BHM Newsletter
Volume 11      Number 5

May 31, 2009
 

INSIDE BHM

Husband comes to Oregon for a visit

My Marine Corps husband, Erik, who returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq a few weeks ago, was home on leave during the production of BHM’s new issue, which we just finished and sent off to our printer. It was wonderful — both the issue and Erik’s 2-1/2 week visit. He had a chance to reconnect with our two children, Olga, 5, and Gavin, 3.

While here Erik and I closed escrow on our first house. The house is perfect for our little family. As you can see from the photo, it's small, but it's on a 1/4-acre lot with a big barn not far from the Backwoods Home Magazine office in Gold Beach, Oregon. You can see a couple of other family/house photos by visiting my blog.

Eleven months from now Erik will be done with his 8-year stint in the Marine Corps.

New issue goes to print

In this issue of BHM we touch on several important subjects for the self-reliant.

On the gun front, Massad Ayoob talks about the United States' ammunition shortage and what it means for you, and Susan Hogue writes about her positive experience shooting with her mother at the Appleseed rifleman's course.

John Silveira takes an in-depth look at the recent outbreak of swine flu and what its potential effects could be both on your health and your freedom. You’ll enjoy this thoughtful article. The “no panic” tone tries to put things in perspective.

Claire Wolfe examines the overall potential for future civil unrest in America. Whether it's swine flu or another health pandemic, or just economic or political backlash by a beleaguered citizenry, she talks seriously about what you could expect and how to stay safe.

Jackie Clay has an in-depth article on caring for and cooking with cast iron pans. Linda Gabris serves up some of her grandma's wisdom along with a delicious collection of wild harvested teas. Jeff Yago has a great intro to solar hot water heating systems for your home and how they all work.

Other articles include the third part of John Silveira's energy crisis series in which he talks about alternative energy. Gail Butler has an article on saving money in the garden. BHM's business manager, Ilene Duffy, offers the very best berry and apple pie recipe any of us has ever tasted. We have two new "Making a Living" articles and my Dad — Dave Duffy — has written an inspiring editorial about the valuable life lessons golf teaches kids.

The issue will begin arriving in subscribers mailboxes in mid-June.

Webmaster Celebrates 30th

This month, our webmaster, Oliver Del Signore and his wife, Martha, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

We asked Martha if there was some secret to staying married so long. "Never go to bed angry," she said, "and don't for a second think you'll ever change him."

When we asked Oliver that same question he shrugged and said, "I haven't got a clue. I learned young that I'd never figure out women so I pretty much go with the flow. Frankly, I'm just happy that when we wake up each morning she doesn't take one look at me and run screaming from the room."

Whatever the secret of their success, we wish them the best with hopes for thirty more.

— Annie Tuttle

SELF-RELIANCE TIPS

Dealing with Hazardous Defects in Trees

Trees with defects are often unattractive. They can be dangerous. They could even get you sued if they injure or cause property damage to a neighbor. So more and more people are becoming aware of the need to manage problem trees before they get out of hand.

Because trees and their problems are so varied, there's no absolute guide to dealing with them. And even if a tree is full of defects, it's not considered hazardous unless it can strike a target — that is a fence, house, vehicle, farm animal, person, etc. But here are some guidelines to recognizing and fixing common problems.

Inspect your trees every year and after events like severe storms. When you do so, consider:

• General condition: Trees in poor condition may have many dead twigs, dead branches, or small, off-color leaves. Trees in good condition will have full crowns, vigorous branches, and healthy, full-sized leaves; however, green foliage in the crown does not ensure that a tree is safe. Tree trunks and branches can be quite defective and still support a lush green crown.

• Tree species: Certain tree species are prone to specific types of defects. For example, some species of maple and ash often form weak branch unions. Aspen and alder are prone to breakage at a young age (50-70 years) due to a variety of factors, including decay and cankers. (See below for more description and photos of specific problems.)

