Camping, take 2

The second round of camping went very well. Jericho slept through the night both nights. He was really anxious while on the campsite the first evening, so we gave him some rescue remedy. He calmed down and was fine from then on out.

We went on a couple hikes Saturday. The first one was a loop of the AT around Loft Mountain campground--a bit less than two miles. There were some lovely views and even lovelier deer. Loads of deer this time of year--does, young bucks, fawns.

After nannar showed up and we had lunch, we went on another hike--this one north on the AT to some rocky cliffs about a mile away. The guys bitched the whole time about how it was too far, too steep, and generally no fun at all. They do this every time we hike. I just tune them out and occasionally threaten to make them hike Humpback next time we go out. Jericho loved the hikes, as usual.

We settled down for a wimpy campfire that night. I need kindling, darn it! That's okay, we eventually got it going and all was well. Saturday night was uneventful in the tent, though I was awakened sometime before dawn by coyotes doing their yodeling of doom. Jericho was great! He stayed on his bed and just slept/rested.

We packed up and came home Sunday. I've decided on an organizational scheme so that I don't have to do all the work, all the time. I need smaller roughneck bins and my dry erase sticker labels. More strict compartmentalization and labels should help boy learn how to help break up camp.

I also need to make sure he has separate cleaning equipment for his oatmeal pot. We used the same chamois rag on his breakfast pot as we used on everything else. I'm now covered in eczema and have gut woes. Damn gluten. He's going to get dedicated scrubbies that have their own special ziplok ghetto.

Jericho has been very sedate and un-Jerry like since waking Sunday. We think that he's a little achy. I've prodded him all over and he doesn't seem to have any tender spots, but he's moving slowly and taking a very long time to climb up on the couch. Normally, he sleeps a lot during the day. At the campsite, he doesn't sleep *at all* during the day. Sunday morning, he ate and drank lying down, which is odd for him. As he naps today, he's seeming more alert and happy. We'll keep a close eye on him and call the vet if he doesn't perk up soon. I might also pick up the Wellness joint supplement. It couldn't hurt. Seven is young for a poodle, but he's still a middle aged doggie. He *has* been exposed to Lyme this year, so if he worsens or has significant gait problems, I will most definitely call the vet.

(of course, I just went outside to pick some tomatoes and he promptly pounced on his blue ball and proceeded to be very perky.)

Why moutarde and not moûtarde?

I'm trying my hand at making mustard for boy. He eats mustard on his lunch sandwiches every single day. I often buy nifty speciality mustards for him. I saw the empty jar of Yoder's chili garlic stone-ground mustard on the counter and the big fat "0" on the message board where he lets me see the grocery budget. I checked my own yellow mustard bottle and saw that it's nearly empty. In an effort to stave off mustard theft (and naked french fries), I've opted to get creative.

I often make mustard dressings for salad, but I hadn't tried making something spreadable. Since I'm achy, I'm just using what I can easily grab in the kitchen. So far, there's been one coffee measure of yellow mustard seed, one half coffee measure of brown mustard seeds, tarragon vinegar, a generous pouring of mustard powder, a generous shake of dried tarragon, a pinch of cloves, and white wine. I think a coffee measure is 1/8cup, but I have no idea on proportions for everything. Right now, it's super hot, as just prepared mustard is. I'll taste it in a bit and see if anything needs adding. Most recipes call for sugar, but he doesn't want sugar in his mustards (I always make sure the commercial mustards have 1g of sugar or less per tablespoon). I may sneak in a drop or two of maple syrup, but not enough to make him scream. ;)

Edit: I've added olive oil to tone down the heat and add some sweetness. I also added some poppy seeds because crunchy things are yummy.
Edit²: minced garlic