Category Archives: Photography

365 Day Photo Challenge 268/365 “Restoration Projects”

24 Thursday Sep 2015

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I got into restoring cast iron back last summer.  This was my first project.  It’s a Lodge Sportsman Grill.  I paid a lot of money for it and I accidently left it outside for several years.  I had misplaced it and couldn’t remember where I put it.  I originally thought that I had either left it at the last location I used it or someone stole it from me.  I never dreamed that I left it outside but alas I did.  When I found it I was so mad and disappointed in myself.  I thought it was ruined.

I started seeing a lot of posts on some of the forums that I follow about how to restore cast iron by using a process called Electrolysis.  At first I thought this was so far above my head that I wouldn’t be able to even consider it.  I was wrong.  I first started off with a five gallon bucket, a battery charger and a couple pieces of scrap iron.  I put the smaller pieces into the tank and after a couple of days, the process had stripped all the rust off of it and left nothing but raw metal.  I was impressed.  After I got all the pieces stripped I then began the process of re seasoning.  Which is another story altogether.

If there’s one thing I learned during the whole process is this.  Don’t re season your cast iron in your house.  It will leave a nasty odor and it will linger all day long.  If you have an outdoor grill this is where you should re season your cast iron.  Your marriage may last a little longer if you do everything outside.

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“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 267/365 “Late Night Supper”

23 Wednesday Sep 2015

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The wife and daughters had a meeting right after school and would be very late getting home so I used this opportunity to do a little cooking.  I really enjoy cooking but I don’t get the opportunity to do so.  I get home after my wife and usually she has supper cooked when I get home in the evenings.  When we first were married she used to cook a lot every meal.  She’s part Italian and she cooked just like one. Now, she does the bare minimum.  It may be chicken fingers one night, hamburger helper the next but she does cook.  I’m not complaining mind you, she does work and she has to put up with a lot being a elementary school teacher.  I’d be happy with a PBJ sandwich but she feels that she must cook something.  Tonight we had grilled pork chops, fried potatoes and salad.  IT was late when we all sat down to eat but it was good, even if I have to say so myself.

365 Day Photo Challenge 266/365 “Change, I Don’t Have to Like It, Do I?”

22 Tuesday Sep 2015

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Francois de la Rochefourcauld stated that “The only thing constant in life is change.”  This may be the case but I don’t have to like it.  My boss has implemented a few changes in our department that has made himself a few enemies.  Me for one.  I won’t bore everyone with all the details but the point is that he’s messing around with our pay.  His excuse is that these changes will “make us better stewards of our time.”  Now with these changes we’re spending more time on the computer keying in our time than we are on the jobs.  It makes no sense to me nor to anyone else in our department.  It’s enough to pull my hair out.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 265/365 “14 More Payments? I Don’t Think So!!”

21 Monday Sep 2015

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Five years ago we decided to purchase one these wooden storage buildings to store some of my camping equipment.  It has a loft on the front side as well as one on the back side to allow more storage space.  My wife and I signed a 60 month agreement and shortly thereafter the building was delivered and set in our back yard where we wanted it.  This past August we mailed in our last payment, or so we thought.

A message was left on our answering machine a couple of weeks ago stating that we were behind in payments and for us to contact them immediately or the building would be confiscated.  When my wife heard this she immediately called them up and they stated that we still owed 14 more payments.  My wife told the lady on the other end that we had sent in our last payment in August and we had emptied the coupon book. The lady on the other end said that she would contact her supervisor and she would call us back.

This past Friday someone called again but this time would not talk to my wife but would only talk to me.  When I got home and got the message they had already closed for the day.  Today I called and talked to them and again they told me that we were behind and still had 14 more payments to go.  Of course I had a few choice words to tell them and again I was told that a supervisor would call me.

Shortly after lunch my phone rang and it was them again.  They informed me that a mistake had been made in the accounting department and that my account was paid in full.  Wonderful news.  The supervisor informed me that my ownership papers would be mailed to me no later than eight weeks.  I called the house and left a message to my wife telling her the good news.  Or so I thought.  About an hour later a different person contacted me and after a short discussion I was informed that I still owed 14 more payments on the building.  You have got to be kidding me right?  Obviously they don’t communicate very well with other associates within their department.  After about an hour on the phone with this person she finally realized that the problem had already been resolved.  I couldn’t help but laugh once she finally realized.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 264/365 “Cast Iron”

20 Sunday Sep 2015

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Last week I put this 14in Lodge cast iron skillet in my electrolysis tank and today I pulled it out, scrubbed it with soap and water, dried it with a towel, coated it with Crisco and put in my gas grill for several hours to start the re seasoning process.  It took most of the afternoon but she’s finally done.