• Tree age and size: Trees are living organisms subject to constant stress. Pay particular attention to older trees, which may have accumulated multiple defects and extensive decay.

The seven main defects

The most common defects to look for are:

• Dead wood
• Cracks
• Weak branch unions
• Decay
• Cankers
• Root problems
• Poor tree architecture
  

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Dead wood

Dead trees and large dead branches that are within striking distance of any "target" should be removed. They can break or fall at any time. Dead wood is dry and brittle and cannot bend in the wind like a living tree or branch. Dead branches and tree tops that are already broken off ("hangers" or "widow makers") are especially dangerous. Take immediate action if a broken branch or treetop is lodged in a tree, an entire tree is dead, or a large branch is in a condition and place to cause injury or property damage.

Cracks

A crack is a deep split through the bark, extending into the wood. Cracks are extremely dangerous because they indicate that the tree is already failing. Take action if a crack extends deeply into, or completely through the trunk, if you find two or more cracks in the same area, if a crack is in contact with another defect, or if a branch large enough to cause injury or property damage is cracked.

Weak Branch Unions

Weak branch unions are places where branches are not strongly attached to the tree. A weak union occurs when two or more similarly-sized, usually upright branches grow so closely together that bark grows between the branches. This ingrown bark does not have the structural strength of wood. The bark may also act as a wedge and force the branch union to split apart. Trees with a tendency to form upright branches, such as elm and maple, often produce weak unions. Weak unions also may form after a tree or branch is tipped or topped; that is, when the main stem or a large branch is cut at a right angle to the direction of growth leaving a large stub. The stub inevitably decays, providing very poor support for new branches ("epicormic" branches) that usually develop along the cut branch.

Take action if a weak branch union occurs on the main trunk, a union is cracked, or is associated with a cavity, or other defect.

Decay

The presence of decay, by itself, does not make a tree hazardous. However, advanced decay (i.e., wood that is soft or crumbly, or a cavity where the wood is missing) can create a serious hazard. Evidence of fungal activity including mushrooms or bracken growing on root flares, stems, or branches are indicators of advanced decay. A tree usually decays from the inside out, eventually forming a cavity, but sound wood is also added to the outside of the tree as it grows. Trees with sound outer wood shells may be relatively safe, but this depends upon the ratio of sound to decayed wood. You must also consider other defects that might be present.

Take action if advanced decay is associated with cracks, weak branch unions, or other defects, or a large branch is decayed.

Cankers

A canker is a localized defect on the stem or branch of a tree where the bark is sunken or missing. Cankers are caused by wounding or disease. The presence of a canker increases the chance of the trunk breaking. A tree with a canker that encompasses more than half of the tree's circumference may be hazardous even if the exposed wood appears sound. Take action if a canker or multiple cankers affect more than half of the tree's circumference, or if a canker is physically linked to other defects.

Root Problems

Trees with root problems may blow over in wind storms. They may even fall without warning in summer when burdened with the weight of the tree's leaves or fruit. There are many root problems to consider — for instance, severed or paved-over roots; problems that arise from raising or lowering the soil grade near the tree; parking or driving vehicles over the roots; or extensive root decay.

Soil mounding, twig dieback, dead wood in the crown, and off-color or smaller than normal leaves are symptoms often associated with root problems. Because most defective roots are underground and out of sight, aboveground symptoms may serve as your best warning of a root problem.

Take action if a tree is leaning and has recent root exposure, soil movement, or soil mounding near the base, or more than half of the roots under the tree's crown have been cut or crushed. 10">

Poor Tree Architecture

Poor architecture is a growth pattern that indicates weakness or structural imbalance. Trees with strange shapes may be interesting to look at, but can be structurally defective. Poor architecture often arises after many years of damage from storms, unusual growing conditions, improper pruning, topping, and other damage. A leaning tree may be a hazard. Because not all leaning trees are dangerous, any leaning tree that's in a position to do damage should be examined by an expert. Take action if a tree leans excessively or a very large branch is out of proportion with the rest of the crown.

