Grand Funk Railroad was formed as a trio in 1969 by Mark Farner (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). This tune was included on the band's third album released on June 15, 1970 which coincidentally reached gold record status by the end of the year. As of 2019 the band was continuing to tour.
This song was a staple on progressive rock stations who committed to playing extended version singles..
I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home).......
This diminutive arachnid has been hanging around the kitchen sink for days.
Taking the notion of life on the edge to new heights.....
We fetched the SD cards from the trail camera trap line and replaced them with fresh ones, batteries on one cam too.
First impression is that there are deer galore on the landscape. Along with a coyote to two as well.
On any event a couple of the boy deer were sporting only one antler while most others were sporting both. I take this as a sign of the start of antler drop and a signal to let the dog roam wide in hope of scoring a precious find.
From the camera that is set on video mode only there was this short, silent vignette of a couple one and a half year-old bachelors.......
Groundhog Day is a big event every year on this day over in Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania.
Someone provokes a hibernating woodchuck named Punxsutawney Phil to come out of his hole and predict the arrival of spring.
Even I can do that. Provoked by the alarm clock I crawled out of a perfectly warm bed this morning at 5:30 AM, poured myself a steaming cuppa joe and browsed news feeds on my laptop. It was snowing. I therefore concluded more winter before the arrival of spring.
The man in the picture above is a fool. You should never grab a groundhog - especially if you are going to wave it around in the air over your head.
From the Algonquian wuchak. Also known as the whistle pig – Marmota monax belongs to the vast squirrel family. They are big rodents.
They are also sinister-looking with their small ears, beady black eyes and very sharp teeth to go with all of their claws. I wouldn’t grab a groundhog any sooner than I'd make a grab for a beaver or a porcupine. They are all much too dangerous.
Trust me. I know this.
I have had to deal with multiple critters infestations under my barn. This includes everything from bunnies, to raccoons to kittens. One year I had a groundhog. And that bugger was burrowing furiously.
Groundhogs are well adapted miners. They have short but powerful legs and very sharp claws. They are capable of excavating hundreds of pounds of dirt. And this fella was chucking enough dirt that it wouldn’t be long before he seriously undermined the structural integrity of the barn foundation.
Shooting a woodchuck is against the law in Wisconsin. Yep. They’re protected – just like badgers and wolves. Not wanting to draw the attention of the local game warden and pleading a landowner exception I opted for the old reliable method.
Mothballs.
I poured a box of mothballs down the woodchuck’s hole. Oh sure, your barn will smell like grandma for awhile but critters cannot stand mothballs. And it worked almost immediately for me.
I was puttering in the machine shed when old Phil (smelling strangely of naphthalene) waddled his way into the shed and gave me the hairy eyeball. He was not happy. Actually, he was angry to the point of provocation because he reared-up on his hind legs and gave me a nasty bark.
Taking a machete from the peg board I waved it menacingly and told him to get the heck out of my shed.
He scurried away retreating behind a sheet of plywood leaning against the wall.
I grabbed a garden rake and thrust it in his face.
He snorted and whistled and parried back with his claws.
Claw for claw - back and forth we went. Parry and thrust. I was gaining the upper hand and Phil was losing ground.
Finally forced from the shed he scurried a safe distance from the crazy guy with the rake, turned and gave me a dirty look and waddled-off in the direction of a neighboring farm.
Nasty attitude the groundhog has.
Dangerous too.
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| click on image for a closer look |
Easy Duck Confit
Authentic confit takes several days to make but this recipe is a mash-up, work-around, hack of the NYT’s Melissa Clark recipe that you can cook in an afternoon. It is really good and super easy.
Get yourself duck legs. They’re not easy to find unless attached to the entire duck but Bunzel’s in Milwaukee has them in pairs from the freezer case. A specialty grocer may be the place to source them fresh or frozen.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Rest the fridge: 1 to 4 days
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
4 duck leg quarters (about 4 pounds total), rinsed and patted dry but not trimmed
Duck fat-fried or smashed garden potatoes, noodles, spaetzle and lightly-dressed bitter salad greens such as arugula, chicory and/or radicchio, for serving
Preparation
Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels. Using a needle or a very sharp knife and prick the skin all over. Focus on the skin that covers fat. Do your best to avoid piercing the meat itself by pricking the skin at an angle over the drumstick and the center of the thigh. You are doing this to give the fat that lies under the skin a place to seep out – if you don’t do this, it will be far more difficult to get crispy skin.
In a pestle combine salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf pieces. Sprinkle duck generously with mixture. Do not skimp on the coarse salt. Place duck legs in a pan in one layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours. Your legs can fester for up to four days.
The next day, heat oven to 275 degrees. Place duck legs, skin side down, in a large ovenproof skillet, with legs fitting snugly in a single layer (you may have to use two skillets or cook them in batches). Roast uncovered until fat starts to render – about one hour.
If you are making duck fat-fried taters this is a good time to ladle rendered fat into your fry pan.
Reduce heat to 250 F, flip duck legs (skin side up), cover pan with foil or a lid and place it in oven and continue to roast for an additional hour.
After one hour shut the oven off and use this interval prep your salad and other sides. The legs will hold just fine for up to an our if they are covered and undisturbed.
After the sides have been prepped raise the oven to 375 F and remove the foil/ lids. Bake an additional 30 minutes – checking periodically to make sure the skin is browning nicely.
Immediately prior to plating your meal open the wine allowing time for it to breathe. If needed, finish your legs under a low broiler setting for 5 – 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Use the fat for cooking vegetables or frying eggs or potatoes. Strain the fat through cheesecloth if you intend to keep it in your fridge for an extended period. Tightly-covered it should keep for up to six months.
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