How to Build a Fire: And Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew Read Online Free Page A

master’s degree at night on the company dime. He ended up working for the automaker for forty years, where one of his greatest achievements was conceptualizing the Plymouth Barracuda. “We conceived of it on the back of an envelope,” he noted, adding that he also helped design the Fury and the Roadrunner. In the meantime, he’d married another woman, had one son, adopted a ten-year-old daughter, taken up skiing, and later divorced. In 1977, he sent Elinor a card out of the blue. She called him immediately, told him of her marriage, her four children, and her divorce. Almost exactly thirty-one years after her initial proposal, the two married. They shared eleven wonderful years together, often swishing down the slopes of Copper Mountain in Colorado, before Elinor lost her battle with cancer. Now he lives just off the lift line, as they dreamed of doing together, and he still feels close to her on the slopes. Maybe that’s one reason he still skis every single day of the season, and as often as possible with his twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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Pioneering
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Begin by knowing your way around your kingdom. That way, you’ll always be warm, safe, happy, and well fed wherever you go .

Grow Up
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“Talk to plants, and they will grow. Life without love, for all living things, is nothing. If you give love to something, it will reciprocate. That’s how we are as humans, too.”
—A NGEL R ODRIGUEZ
    H OW TO P LANT A T REE
    Step 1: Choose the right tree. Consider not only its size, speed of growth, shape, and looks, but also its hardiness. It should be native to your area and strong enough to weather the hottest and coldest temperatures, and all the sunshine and rain you may or may not get. Other things to think about: Will your tree lose its leaves every year (and do you really want to rake them)? Does it bear fruit (and if so, will you eat it or curse it when it’s smushed on the bottom of your shoe)?
    Step 2: Find a good spot. Look up, look down, look all around and make sure your tree will have plenty of space to thrive. Your tree may look small now, but it won’t be for very long, and if you plant a soon-to-be-big sucker right next to your house or directly under utility lines, you’ll be paying for that bad decision for years to come. Also, a no-brainer: Before digging any holes, call your local utility company to make sure you’re clear of any underground cables.
    Step 3: Dig a hole. A well-planted tree will grow faster and live longer than a poorly planted tree, so take care to do it right. Using a shovel, dig a big ol’ bowl-shaped hole as deep as the tree’s roots (or root-ball) and at least twice as wide. The hole will most certainly look bigger than you think it needs to be, but the roots need that extra room to grow. Don’t slack on the digging.
    Step 4: Measure up. Place your tree in the hole and see if it’s deep enough. If it’s just right, proceed to step 5. If it’s too deep, put some soil back. If it’s too shallow, go have a lemonade. Then come back and keep digging.
    Step 5: Position your tree. It should stand upright in the center of the hole. If your tree comes in a container, tap the pot to gently remove it, being careful not to rip the trunk from the roots. If your tree comes with its roots wrapped in burlap, plunk the whole thing in the pit and carefully remove the burlap, along with any twine, wire, nails, or staples.
    Step 6: Fill the hole. Replace the soil you removed, packing it down firmly around the roots. You’ll want your tree pit to catch water, so make sure your tree grows from the pit’s deepest point. Then look for a little bulge at the base of your tree’s trunk. It’s called the root collar, and you want your soil to snuggle its bottom only. If you can’t see your tree’s collar, it may be planted too deep.
    Step 7: Add water. Give the ground a good soak.
    Step 8: Spread mulch (wood chips or bark) around your tree a