One of the up-sides to the Inkbird 226 temperature controller is that I can play around with sous vide cooking of meat. I currently have two pounds of chuck roast packed into a one-quart, mason jar with the controller set to 54.5-to-56 degrees C. I have been keeping an eye on the temperature and have seen the temperature go as high as 58.5C. "Real" sous vide heaters probably have forced circulation whereas I am relying upon convection, that is, warm water rises while cooler water sinks. I am looking forward to the results.
Running notes:
I repeated Saturday's 2.5 mile distance. While in church Sunday morning, I had a lot of lower-leg pain in my left leg. It mostly tracked along the bone rather than muscular when I massaged with my thumb.
One of the things I did Saturday is that I went up-tempo in my pace for 75 yards. I wonder if that is what caused the pain.
Today I tested that assumption. I changed the last half-mile to alternating 75 yards of sprinting and 75 yards of walking to reoxygenate.
Don't get excited when I say that I "sprinted". Sprint is a stride or a pace.
Trotting or jogging involves the heel striking the ground and your body's center-of-gravity bobbing up and down as you "roll" like a gin-pole with your planted-foot as the center of the pivot. Sprinting involves the heel NOT hitting the ground as your body's center-of-gravity glides parallel to the ground. Sprinting challenges your upper body (throwing those arms forward-and-upward), buttocks and lower legs.
Trotting is energy efficient but the speed is limited. Sprinting uses a lot of energy in a short period of time but the speed can be much higher than trotting.
Zoodystopia
Oddly enough, I saw two coyotes or two coyote-dog hybrids today while I was running.
I had been seeing canine "poop" at the 1.25 mark of my run. The various stages of weathering/drying/oxidization of the coprolites suggested that the animals were regularly toileting on the gravel road.
I saw them from a little less than 400 yards and was baffled by how tall they were. Most animals I see are crows, vultures, woodchucks, rabbits and squirrels.
I kept expecting them to run. As I got closer it became clear that they were the mystery canines. They were "lanky" for lack of a better word and they were clearly larger than foxes and their tails were less full. The bigger one had a "mask" and sort of a brindle look to him. The smaller one was shyer.
At fifty yards, the larger animal challenged me. That is, it moved 10 yards toward me and it started barking like a dog. Not a typical coyote behavior. Then as I continued to jog towards them, they leapt into the brush beside the soybean field.
Bonus pictures
 |
| Worth considering. Sent by a friend. |
 |
| A bowl of Stupice tomatoes. I picked deeply into the "orange" because of slug damage. |
 |
| Our first Ace 55 tomato. Salt shaker included for size reference. It is destined to be part of the season's first BLT sandwiches. |
 |
| The Inkbird controller currently in use for the sous vide chuck roast. |
 |
| Hazelnut seed harvest. To be sown in edge habitats near the Hill and Upper Orchards. |
 |
| Four jars of pickles in my low-temperature, crispy-preserving processor from a day ago. |
 |
| Flowers of mystery mustard species. |
 |
| These leaves are not a match for Sisymbrium altissimum (Tumbleweed). Now tentatively identified as Brassica nigra |
 |
| A large deer track. I wear a size 11 shoe. She was hauling the mail as she crossed the road. Her toes splayed under the load. |
From time to time I see big coyotes around here (PNW) not the usually small dog sort of scruffy looking ones, but big GSD or larger- and solid.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes can't bark. Those were dogs of some kind.
ReplyDeleteCoydogs can bark. I don't suppose you run with a running stick or perhaps a 22 Mag?
ReplyDeleteSemi-wild critters are in my experience more "interesting" in a Chinese Curse than truly wild ones. Wild ex-pets back in the 70's reminded me of that. A marlin 22 rifle wasn't the proper tool that evening.
Years ago walking with my kids by a lake, the youngest (4) had gone farther ahead than normal. I called for him to wait, and spooked two large feral dogs that were laying in the brush next to the trail evidently waiting for him.
ReplyDeleteI had along a .44 special revolver but they melted into the brush. Very bad feeling for a parent.
I've never understood the whole sous vide thing... I just cook my food. And we have 'one' yote that has been seen in town, and ran by my house a month or so ago. I couldn't get a shot, as he was between me and the neighbor's house... grumble...
ReplyDeleteI hope you carry security. The canine hybrids can be dangerous. There seem to be more of them in (human) populated areas now.
ReplyDeleteALWAYS carry sufficient firepower when out in the open... especially when alone. Not all dogs will run. And even 2 or 3 is enough to kill any adult. It's not just two legged predators one must be prepared for.
ReplyDeleteSo how do you do those pickles? Low temp, crisp, true goals. I’ve been doing fermentation not vinegar lately.
ReplyDeleteA S&W M&P compact .22 is light relatively small. Same size but heavier M&P Shield 9mm. You too old to be tooth fighting dogs, level up. My unlettered opinion is that a big dog attacking needs to be corrected.
ReplyDelete