Multiple Defects

You must consider multiple defects in a tree when evaluating the tree's potential to fail. Defects that are touching or are close to one another should be carefully examined. If more than one defect occurs on the tree's trunk, you should assume that the tree is extremely hazardous.

Corrective Actions

Correction begins with good evaluation. You need to properly diagnose the problem and be be honest with yourself about the likelihood of catastrophic failure and resultant damage. If a hazard exists, you have four options: move any object the tree might hit, prune the tree, remove the tree entirely, or cable/brace it.

Removing potential "targets" may be an inexpensive and effective way of dealing with a hazard tree. Easily moved items like play sets and swings, RV's, and picnic tables can be placed out of the reach of the hazardous tree with little effort and expense. If the target cannot be moved and a serious hazard exists, consider blocking access to the target area until the hazard can be properly eliminated.

If the hazard is confined to a defective branch or branches, you may be in luck and only need to prune the affected branches. Prune when a branch is dead, a branch could cause injury or property damage, a weak union can be fixed by removal of one branch, branches form sharp angles or twists, a branch is lopsided with the rest of the tree, or a broken branch is lodged in the tree's crown.

Pruning a tree properly early in its life is a good way to effectively avoid many potential problems when the tree is older and larger. When done correctly, routine pruning of trees does not promote future defects. If done improperly, immediate problems may be removed, but cracks, decay, cankers, or poor architecture will be the ultimate result, creating future hazards.

In a worst case, you may need to remove the tree. Before doing this, carefully consider the alternatives. Removing trees may reduce the beauty of your land or diminish your property value. Tree removal should be considered as the final option and used only when the two previous corrections won't work. Tree removal is inherently dangerous and is even moreso when homes and other targets are involved. If your seriously defective tree could do serious damage, you might want to call in a tree service.

Finally there's cabling and bracing. This doesn't repair a hazard tree, but when done correctly, it can extend the time a tree or its branches remain safe. Done incorrectly, it creates a more serious hazard. Cabling and bracing should be done only if the tree has historic value or is so vital to the landscape that you must make every effort to spare it.

RECIPES

It's Cookout Time Again!

So here are recipes for things that go on the grill and recipes for the salads, sides, and afters that go with those grillable goodies.

No-Lettuce Salad

2 fresh beets, boiled
10 jumbo black olives
1/2 Avocado, cubed
2 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, cubed
Sea salt
Ground pepper

Boil the beets until tender when pierced with a fork (like potatoes). Drain carefully (maybe wear black - beet juice stains). Allow beets to cool; slice beets into bowl. Add black olives. Cube the mozzarella; add to beet mixture. Halve avocado; remove pit. Score the avocado lengthwise and across while in the skin. Use a spoon to turn the cubed avocado out of its skin into the bowl with the beets. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss lightly and serve.

Serves two.

EZ Garlic Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain yogurt.
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Mix, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 12

Sour Cream & Dill Potato Salad

2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed
3 to 4 eggs, hard-boiled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons diced dill pickle
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut the potatoes into small, bite-size chunks and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and boil for about 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Pour off water, set the pan in a sink or larger pan of cold water to cool the potatoes quickly.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with eggs, celery, red onion, green onions, and diced dill pickle. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Add to the potatoes and stir gently to combine. Fold in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Cowboy Caviar

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 large avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, onion and cilantro in a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients separately. Pour into the large bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. Chill and serve.

Serves 6.

Marinated Chicken Kebabs

Marinade
16 ounce bottle balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

16oz chicken breast meat
Assorted Vegetables such as green peppers, red peppers, onions, and mushrooms

Cut chicken into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Cut vegetables to suitable size for grilling.

Press the garlic and mix this in with the other marinade ingredients.

Place chicken, veggies, and marinade into a closed container and let sit for 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Skewer, alternating vegetables and meat, then grill.

