[pct-l] Pot Cleaning

[Melanie Clarke]

Scott,

You're not old enough for the Korean Conflict!  My dad was drafted into
that and he is 80 years old.

He was a conscientious objector back when no one else did that kind of
thing.  My dad, a kind, gentle man, said that he could not kill another
human being.  They kept him state side training men on the M-1 rifle.  He
was an expert marksman anyway.  During (and well afterwards) the
depression, his parents had no work so they had to become migrant farmers.
 They took their little girl (his sister) but their boy (my dad) was
expected to fend for himself at 9 years of age.  He had to hunt for his
dinner every night (The state of Minnesota is a hunter's paradise.) and
maybe had a sack of potatoes in the root cellar.  He probably had to walk 5
miles to school also.  That which does not kill you helps you grow
stronger.  Drafted, he showed up on the Army's doorstep at 18 years of age,
an expert marksman, skeet, moving targets... bulls eye every time!  He was
6' and only 150 lbs.  He could field dress a rabbit, faster than you can
lean over and pick up one of those cellophaned Styrofoam meat products in
the supermarket.

I loved your story though.  I will have more respect for my "after dinner"
slurry on the trail.

Toga

On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 3:24 PM, Scott Williams <baidarker at gmail.com> wrote:

> I spent a lot of time at Buddhist Temples while I was a soldier in Korea
> many, many years ago.  Thank you Uncle Sam.  After the rice pot was empty
> of rice at any meal, the monk would pour hot water into the pot and using a
> spoon, carefully dislodge any solids stuck to the sides and bottom.
> Everyone was poured a tea cup full and it was the final course of every
> meal.  That was rice water and it was delicious, always a bit toasty
> flavored due to the browned rice stuck to the bottom.  A delicacy.  When we
> were done drinking the pot was clean.
>
> I've used that basic method when on trail ever since and consider the
> delicious cleaning water as the last course for dinner on trail as well.
> So it need not be gross to anybody and has a long history in Asia as a way
> of cleaning and a delicious end to the meal.  As long as you don't use soap
> on trail, it's like a dinner flavored tea, and a great nite cap just before
> passing out.  I don't carry a cloth to do the final wipe, instead using a
> couple of sheets of TP or a bit of paper towel which I put in my trash bag.
>
>
> Shroomer
> .
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