How to Make a Pocket-Size Bird Guide


My Dad sure liked his digital bird guide that I made him for Father’s Day, so a few days later I repurposed it into a paper version for my officemate’s 6-year-old daughter. I used a form factor that I learned at Em Space that allows you to create an 8-page pamphlet out of one 8.5×11 sheet of paper printed on one side.

To make a small guide for scouting fowl, download and print a PDF of my Pocket Size Bird Guide. Or you can make any kind of miniature booklet using this template for reference. Heck, make a whole library!

Also, here is a quick video tutorial on how to fold the booklet. I use a bone folder to crease the edges of the paper, but you can use the back of a spoon if you don’t have one. Likewise, a scissors will suffice instead of an exacto blade. I recommend you put on some nice background music while watching this.

The Original: Mr. Rankin’s Foolproof Bird Guide to Central Oregon

Mr. Rankin's Foolproof Bird Guide to Central Oregon: Bluejay, American Gold Finch, Mountain Chickadee, Red-Winged Blackbird, California Quail, Woodpecker, Rufous Hummingbird. Use Year Round - Rain or Shine - Mark Proof. Add all-purpose bird seed for best results.

A Trip by Model T on the Oregon Trunk Railway


For my birthday my Dad bought tickets for a Model T tour of Central Oregon’s Trunk Railway. The Jefferson County Historical Society organizes a Model T trip each year as a fundraiser and this year it was led by Jerry Ramsey. June is a tempestuous time in Central Oregon weather, but luckily there were clear skies and minimal Model T breakdowns during our daylong adventure.

Oregon Trunk Railway running beside the Deschutes River
Man sitting on the rails on the Oregon Trunk Railway running beside the Deschutes River near Warm Springs, 1915. From the Oregon State Archives.

I had gotten a new camera for my birthday earlier that morning, so I took lots of pictures…

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Gravy Gone Bad


Microwave mishaps don’t always involve a stack of CD’s, a ball of tinfoil, or a cow stuck in the stairwell. Sometimes they just involve a vintage pyrex dish and some over-ambitious gravy. Hey, it’s Monday and my mind is in a pork-induced haze from my mother force feeding me pork ribs all weekend long.

"Let me out" hollered the gravy, before I punched 0:45 onto the touchpad. Who knew it was 0:15 too much?
Who knew that 0:45 was 0:15 too much for a small bowl of liquid pork fat?