Fry Bread

      
   Have you ever tasted warm off the griddle fry bread? if you have, then read no further. But for those few who haven't  tasted this fine food, read on.
   Fry bread is a mixture of flour, fats, salt and water. If allowed to rise and be baked, we'd recognize it as just plain bread. But fry bread is much different. When the dough is ready to be baked, things change. A big piece of this dough is shaped into a round shape about a half inch thick. Then it's fried on both sides. The resultant food never cools off. People from far and wide smell it cooking and will risk burned fingers and tongues for a taste. It gets a little butter and a sprinkle of sugar. Now that's real eating.
   But don't tell those cooks on Food Network. They'll claim this delicacy as their own creation even though it's been cooked by Indian women for hundreds of years.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

One Room School

   Here in Northern Minnesota, one room schools were built nearly anywhere that there were enough kids to make it worthwhile. Usually they expected the kids to be able to travel two miles each way. The classroom was divided front to back and left to right with the older kids in the back of the room. The younger kids were closest to the teacher for their protection from the bullies that plagued the class.
   The school marm was usually an unmarried spinster with little patience. Her rule was complete and corporal punishment was dealt out instantly. Many children went home with fresh black and blue marks.
   Winter was a challenge for the class. If you sat too close to the stove you roasted and if you were too far away, you froze. Also, the outhouses were unheated so that made for some very quick trips outside.
   I remember as a kid, folks telling about having to walk four miles to school each way, up hill in both directions, in a blizzard and had to live on lard sandwiches. Darned tough life.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Today on the White Oak

   In my book "Brothers by Fire" I talk about the Big White Oak area of Northern Minnesota. Today, that area is still as beautiful as the day the Great Spirit created it. Fishing is still done as always and wild rice is still harvested as it has been done for hundreds of years. Ducks and geese by the thousands still call this place home and beaver and otter still navigate the narrow channels.
   If you decide to take a look at this beautiful place, make sure you bring a lunch and a compass. The myriad channels will sometimes get the most seasoned canoeists "lost" for a time.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

High Steel

   

   In my book "Brothers by Fire" we speak of the lives of the men who walk the high steel. Now there's a job that's exciting from start to finish, each day, every day. I've seen these men of steel walk six inch beams as if they were on a wide sidewalk.
   A man I knew was one of these brave workers. He built the big IDS building in Minnesota's Twin Cities. He had a few friends help him, but in my eyes, he did it all by himself.
   As the project neared completion, these brave men placed an American flag at the top floor. My friend was photographed standing on a wooden plank, flag in hand, millions of feet in the air. I can't think of a more dangerous place in the world.  
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Elk

   
   In "Brothers by Fire" a chapter is devoted to an elk hunt in Colorado. Any time you can spend time in the Rocky Mountains, it will be memorable. Our main character takes a huge elk and the next morning finds their camp nearly covered by snow. They nearly lose their lives while trying to get off the mountain.
   This is an all too common situation in the mountains in the fall. Weather is completely unpredictable. What starts as a cloud free sky can change to a terrible blizzard in just a few minutes. The services of a good guide will make for a memorable hunt and ensure your safety. It's money well spent.
   "Brothers by Fire" is a story of two brothers separated at a young age. I take the reader on two life journeys across several continents. It's adventure reading on a grand scale. I hope you'll take a look.
  You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

For the Birds....

   
   Here in Northern Minnesota, things run at a frantic pace during the summer months. Long before the snow has left the darkest parts of the woods, the buttercups are already in full bloom. There isn't much time to get everything done. 
   The deer have their young early in the year and by the time of the next snow, they can easily fend for themselves.
   Colors play a large part in Northern Minnesota. The birds that spend their summers here are sometimes unbelievably colorful. They have to arrive from the south, stake out courting areas, build nests, mate, lay eggs and fledge their young in a relatively short time. Before you know it, time has passed and they head south again to avoid our harsh winters.
   It's now getting towards the middle of June and the leaves on the maple trees are just getting their full size. In about three months they will change color and fall to the ground. Such a short life for something so beautiful.
   But for today, let's all get outside and fill up our senses with the sounds, smells and sights that will carry us through the next hard winter that could be in a little over four months.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

HC-130 rescue

   
    
   One of the most welcome sights during the Vietnam war was that of the HC-130. This bird could be outfitted in many ways. Here you see it set up for ground extraction.
   When they sighted the downed pilot, they dropped a package on a small parachute. Inside was a canister of helium, a balloon, a harness, a radio, many yards of rope and a few survival supplies. If you followed the instructions, a large balloon went skyward and the aircraft hooked the rope with a device on the front of the plane. The ensuing ride was nothing short of exhilarating. You went from 0 to 150 in about one second. Then you were winched into the back of the plane and headed back home. Quite a ride!
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Corn & Coons

    
   Here in Northern Minnesota, we are in a constant battle with the critters. We try to raise food for the table and the critters try to take it from us. 
   Each year, I put corn seed in the ground with hopes of several nice meals of corn on the cob. As I bend over in the garden, nearby a coon is taking notes on when it should be ready to steal. His record keeping ability is flawless.
   As the summer goes by and the corn grows, the coon and I watch and wait. Then one day in the middle of August, I notice that the corn is almost ready. Tomorrow is the long awaited day. 
   Around noon, I put the water on the stove and turn up the fire. It's boiling briskly. I take a sack and head for the garden.
   As I near the corn, I see that the entire patch has been destroyed. Them darned coons have struck again. All the stalks have been knocked over and each and every ear of corn has one or two bites taken from it. It's a personal affront to my gardening skills. There just has to be a way to beat them coons.
   This year, I sit at the kitchen table and read about how to install an electric fence to keep the coons out and a couple hundred feet away in the woods, there's a coon reading a book named "Electric Fences for Dummies".
   Life is hard for us old guys.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Drug Use

