New reader ... sort of

One of the joys of writing a blog is that you occasionally meet one of your readers. Most find 'Round the Chuckbox through web searches or word-of-mouth as I don't expend a lot of effort marketing the blog.

Occasional Dutch oven cook Matt Allen (pictured, left) first found the blog some two years ago during a Google search for camping recipes. Matt enjoys baking sheepherder's bread and apple crisp in his Dutch ovens while camping.

However, Matt and I didn't meet in a culinary context as you might expect. He quickly jumped to the the El Dorado Western Railway blog. As a railroad enthusiast, he's followed the crew's effort to restore the Diamond and Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive for the past two years.

We finally met Saturday at the engine house, where Matt quickly found a place as the railway pipefitter. He's agreed to evaluate and design the piping for the airbrake system for the Diamond and Caldor Railnus No. 10 at the El Dorado County Historical Museum.

Maybe Matt will agree to assist me next time I cook for the crew.