Pig Out

Well, the Scouts wanted to do something different in November. Turkeys weren't good enough. Neither was barbeque. A pig roast was the only thing that would fill the bill. So, thanks to Ralph Holchin who procurred the porker and Dave Machala, our resident engineer, the roast was on at Manitoc.

Early on is became apparent the troop couldn't afford to rent a motorized spit, so Machala went to work. With parts borrowed and scavanged from here and there (and the Machala garage) a super duper roaster was trucked (OK, vanned) to camp on a beautiful Saturday.

The older scouts seasoned and trussed the porker and put it on the cooker. Problem number one - it was too long. So, back to the prep table for some surgery. The pig was finally "shortened" and put on to cook. Dave's old copier motor kept the pig rotating for even cooking. It lasted an hour before burning out.

Plan B was quickly implemented as Dave produced a hand crank. The Senior Patrol Leader drew up a duty roster and everyone took their turn cranking the pig. Five hours later the rest of the feast was prepared. Mashed potatos, homemade applesauce and biscuits and corn fritters along with copius quantities of roast pork left everyone contented.

And, the feast provided enough energy for a game of capture the flag later that evening against the troop in the cabin next to our Adirondacks. One of the best campouts of the year by all accounts. If you missed it...too bad.










Photos by Mark Duncan