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After the skillet cooled down I couldn’t wait to try it out.  It was after 8pm but still I cooked up a pound of bacon.  This skillet is so big that I had to use two eyes on my electric stove.  Bacon is gone now, all eaten up.

365 Day Photo Challenge 263/365 “Down for the Count”

19 Saturday Sep 2015

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I was under the weather and didn’t feel like posting last night so I guess I’m another day in the whole.  Oh well.

Spent the day in Tuscaloosa watching my son practice with the Million Dollar Band.   We left soon after the band marched down the street toward the stadium.  My team is loosing and unless a miracle happens they won’t win tonight.  But, that’s ok.  I got to see my son play out his dream of being in the Million Dollar Band.  He should graduate in December so he doesn’t have much longer.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 261/365 “Dehydrated and Sick”

17 Thursday Sep 2015

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I had to work on the roof today for far too long.  At least the temps were in the mid 80’s and it was overcast for most of the day but the humidity was up and that’s what did me in.  By the time quitting time came around I was soaked to the bone.  I was a bit tired when I got in my truck to go home but the closer I got home the worse I felt.

After arriving home I took a long, hot shower and I felt a little bit better.  My wife had supper ready but I just didn’t feel hungry enough to eat.  Right now I’m sitting in my recliner and as soon as my girls get home I’m heading to bed.  Maybe I’ll feel better after a good nights sleep.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 260/365 “Two Hour Appointment Lasting Seven Hours”

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

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I had a doctors appointment today that supposed to have lasted only about two hours.  In fact, that’s what I told my boss.  When I got to the doctor’s office they decided to run more tests than originally planned.  I had to leave the doctor’s office and head to the hospital where I spent five hours waiting, taking more tests and waiting some more.  I really hate having to burn a day at the doctor’s office.

The above picture is part of a Sportsman Chicken Fryer.  The top, pictured here, is a griddle on one side and a grill on the inside.  I placed this piece in my electrolysis tank earlier this evening. I will leave it in the tank for a couple of days to remove all the rust.  Of course, as soon as I take it out I will have to begin the re seasoning process or else it will immediately start rusting again.  I’ll probably check on it Friday evening but I won’t have time to start the re seasoning process until either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 259/365 “Dutch Oven Cooking”

15 Tuesday Sep 2015

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A few years ago my son crossed over into Boy Scouts and one of the leaders was doing a sampling of some of his cooking.  He was cooking a peach cobbler out of one of his Dutch Ovens.  It reminded me of the days that I would visit my grandfather when he used to cook out of a Dutch Oven down on the river bank when we went fishing.  The night at the scout hut I had one of the best peach cobblers that I think I’ve ever had.  The cook did not want to share how his recipe which really drove me nuts. After that night I was determined to learn how to cook out of a Dutch oven.  At last count I have over 16 Dutch Ovens all of different shapes and sizes.  Not including all the cast iron skillets that I use to cook in.

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When in scouts I tried to teach the boys the art of cooking in cast iron.  Cooking in a Dutch Oven is somewhat different than cooking on a stove and you really have to be careful when cleaning cast iron.  If you talk to ten people on how to clean your cast iron I’m sure you’ll at least get nine different ways to clean it.

I have my own little catering business where I cook a main dish and a desert all in cast iron.  While I’m cooking I have people come up to me and tell me that they’ve never seen anything cook out of a Dutch Oven.  They’ve only seen these ovens used as a flower pot.  I don’t mind the questions.  I enjoy spreading the art of cooking out of cast iron and hopefully keeping it alive.

I have many, many recipes of anything from rabbit stew to peach cobbler that I’d be happy to share.  Just give me a shout.

The above picture is of a blackberry cobbler.  It’s to die for and very simple to fix even in your conventional oven.

“Life Goes On”

365 Day Photo Challenge 258/365 “Fall, My Favorite Time of Year”

14 Monday Sep 2015

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We’ve had a cool snap the last few mornings.  With the temps being in the upper 50’s, it’s been real pleasant.  The days have heated up to the mid to upper 70’s and it’s been real tough to remain inside.  I’m looking forward to doing some hiking in the woods, maybe even a campout or two.  The best part of Fall to me is being able to sit by a campfire and fellowship with friends and family.

“Life Goes On!”