Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

glenn kangiser · June 24, 2012, 11:49:59 PM

Just trying to help do our part to help spread the Good News and follow the Golden Rule, Andrew.

Here is a pix of the vegetables we used for today's meal...

The Rutabaga was 6 lbs - I think a bit over 6 inches diameter. The big Golden Cylindrical Beet weighed 3.5 lbs and both were still excellent eating condition. Not woody or tough or anything else.

Had to sharpen the big knife to cut that one....

Sassy made a BIG pot of chicken and vegetable soup. I added rice, heirloom carrots and Saffron as well as cut up some of the big vegetables. A joint effort.

Our Indian friends even got up at 5:30AM to cook us Indian dishes also, so after church we all sat down together and had a great feast, good company and conversation.

MountainDon · June 25, 2012, 01:30:58 AM

QuoteI think you could give classes on being a great host

Glenn and Kathy come by it naturally, I believe. I don't think you can teach, or learn, how they are, how they receive people. They are simply generous in everything they do. I think one either has it or they don't. They have "it". Maybe some folks could emulate them, but they are the real deal. We are very happy to have made the journey and spend a little time with them.

June 25, 2012, 10:28:29 AM

Quote from: MountainDon on June 25, 2012, 01:30:58 AM
Glenn and Kathy come by it naturally, I believe. I don't think you can teach, or learn, how they are, how they receive people. They are simply generous in everything they do. I think one either has it or they don't. They have "it". Maybe some folks could emulate them, but they are the real deal. We are very happy to have made the journey and spend a little time with them.

Very well put Don.

I have to say that I'm lucky enough to have them as friends and I'm lucky enough that Glenn puts up with my sarcasm.

True friends are hard to find

Whitlock

glenn kangiser · June 25, 2012, 10:54:20 AM

An honor to have all of you as friends.

mtman · June 25, 2012, 02:12:02 PM

Quote from: MountainDon on June 25, 2012, 01:30:58 AM
Glenn and Kathy come by it naturally, I believe. I don't think you can teach, or learn, how they are, how they receive people. They are simply generous in everything they do. I think one either has it or they don't. They have "it". Maybe some folks could emulate them, but they are the real deal. We are very happy to have made the journey and spend a little time with them.

I always get that feeling from reading what they share share with us here, great people!!
Would like some day when I have the time to make the journey and meet them myself, till then I keep reading and enjoying!

June 25, 2012, 06:33:38 PM

Thanks, mtman. You are of course welcome to drop by when you are out this way. We always try to treat our good friends well.

I enjoy sharing information with people and teaching them what I can as well as learning from those willing to share...because many older folks who knew how to do stuff when I was a kid would not share. Job security? Scared of a kid....

Whatever... It rather ticked me off and being a kid I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

So when I got older I got even by sharing everything I knew with all who wanted to know. That caused all the professionals and union workers who wouldn't share to lose their jobs, hence the financial meltdown and burst of the housing bubble. Sorry 'bout that.... they have since learned not to cross me and we should eventually see a slight recovery if the bankers and politicians will keep their hand out of the cookie jar.... [ouch]

Sassy · June 25, 2012, 07:22:21 PM

Hey, thanks MtnDon & Mtman!

Oh, can't forget Whitlock

We really enjoyed Don & Karen's visit - had a great time visiting w/Karen & was glad they felt they could make themselves at home.

Whitlock makes himself at home whether we want him to or not

He keeps Glenn entertained & also tries to keep him out of trouble once in awhile.

Ya'll are welcome anytime

Ernest T. Bass · June 26, 2012, 12:05:31 AM

Well put, Don! Yeah, next time we happen to be in your neck of the woods we gotta stop by. The pics are cool but I've gotta see that hole in the ground and those waterfalls in person someday.

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 12:18:23 AM

Andrew, we would be honored if you and even your whole family would drop in on us.

I can think of tons of things we could do.

Maybe a stop by St Joseph's?

http://www.malakoff.com/goldcountry/mcs3.htm

...and of course Waterfalls - Yosemite.... mines ...whatever you have time for.

June 26, 2012, 01:04:58 AM

Well, that's quite a quaint little church! We aren't quite as Catholic as we used to be, but we could stop in anyway if it means a lot to you.

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 09:55:04 AM

Not a problem Andrew. Likely better I think. I would rather you met our friends from the little church who take all of the students to Yosemite with us (or more like we do together).

They would bring over their fiddles, kids, food and have a big dinner just to get to meet you and have an excuse to spend some time together.

The old Catholic Church is cool as a historic landmark and cemetery on the hill adjoining it is filled with lots of graves dating back to historic gold rush days. I haven't gone through it or the other ones here in town but some of the townspeople have recently had a drive to adopt a grave and clean up the unkempt. Life was rough here in the old days. [ouch]

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 10:19:38 AM

Oh yeah... haven't put pix on of our last friends visit. Our friends from Sacramento area in front of Vernal and Nevada Falls on Glacier Point....

