The Otto von Prohaska Novels by John Biggins

I first ran into this author browsing the stacks at Powells in Portland a couple of years ago. I bought "A Sailor of Austria" and loved it. Otto is a sort of central European Flashman who joins the Imperial Austrian Navy in the years leading up to WWI. Like Flashy, the stories are written in the form of memoir, looking back from an advanced old age. Unlike Flashy, Otto is not a coward and a cad, which makes him none the less likeable.

I soon bought most of the rest of the books: "The Two-Headed Eagle" and "The Emperor's Colored Coat." They were all well written, with a wealth of historical detail. Humor was present like a big heap of whipped cream on a slab of Sacher torte; the books were all very funny.

The final volume I bought, "Tomorrow the World", was a reprinted edition which came out last year. The original hardbacks were going for over $1,000. The Prohaska novels should be on your bookshelf next to the Flashman and Bartholomew Bandy series.

To read these, put a long CD of Strauss waltzes on autoreplay with low volume, and drink some Austrian or Czech beer. Prost!

Five Fingers Peak

A belated post on the ascent of this peak on March 9. The peak is located northwest of Ridgecrest, California off Indian Wells Road.

A good-sized group of people from the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter met Sunday morning and started out about 10 am. The traverse is not very long, but it is extremely vertical, supposedly the steepest climb on the Hundred Peaks list. After and hour and a half, we had passed through the saddle between the peak and finger No. 4. The final seventy yards are moderate class three, which was a new experience for me. Made it to the top and signed the register. Thanks to Tom and Marlen for leading the trip and making an infrequent participant in their hikes feel very welcome.

Mojave Quail 2007

Opening day was the worst in years, but we still had a good time hunting near Ridgecrest. Troutson and Mike were there with me, braving the wind. We are hoping for more rain during the next eight months, and better hunting in the desert in 2008.

Sugar Free Eggnog

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought I'd try this out. The first thing you need is some DaVinci Sugar Free Eggnog Syrup.

Add a half a jigger of the syrup to a cup. To the syrup add 2/3 cup of non-fat half and half. Next, a half a jigger of Eggbeater product (don't worry - real eggnog uses raw eggs too, and Eggbeaters are pasteurized). Using a handheld frother, mix this up. Add your favorite liquor such as bourbon or brandy and top with nutmeg. For a thicker drink, add more egg.

The result is a satisfying drink, probably more like the original eggnog of the old days than the gluey stuff sold in the supermarket. Best of all, it tastes like the holidays, with only small amount of sugar (from the half and half) and no fat. Cheers!

2007 Dove Opener

Just got a report from a friend scouting the Blythe area. The weather has been unsettled. No real dove prospects here. One good field north of town, but it looks to be too small and likely swamped with hunters. South of town, a lot of posted land.

I think we'll try the Niland area. The DWU fields are the place to be for southern California dove hunters this year.

New Coat-of-Arms

Thanks to Sandy, a very helpful Aussie member the American Heraldry Society, I now have a new coat of arms, or emblazonment.

Contrary to popular belief, one is not normally entitled to the "family" arms such as those found in mall stores selling heraldic geegaws. Only direct descendants of the original grantee may bear those arms. It is a lot more fun to design your own, which have meaning for you.

In my case, I took elements of the historic family arms, and made them unique and personal to myself and my descendants.

To provide a measure of protection, I've registered the arms with the US Heraldic Registry (free), and also have an application in to the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Committee on Heraldry.

Sadly, legal protection for personal emblazonments is lacking in the US. England, Scotland, Canada, and even Germany have a fair amount of legal protection for registered arms.

Cyclometer for 2006

3,100 miles logged during 2006. Hurrah!

Southern California Snipe Shooting

As a finale to the hunting season, I recently went to a secret location in the Inland Empire to hunt snipe. The Troutson and I got four of the little birds (small they may be, but they pack a lot of flavor). Unfortunately, we did not take rubber boots, so we ended up with very wet feet. Other than that, the day went well. Other members of our party got another six birds.

Time to think about fishing now.