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mata ortiz, side bar...cow chips...and...

updated mon 11 nov 02

 

Philip Poburka on sun 10 nov 02


...as Buffalo Chips had once been here in the Prairies...

I remember part of a ditty:

"We cook our food on Buffalo Chips
And some as newly born...
If I knew then what I know now
I'd have gone 'round the 'Horn'...



Guess maybe they'd have rather had Wood...

Phil
Las Vegas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Spencer H. MacCallum"
To:
Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 10:15 PM
Subject: Re: mata ortiz, side bar


Cow chips are a classic cooking fuel used world-wide in
developing
countries. They burn with an even heat and no offensive
smell. However, they
must be from grass-fed cattle (or burros or horses or sheep,
etc.).
Grain-fed won't work. I don't readily picture grass-fed
people or chickens.
While we're on the subject, should you go experimenting with
this superior
fuel, take care that it's completely dry--no damp spots in
the center--and
for some reason I'm not certain about, the darker the
better. Collect your
cow chips in the dry season and store enough to tide you
over. When the
ground is wet, termites tend to come up in them from the
ground, forming
their networks of earth tunnels, so you may end up with a
chip that has lots
of dirt in it. They say there's an art to everything, and I
suppose the same
goes for collecting cow chips. But it's a simple art, easily
earned. -Spencer


----- Original Message -----
From: "L. P. Skeen"
To:
Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: mata ortiz, side bar


> Ok, this is going to sound gross, but I'm just thinking on
the fly here.
(no
>pun intended...) What is it about cow pies that is
special? Would it be
> possible (gross, yes, but possible?) to use human-pies
instead? What
about
> chickens? Those guys are CONSTANT poopers..........
>
> L
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "mel jacobson"
> Subject: mata ortiz, side bar
>
>
> > it must be noted that there are many people
> > in an isolated place, making lots of pots.
> >
> > there is no longer cow pies to go around.
> > the entire village is making pots, not many
> > raising cattle any longer.

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