Not sure who these old timers are....

..........a bit of wild life

A Stellar Jay

A hungry Coyote hoping for handouts... not supposed to feed them though....

....a cautious watcher in the bushes... The Hills Have Eyes.....

Wat chu lookin' at?

I could cut a lot of boards from that tree.....

...and Sassy and our good friend Carmella from Palau who has adopted us...

Carmella and I were chatting and kind of think the monster behind them has risen up out of the ground and is about ready to drag them under into it's lair.

Fun stuff we can do near the Underground Complex...

StinkerBell · June 26, 2012, 10:41:18 AM

Love the pics Glenn.

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 11:02:29 AM

Thanks, Stink.

I try a lot of the time to get pix that are not quite so common as I have so many random shots of the Park. We were on the move so much that it was a bit harder this time but still got some decent ones.

Like the above... doesn't look like spider eggs.... I am more thinking it is a sanatary way for spiders to store waste after they pinch off a loaf.... sort of a spider outhouse... of course I might be wrong....

or the gratuitous flower shot....

I never seem to get tired of those.

Trying out my new Camera by the way. A Panasonic Lumix ZS20 with GPS and a map of the entire world in it. It is the big brother of the ZS19 without the map and GPS.

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Sensitivity-Digtial-Optical-DMC-ZS20R/dp/B007CLW3GE/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339273603&sr=1-3&keywords=lumix+zs20

The ZS10 bombed... it was a step backward for Lumix so previous the ZS7 was about the best. They redid everything on the ZS20, with a 20x optical zoom and 40x digital Smart Zoom as well as surpassing the image quality and speed of the ZS7 in my opinion. It seems to be very fast. It retains the very wide angle shot as well as having the equivalent of a 2 foot long 35mm lens on it - maybe 300 to 400 mm.

You can't get much more camera that will fit in your pocket. It maps and keeps track of the coordinates of where each photo was taken over the entire world if you load the entire map as I did. 6GB of data for that but I put in a 32 gig card so no problem.

Since I am a great one for breaking cameras I also got the Fathers Day special on the warranty for a bit over $40 from Square Trade. They have come through before for me so I trust them. The includes drops and breaks for 3 years. Regular price is a bit more.

http://www.squaretrade.com/ They cover about anything electronic rather than getting ripped off by a store warranty.

June 26, 2012, 11:52:38 AM

Tent catapillars....Thats what that looks like, but I could be wrong.

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 06:10:15 PM

It makes sense, Stink...... [idea]

Their food supply is seemingly endless at this time of year....

It may spell disaster for unsuspecting city dwellers though....

Yosemite is filled with tents in the summer.....

Imagine going to Big 5, getting a brand new tent.. setting it up in Yosemite Valley at the campground you reserved last year...

...nodding off to sleep in your sleeping bag with the zipper zipped up over your head due to all of the scary noises... the fearful chirping of a frog..... the distant hoot of an owl talking to its mate...the lonesome howl of a coyote in the dark...(zips up tighter)....

Imagine their chagrin when they wake up in the morning to find that their tent has been eaten by tent caterpillars...

Ernest T. Bass · June 26, 2012, 10:50:37 PM

You take some really awesome pics with that cam... Love the squirrel--he needs a caption bad..

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 11:14:56 PM

Thanks, Andrew. I really enjoy trying to get the ..little bit different shots... though I do take a lot of unremarkable ones too. [ouch]

glenn kangiser · June 26, 2012, 11:29:24 PM

Another kind of cool one though I would have liked to see it in a bit better focus... Fair though. Chasing it all over the mountain side and it did not want to be photographed very bad....

La Mariposa......

AdironDoc · June 27, 2012, 07:40:16 AM

Nice photos Glenn! You certainly are a man for all seasons! Having gotten my first dslr camera just last week, I've been practicing and learning the ropes. In fact, I got a macro-tube yesterday and set upon every insect and flower in my yard with marginal success. Most critters flew away as I came close. Fortunately my peppers didn't and left me with a few good shots. Seems you've either got the experience or the knack for it, maybe both. Anyway, I'll be touring Colorado next week and will drive to Yellowstone for 4 days before heading back to New York. I was waffling over making it Yosemite, but I'll save that for next time. Hopefully will return with memories and great photos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, hospitality and for being an inspiration to many of us. I'll say hello to you and Sassy if I'm up in your corner sometime.

Cheers,
Glenn

June 27, 2012, 08:34:49 AM

Thanks so much, Doc and of course you are always welcome here.

