Welcome to Breakfast in America
I’m a Brit who unexpectedly emigrated to the USA in 2008, and this is my photo journal.
It’s an eclectic mix of things; there’s no guiding theme or topic. It is whatever catches my attention, what I’ve been thinking, doing, or piques my interest. Currently that’s mainly backpacking and clearing some of the backlog on my ‘honey-do’ list.
Popular posts
Trending pictures and short posts.
Popular pages
Trending longer content.
Memories
A dozen pictures, picked at random from my favorite memories. You can see my portfolio here.
Grandpa
Blessing of the Animals #2
Labor Day Weekend With The Parents
Early Morning mist on the lake – Berry Bend, Harry S Truman Reservoir
Through the veil
Fifth Third Bank – Louisville, Kentucky
Today we drove down to see Carol & Jim (365:323)
Piney Creek Wilderness at Table Rock Lake
A Stroll on the Beach at Sunset, Widemouth Bay, Cornwall
Sunset – Cedar Ridge, Stockton Lake, Missouri
Finally, the sun reaches inside my hammock
Circles
Recent Posts
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Meds
Meds — It seems that the older I get, the more meds and supplements it takes to keep me functioning. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It seems that the older I get, the more meds and supplements it takes to keep me functioning.
Each day, I take two pills to keep my heart beating steadily, two pills for my prostate, one pill to lower my blood pressure, one pill to lower the coagulation propensities of my blood, and one pill to keep my low-density lipoprotein (cholesterol) in check. One of the supplements counteracts the worst of the side effects of the meds, and the other is just general vitamins and minerals, some of which are supposed to help slow down my macular degeneration.
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Big Piney Trail, South Loop along the top of a ridge, heading west near the Little Piney Creek Overlook
Hike almost over — it’s just a short way from here, at the edge of the wilderness, to the registration point and parking lot. All in all, I hiked a tad under 19 miles and climbed 1,500 feet of elevation. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Big Piney Trail, South Loop along the top of a ridge, heading west near the Little Piney Creek Overlook
Big Piney Trail, South Loop along the top of a ridge, heading west near the Little Piney Creek Overlook. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
The trailside fire rings have been rebuilt
The trailside fire rings have been rebuilt — Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. At first I thought it was just the odd one here and there, but all the fire rings I encountered and remember seeing on previous trips had either been rebuilt or cleared away. Many, like this one, had a supply of wood in them or nearby. Odd. It was like someone was preparing for a massive influx of hikers.
Another trailside fire ring — again rebuilt, stocked with wood and complete with some log benches. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Camped at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’
Camped at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Camped at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — this is such a great place to hang a hammock. Not so good if you want to set a tarp, though. I never have when stopping here. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Preparing second breakfast — Peak Refuel Biscuits and Gravy
Preparing second breakfast — Peak Refuel Biscuits and Gravy. I’m glad I anticipated the burn ban and brought along my butane stove. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’m glad I anticipated the burn ban and brought along my butane stove. As I understand it, you are not supposed to use any stove that cannot be turned off during a burn ban. I’ve had my alcohol stove blow over in a high wind (fortunately on a creek’s pebble beach), so that makes sense to me.
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View from my hammock at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’
View from my hammock at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — The real Trolltunga is around 2,300 feet above the lake below it. ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — my tunga-in-cheek name for this spot, has an initial drop of around 15 feet, and is 50-60 feet above the hollow’s floor. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Coffee and an (out of shot) Pop-Tart in my hammock
Coffee and an (out of shot) Pop-Tart in my hammock. Eight o’clock and it’s warming up just a tad. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
It got chilly last night – Day Three
It got chilly last night — not quite as bad as the forecast at 26°F, though. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It got chilly last night — not quite as bad as the forecast at 26°F. My plan worked, and I was too warm at times.
What was the plan? Well, I’d packed my big puffy jacket, and I always pack my light puffy, just because at 11oz it is lighter than a fleece, and it packs a lot smaller. I put the big puffy over my top quilt around my legs, and the lighter puffy over the quilt, over my body. Between them and the quilt I kept toasty.
I brought along fleece pants for the hike out, and I’ve also got a base layer top and bottom. If the wind is really biting I’ve got my rain jacket to use as a windbreak as well. I’ll survive.
Like my tiara? Apparently, I forgot to take my headlamp off last night. Oh well, I guess that kept the battery warm.
Up and about — It was very slow to warm up despite the sunshine, and the wind was biting! That’s my light puffy I’m wearing. My big puffy has a hood and is long enough to keep my butt warm. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. There is one minor issue, I’ve managed to injure my right knee. The pain is quite tolerable once I move it a bit. However, that has put paid to any thoughts I had of taking the longer route back to the trailhead via the North Loop.
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Big Paddy Creek was low enough to ford at the old crossing point
Big Paddy Creek was low enough to ford at the old crossing point — It’s the first time I’ve been able to cross here in quite a while. All the weed in the creek shows how low and slow the creek is at the moment. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
The new Big Paddy Creek crossing point — It doesn’t get more than knee deep here when the water is up to your crotch (well with my little legs) at the old crossing point which was washed out a year or so ago. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