Serves 4

Grilled Flank Steak with Mexican Salad

1 pound lean flank steak
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Salad
1 tablespoon jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and minced
The kernels of 1 corn on the cob, cooked
1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, minced
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat grill to medium hot. Score steak on one side by making shallow criss-cross slashes with a sharp knife; rub garlic over cut surface of steak. Brush steak with lime juice and season with salt and pepper; set meat aside for 10 minutes to allow meat to absorb flavors.

Combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl; stir gently and set aside.

Grill flank steak for 5 minutes on first side; flip and grill until well-browned on outside and medium-rare inside, about 5 to 6 minutes more. Immediately remove steak from grill and set aside on a clean plate for 5 minutes for meat to reabsorb juices.

Thinly slice steak across grain and serve with salad.

Serves 4.

Grilled Steak with Red Wine Sauce

4 1- or 1 1/2-inch thick strip steaks or rib steaks
1 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons garlic herb seasoning or combination of 1 teaspoons dried herbs and 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper or about 1 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Place steaks in a large food storage bag. Add remaining ingredients. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally to keep the steaks coated with liquid. Grill over medium coals for 4 to 6 minutes on each side for 1-inch steaks or for about 7 to 9 minutes on each side for 1 1/2-inch steaks, or until done as desired. Use tongs or a spatula (do not pierce) to turn steaks. If desired, serve with Bearnaise sauce.

Serves 4.

Nacho Cheese Burgers

4 ground beef patties
1/2 teaspoon grill seasoning blend
1/3 cup spicy nacho cheese sauce
4 hamburger buns, split
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
Tomatoes, lettuce, and the condiments of your choice

Prepare and heat grill. Sprinkle one side of each patty with grill seasoning. Place on grill, cover, and cook patties, seasoned sides up, 6" from medium coals for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until thoroughly cooked.

Grill split hamburger buns for about 1-2 minutes until browned. Divide cheese sauce among patties. Cover and grill until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Serve on toasted buns with sliced avocado.

Serves 4.

South Pacific Pork Burgers

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 pound lean ground pork
1 red onion, sliced
8 slices French bread, 1" thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomatoes, sliced

Prepare and heat grill. Cook minced onion in olive oil until tender. Combine with lime peel, juice, thyme, allspice, red pepper flakes, and bread crumbs in medium bowl. Add pork and and mix gently. Form into four patties, each about 3/4" thick.

Grill, covered, 4-6" from medium coals for 15-18 minutes, until no longer pink in center, or internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning once. Grill onions for last 10 minutes of cooking time until golden brown, turning once.

Brush French bread slices with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes, turning once. Serve burgers and onions between grilled bread slices.

Note: For more moisture, try adding hoisin sauce. For even more South Pacific flavor, add a little ginger.

Serves 4.

Peach-Strawberry Topping

Serve over your favorite shortcake or over ice cream

1 can (15 ounces) peach slices in juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
4 to 6 large fresh strawberries, sliced

Drain juice from peaches into a saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in to juice. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened. Add almond flavoring, reserved peach slices, and sliced strawberries; heat through. Serve over biscuits, shortcake, angel food cake, or ice cream.

Serves 4.

Bourbon Slush

2 tea bags
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 (6 ounce) can orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup bourbon
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed, (1/2 of 6 ounce can)

Steep tea bags in the boiling water for 3 minutes; remove tea bags and stir in sugar. Add remaining ingredients; mix well until sugar is dissolved. Pour into freezer containers and freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving. Spoon into cocktail glasses and garnish with lemon or orange wedges.

6 1-cup servings.

HUMOR

This month, to help celebrate our webmaster's 30th anniversary, we're offering some photos with the theme — Live long enough to be a problem to your kids.

We're pretty sure none of these photos actually depicts our webmaster or his lovely wife, but it has been a long time since we last saw them in person, so you never know...