The ZS20 has IA - intelligent auto and great Image Stabilization/anti-shake.... It automatically changes shooting modes on the fly depending on what it's computer senses you need - or if you want to fool with it, it has Aperture priority, Shutter priority and a ton of other settings to confuse and bewilder the best of us along with a million scene modes.

I considered a bigger DSLR but remember Kevin Kelly's comment about this camera in it's early days. He was a founder of Wired Magazine and Kevin Kelly Cool Tools where I found out about my first Lumix. He published a book called Asia Grace and said now this is the only camera he would pack. It covers everything from wide angle to telephoto to macro to video without carrying extra lenses. Asia Grace was a big picture book with no words. It is true the the DSLRs may give that extreme super image, but the trick is getting there in time to catch it with the right lens installed. [ouch]

For times when you want a pocketable camera it makes a great backup for the DSLR. Our friend Myo from Burma carries a large and small camera. He takes some beautiful DSLR pix in his travels. He likes the countryside too so takes the pix I like to see. He also has a great eye for catching interesting shots.

I did some aerial photography when flying in order to use my Commercial Pilots License. I used a couple cool SLR's - a Motor Drive Mamiya 645 and Minolta 35mm but fortunately the digitals made them impractical. No more need for a foot long camera and lens. Film and developing was outrageously expensive.

I consider myself an advanced amateur.....

AdironDoc · June 27, 2012, 03:27:40 PM

I've always used point and shooters too and, like you I have a Lumix, albeit the older ZS-10. It's a 16x optical zoomer but I've been frustrated by little imperfections in my videos when using flash. It appears like it's snowing, even though I'm inside. I cleaned the lens to no avail. In bright light and outside, no problem. Anyway, I'm eager to do some night photography, star paths, moon over lake, etc. Couldn't get my Lumix to do anything in an environment darker than a good restaurant. I also have a tiny sony I got back from my daughter when she moved up to a DSLR. It's so small in fact, I've never seen a cam smaller yet. Feels like it could hide in your palm and great to keep in the glove box for those, "OMG, look at this", moments.

My 15 yr old daughter is leaving for a 2 week National Geographic Student Expedition this weekend, and will be taught by the team leader who is a Canon sponsored pro wildlife photographer and another, who is a renowned field biologist specializing in American prairie habitats. It wasn't cheap and I'm hoping that beyond the whitewater, camping, conservation experience for her, she'll come back and "school her old man" on the camera!

Not a bad investment..

I wish there were a thread or section here not directly involving the building, but more of a "crafts/recipes/post your non-build photo". Not cabin building, per se, but cabin life. I'd post some critter/flower photos I took and ask for pointers/criticism on improving them. Also how to cook venison, wild-leeks, etc.

Anyway, I think before my photography really takes off, I'm gonna need a nice hat like you've got. That's what I'm missing..

Regards to you and Sassy,
Glenn

glenn kangiser · June 27, 2012, 03:39:20 PM

We could just start a thread in off topics exactly as you like, Doc. That is our free for all area and we do have some decent photographers here.

I was about to buy the ZS10, but after reading reviews extensively, I found too many problems like you are talking of. Picture quality went way down on the ZS10 making the ZS10 get pretty cheap and the price of the ZS7 double. It was still the best until this one came out. [ouch]

glenn kangiser · June 27, 2012, 08:03:45 PM

Hope your daughter does share her tips with you, Doc.

I forgot to mention, the hat.... Sportsman's Guide for Genuine Australian Kakadu Leather Hats (product of Australia made in China).,,, or what I may do next time... Amazon.com for lots of styles. I prefer the wire rim.. you can make the hat look a lot more weird with the wire... oh yeah... I mean make it have a lot more character...

glenn kangiser · June 28, 2012, 03:41:19 PM

Got out and planted some heirloom beans today - ones recommended to be planted between corn stalks and some good bush beans. Hope they come up. Soaked them in water a bit and some AEM for a short time. We will see...

The Mennonite Sorghum and Amaranth are near 5 feet tall now.

Pomegranates are looking great now though during the winter they looked like they died. Blooming like crazy now. Whitlock says they do good here.

My mom was down from Oregon after pulling an 18 foot cargo trailer to East Arkansas and back to help move my nephew over there for a Job change. She is 80 I think and retired from the post office but has pretty well decided to go back part time as she liked the job... just a year contract at a time though. [ouch]

Whitlock and his wife went with all of us to dinner at the Gold Coin - the restored Fremont Adobe from around 1860, then his wife brought up some of her homemade soaps and lotions (non-allergenic) and Sassy and my mom were her best customers of the day. She had been at the Local Farmers Market but it seems to be fizzling.

Also planted some of the red Amaranth. First year for any type of Amaranth for me.

I read that it could be a real volunteer crop too. We'll find out I guess.