what the other person is doi...

The first thing, here, is don't get too fussy about exact amounts of this or that.  My recipes are more like guidelines, anyway. What you need: --10-15 Tomatillos.  Cut into halves or thick slices (if they're big ones) and remove the stem cores. --2 Jalepeno peppers, stemmed and cut in half lengthwise.  Don't remove the seeds and membranes. --2 Ancho peppers, stemmed and cut in strips lengthwise, so all outside surfaces can be exposed to heat (see step 1A below).  Don't remove the seeds and membranes.* --2 Large Anaheim peppers, prepared the same way. --1/2 white or yellow onion, cut into 1" thick slices.  (A handful of green onions would also work.  A purple one might look cooler.  Let me know how it goes.) --2-4 cloves of garlic --A handful of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped. --Juice of 1 fresh lime.  You can use the bottled stuff if it's all you can get. *This will give you a good "medium" to "medium hot" salsa.  For a hott...

Now, HERE is an exercise of federal power I can get behind. " I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities." Get out there and do your patriotic duty, everyone.  The United States is counting on you.

My mom is pretty much the most amazing person I know. As many of you will know, she has been very sick.  A few weeks ago, her kidneys shut down, bam, unexpectedly.  She spent almost a month in the Casper hospital, undergoing dialysis to keep her body going while the docs try to figure out what on earth happened.  They have mostly ruled out cancer.  Other than that, they are still scratching their heads.  My mom gets that from doctors all the time. What many of you might not know is that today was her birthday.  She is spending it in a nursing home.  For my mom, thank God, this is a temporary arrangement.  Despite my initial gut feeling, I believe she is going to pull through this (silly gut feelings).  The home is, for her, just a less-expensive place where she can have nursing and rehab care until she is strong enough to go home. Still, nursing homes are difficult.  As annoying as a hospital can be, with the constant ...

It is old news now that President Obama finally came right out and admitted what we all figured anyway, that he's in support of gay marriage.  I say "admitted" because I don't think he really wanted to say anything about it, at least not just yet.  Now, it looks like the argument, in various incarnations, is headed toward the Supreme Court.  I would hate for the Justices to have to debate this topic without first being made privy to my wisdom on the subject, so here it is. I have kicked this issue around for a long time, wondering how to reconcile my Christianity, which tells me that some things are right and some are wrong, with my libertarian streak, which tells me our country was founded on liberty, and people should pretty much be able to do whatever they want as long as they aren't hurting anyone else.  I have reached some conclusions, but I too am still "evolving" about what they mean.  Here are some of my thoughts.  As always, I would be inter...

So passes Rocky (2003??-2012), known in his younger years as the Indestructible Mountain Dog.  He was a good buddy.  He lived a good life.  It was time.  So long, Rock Head. Click here to view these pictures larger

One year ago today. Treasure the ones you love.  Never let them go.