10. Your family automatically heads for the table every time they hear a fire truck.

9. Your kids know what "peas porridge in a pot nine days old" tastes like.

8. Your son goes outside to make mud pies, the rest of the family grabs forks and follows him.

7. Your kids' favorite drink is Alka-Seltzer.

6. You have to buy 25 pounds of dog food twice a week for your toy poodle.

5. Your kids got even with the neighborhood bully by inviting him over for dinner.

4. Your kids got suspended from school for trying to smuggle toxic waste in their lunch bags.

3. Your spouse refers to the smoke detector as the oven timer.

2. No matter what you do to it, the gravy still turns bright purple.

... and the Number 1 Sign You're a Terrible Cook:

1. You burned the house down trying to make Jell-O.

Yes, they really said these things ...

"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese." — Charles de Gaulle, ex-French President

"This is a great day for France!" — President Richard Nixon while attending Charles De Gaulle's funeral.

"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been." — President Gerald Ford

"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life." — Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah, explaining his support of the death penalty.

"My fellow astronauts..." — Vice-President Dan Quayle, beginning a speech at an Apollo 11 anniversary celebration.

"Outside of the killings, Washington D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." — Mayor Marion Barry, Washington D.C.

"We found the term 'killing' too broad." — State Department spokesperson on why the word 'killing' was replaced with 'unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life' in its human rights reports for 1984-5

"The chairs in the cabin are for the ladies. Gentlemen are not to make use of them till the ladies are seated." — Instructions posted in a river cruise ship, Suir River, Ireland.

"The exports include thumbscrews and cattle prods, just routine items for the police." — U.S. Commerce Department spokesman on a regulation allowing the export of various products abroad.

Late one night, a burglar broke into a house that he thought was empty. He stealthily crept through the lounge and was stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a loud voice clearly saying, "Jesus is watching you!"

Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward again.

"Jesus is watching you," the voice rang out again.

The thief stopped dead again. He was frightened out of his wits. Frantically, he looked all around. In a dark corner, he spotted a bird cage and in the cage was a parrot

He asked the parrot, "Was that you who said Jesus is watching me?"

"Yes," said the parrot.

The burglar breathed a heavy sigh of relief and asked the parrot, "What's your name?"

"Ronald," said the bird.

"That's a stupid name for a parrot," sneered the burglar. "What idiot named you Ronald?"

The parrot said, "The same idiot who named the rottweiller Jesus."

After long months of cold, we are finally coming up to summer barbecue season. Therefore, it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking. First, you must recall that this is the only type of cooking a real man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved.

When a man volunteers to do the barbecue, the following chain of events is put into motion:

1) The woman buys the food.

2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill, beer in hand.

Here comes the important part:

4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.

6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again:

7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and brings them to the table.

9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed her night off. Upon seeing her annoyed reaction, he concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Two California Highway Patrol Officers were conducting speeding enforcement just north of the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar. One of the officers was using a hand held radar device to check speeding vehicles approaching the crest of a hill.

The officers were shocked when the radar gun suddenly began reading 300 miles per hour. The officer attempted to reset the device, but it would not reset. Then abruptly it shut itself off.

Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in fact locked on to a USMC F/A-18 Hornet which was engaged in a low flying exercise nearby.

Back at CHP Headquarters the Patrol Captain fired off a complaint to the USMC Base Commander The reply came back in true USMC style:

Thank you for your letter. We can now complete the file on this incident.

You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked on to, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it, which is why it shut down.

Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully armed aircraft had also automatically locked on to your equipment location.

Fortunately, the Marine Pilot flying the Hornet recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile system alert status and was able to override the automated defense system before the missile was launched to destroy the hostile radar position.

The pilot also suggests you cover your mouths when cussing at them, since the video systems on these jets are very high tech. Sergeant Johnson, the officer holding the radar gun, should get his dentist to check his left rear molar. It appears the filling is loose. Also, the snap is broken on his holster.

Thank you for your concern. Semper Fi.

OTHER STUFF

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Contact Info:

Editor/Letters - Dave Duffy, editor@backwoodshome.com
Web Site - Oliver Del Signore, webmaster@backwoodshome.com