  
   The book "Brothers by Fire" describes a life full of success stories, but reality is much different. Over these long years of my life, I've watched many good and gentle people go downhill, gathering speed as they go through life. It was as if my many friends were lined up against a wall waiting for the firing squad to end their miserable lives.
   So very many people think that they can just walk up to the devil and poke him in the eye with a stick. They try drugs just once, but it never is just once.
   Children grow up without fathers and mothers. They just walk away from their kids and chose drugs over their kids. And they make the same choice every day. Kids or Drugs...... they choose drugs.
   The picture I write is true and it happens every day here in Northern Minnesota. Don't try it at all, the consequences are so terrible. If you want to get high, give your life to Jesus. He'll take you places you've never dreamed of.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Teepee

   

    In "Brothers by Fire" we talk about the Indian neighbors in the Big White Oak area of Northern Minnesota. Their villages consisted of teepees of various sizes. The explorers that discovered these people wrote about the teepee as being a poor form of shelter. Guess they hadn't ever spent a night in one.
   Today teepees cost a whopping $3,000 for a 16 foot model. People who have purchased one write of what an amazing invention they really are. Inside the teepee, the first thing we see is that there is a liner that rises up to about the ten foot mark. The outside of the teepee is about a feet off the ground and this allows a continuous air current to carry smoke from the inside fire up and outside.
   At the White Oak Rendezvous held each summer at Deer River, Minnesota, you'll see several teepees with amazing artwork. Just remember not to enter without being invited.  
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Shark!!!!!

 

   A long time ago, I spent some time in southeast Asia. The ocean was only about a half a mile away and in my off duty time, I'd go there and watch it and watch and watch. It was absolutely amazing for a man who'd never seen so much water.

   A friend said that the swimming was great. He said that you could walk out a few feet and then the bottom fell away leaving enough water so you could stand in ankle deep water and dive. Sure sounded like fun.

   And so one evening as it was almost dark, I ventured out to the beach. It was amazing and absolutely calm. I took off my shirt and shoes and waded into the water. Just as I was about to dive, I saw a fin break the surface. I'm not sure what it was but I had visions of man eating sharks, great whales and other denizens of the deep. There was just no way I could enter that ocean. I was totally in fear. 

   As the years have gone by, I have become much more brave. If I ever had the chance to do that again, I would probably go ahead and dive. There aren't many sea critters that would find this decrepit old man too appealing any way.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Belted Kingfisher

  

   In the area of the Big White Oak, The place where "Brothers by Fire" starts, you can find an abundance of birds. One of the most interesting and somewhat secretive is the Belted Kingfisher. Many times you can see them sitting on a branch, looking down at the water. He's looking for small minnows.
   When there are two of them, they each face a different direction. If one gets tired of watching a certain spot he flips end for end and at the very same time, the other does the same thing. You never see two looking the same direction.  
   When one spots a minnow, he leaps from the branch and dives headlong toward his intended victim. Then up he comes in a cloud of water droplets, his fresh fish meal in his beak.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Windmills

   For quite some time, windmills were disappearing at a fast rate. On the many South Dakota ranches, each farmer had at least one to provide water for his stock. Then as they fell into disrepair, the farmers replaced them with solar powered pumps that needed a huge amount of maintenance to keep them working.
   Then someone started making windmills again at a price most farmers could afford. Farmers are pretty frugal with their money so they started using windmills again. There was a period of nearly fifty years when you didn't see them, but once again, they are back.
  Glad to see it.
 You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.
Good Reading,
Ron

Padre

    

   One of the hardest jobs during the Vietnam War was that of Padre. When men were to go into battle, they wanted to know that if they caught a bullet, that God would be there with them. Padre traveled with them whenever possible and even in the mud and stench of Vietnam, offered the sacraments to his mobil parish.
   Most times he traveled unarmed but some were known to carry a .45 ACP for those times when nothing else would do. The enemy had no qualms about killing a man of God.
   One of our main characters in "Brothers by Fire", Gray Wolf, was one of these men of God and saw many battles during that war.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book Brothers by Fire.

Good Reading,
Ron

South Dakota Ranch

  

   A good part of this book "Brothers by Fire" is dedicated to what ranch life was like in South Dakota. Folks that came by the ranch always commented on the large number of cattle grazing nearby. A good crop of calves was always welcome, but weather sometimes took a large number of them. Then the prairie fires that swept through the area, took all the grass the cattle needed.
   So in the fall if you still had a good herd, you worried about the blizzards that killed so many cattle.
   When you think of rich cattlemen, think of all the things that can go wrong to ruin him and his herd.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book brothersbyfire.

Good Reading,
Ron

Walking High Steel

   
   One of the most dangerous jobs in the trades is ironworker. These men walk around on the six inch beams as though they were sidewalks.
   In my book "Brothers by Fire", Jack learns the trade and starts on a career that he finds exciting and quite rewarding. Jack is an Anishinaabe Indian from Minnesota's Great White Oak area, but he hides it from everyone.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book brothersbyfire.

Good Reading,
Ron

Bug Wars

 
   A long time ago in a land far away, I watched two young boys of about six years of age in a fight over something, but I wasn't sure what. I was only a few feet away from the battle, but still I couldn't figure it out.
   One boy was a little bigger and he won. To the victor go the spoils. He grabbed his trophy and I was taken aback by what it was. It was a large water beetle about the size of a McDonalds quarter pounder.
   Then to my amazement, the winner pulled off the pincers and popped it into his mouth and walked away. Life in asia sure was different than what I was used to.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book brothersbyfire.

Good Reading,
Ron