Clear Lake Oregon - Global Warming Has Hit

My son and I took a trip up to Mt. Hood yesterday to explore. We love getting into the car and heading to a trail or lake that we've never seen.

When we got to the lake it was a huge disappointment. What once once an obviously beautiful lake is now a shallow pond surrounded by fetid, decaying ground with flies buzzing all around. The graveyard of tree stumps and long lost bottles litter the lake shore.

I felt like we were at Chernobyl or someplace where a nuclear accident had happened.

The lack of snowfall this past winter and over the last 10 years, led to this lake drying up to almost non-existence. Of course I have no way to prove it's because of global warming, but the evidence does point in that direction.

Maybe Obama can bring about some action when he speaks at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas today.

Sprongs Camp Utensils

Did you know there are 13 types of forks? Dinner, Fish, Lunch, Lobster, Fruit, Salad, Dessert, Ice Cream, Pastry, Seafood, Strawberry, Snail, and Oyster. My favorite has to be the Ice Cream Fork. How does that work?

There are also 14 types of spoons: Iced-Beverage, Oval Soup, Dessert, Place, Cream Soup, Teaspoon, Five-O'Clock, Ice Cream, Citrus, Bouillon, After Dinner Coffee, Chocolate, Demitasse, and Salt. The most interesting would be the Five-O'Clock. It was made for an era when afternoon tea was taken at five o'clock.

Sprongs Camp Utensils

There have been Sporks and Foons, but finally someone invented Sprongs. A brilliant, yet simple design that turns the fork and spoon into a third, desperately needed camping utensil--tongs.

The Sprongs are made from durable, light-weight nylon 66. They are food safe and will not melt. The spoon and fork lock together for easy storage. They have a lanyard hole so you can hang them from your pack or around your neck. They are approximately 8.5 inches long which allows you to reach the bottom of dehydrated meal pouches easily. The spoon is actually exactly 1 tablespoon in volume so it doubles as a measuring tool. The fork has a bail hook for lifting hot lid handles without burning yourself.

As with much of my finds, this one comes from kickstarter. You can pre-order a set for only $10. I "Sprongly" suggest you get a set. You see what I did there? Pretty good, huh?

Cacoon Hammock - Alien Spacecraft or Pleasure Craft?

***ALERT***ALERT***ALERT***ALERT***

Cannon Beach, OR - At approximately 2:30 AM PST, an alien craft was spotted over the Oregon coast near the town of Cannon Beach. Witnesses were able to take a photo of this strange orb as it approached the coastline.

Eyewitness Clem Mayhill happened to have his Kodak pocket camera handy and snapped the grainy photo seen here.

"Me and the Mrs. were out for an evening stroll along the shoreline, when we dang near got hit by a freakin UFO! I was too flabbergasted to do anything, but the wife slapped me and shouted, "Take a picture, Clem" and I whipped out the camera and took a shot. I didn't know if I had gotten anything until we developed the photos this morning."

Mrs. Mayhill commented that the object hung in the air for what seemed to be 5 or 10 seconds then shot away from them at light speed.

"I could swear I saw two beings inside the craft," said Mrs. Mayhill. "They seemed very comfortable and relaxed, almost like they were on vacation and looking for a place on the beach."

She went on to say that she imagined herself inside the cozy-looking nest and said that it wouldn't take her more than a few minutes to fall asleep inside the cacoon-shaped vessel.

Other witnesses mentioned it's uncanny resemblance to a new product called just that - the Cacoon Hammock. The Cacoon Hammock is a hammock-type enclosure that can be hung from any strong branch or other suitable support. It's safe and strong, small enough to carry yet big enough to share. Its weather-proof fabric is resistant to all the elements. It’s been tested and hung in all types of environments – in the garden, on a hike, in the woods, by the coast, in the office, in sports and leisure centers, in bedrooms and dens, in hotels and adventure playgrounds – inside and out, just hanging out and giving people a lot of fun.

The Cacoon comes in three sizes, Single, Double, and Bonsai (for one child.) You can get your Cacoon Hammock by visiting cacoonusa.com.

Sleeping Bag Hammock | Bison Bag G2 By Clayborne Outdoor

G2 Bison Bag Sleeping Bag Hammock

One of my favorite shows growing up was Gilligan's Island. Well, maybe it wasn't my favorite show, but it was the only decent one of the three available when I got home from school (it was the 70s.) In fact, the show frustrated the heck out of me. After one or two times of Gilligan sabotaging their chance to get off the island, I would have made sure Gilligan didn't get off the island if you get my drift.

But I did like how they lived. Those cool grass huts were really decked out. And Gilligan and the Skipper had hammocks to sleep in. I begged my mom to replace my bed with a hammock. Of course, she did not, so my dreams were dashed.

My dream was reignited when I saw what could very possibly be the perfect hammock. Why is it perfect? Because it's not only a hammock, it's a sleeping bag too! It's one of those inventions that make you say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

The Bison Bag G2 by Claybourne Outdoor is an improved version of their G1. The G2 has a polyester design featuring triple layer insulation to ensure that minimal body heat escapes during sleep in the great outdoors. The G2 is rated to 55 degrees Fahrenheit but can be used in lower temperatures if using a sleeping bag pad. An included sleeping bag sack allows you to carry the sleeping bag, hammock, carabiners and rope.

Here are the stats:

• Size:  Sleeping Bag 190X 100cm/rectangle 
• Size:  Hammock 98cmX280cm
• Material: 170T polyester
• Filling: polyester microfiber 220gsm 
• Zipper: #5 double head 
• Weight Limit: 215 Lbs

I am so looking forward to camping without being trapped in a tent. To be able to wake up and the first thing you see is a beautiful lake, the tops of the trees swaying in the wind and the smell of dew on the ground. Not the stale recirculated air in a stuffy tent.

The Bison Bag G2 is part of a kickstarter campaign where you can be one of the first to get your hands on this hammock. You can also find out more information at their website, http://www.campclayborne.com.