The New Place!

 I have been slowly moving into the new place for the last two days.  It's an older house with lots of Character!   (Wood floors, wood flooring,  old style windows....  etc.)    Actually, the windows are exactly like the ones we had in Iowa back in the day.    So they are not as foreign to me as you would think...

That being said, I have spent the majority of the last two days combating the HEAT WAVE that has beset the Midwest.  You know that the heat is bad when you are OBVIOUSLY aware on how the hot weather is effecting your personality.    

Example:   I find myself to have zero patience!  And I seem to be uncomfortable any time I am not in some form of indoor air conditioning.  I can only imagine how it is affecting people who are not me! 

If only it were that BIG!

So the first night here, I realized I would have to make AC a priority.    I spent the first night setting up a newly purchased AC unit.  And it was worth every penny!    Sure it is small, but so is my room...   And that means less cubic feet to cool down.  It all worked out. 

But then there is the rest of the place.    I asked Christina what it was like for her when she lived here. (This was her first place in Kenosha when she moved here..)   And she said you will probably need 3 units to keep the house cool.   I figured I would have to buy another one anyway, but wouldn't you know it... there was someone selling one at a "moving sale" just three houses down.   

It was a big one, and I figured it would work in the living room  perfectly.  And the price was substantially less than a new one from the store...   So I got it. 

But there is a risk in all bargains.    And for this one,   the unit seems to be low on Freon gas.  Everything works on it....  but it is old, and older units eventually lose the Freon and need to be recharged.   But "small" units like this do not have a recharging port....   So it now is pretty much useless.  

(That is not exactly true!  I know how to add Refrigerant, but the gas is EPA regulated.    I have read that you can purchase it easily on Ebay,   And you need a splicing bracket and some hoses and meters.   But that will take too long.    And by the time I am able to do it,  I will die of heat exhaustion and not save as much as I wanted....)  

Regardless,  I finally feel like I have reached my "Midway Moment"  in fighting the heat.  For those of you who are not into History,   the battle of Midway was the turning point in the Pacific during World War 2.  (And I just watched the movie on Peacock... so the reference was fresh in my brain...) 

I ended up purchasing another unit from Sam's and it is already making a HUGE difference!  I would walk out of my small bedroom into a sauna... But now, with each passing minute,  the air is slowly cooling down to an acceptable level of comfort.  Whew!  

As for Dave,   I have closed off his room as he is not here.   He is off in ALASKA enjoying the cool temps and fresh air that only God's Country can provide.  
  When he eventually gets back, he will have to make the decision if he wants a small AC unit in his bedroom.    Who knows!   Maybe the two AC units that are currently working will be enough for the entire house and no additional units will be required.  

In addition to the war on Heat..   I have been working on gathering up some odds and ends to make the place livable.   ( Now that the environment has been taken care of...) I recently went to IKEA to buy a bed for myself.  

I LOVE IKEA!   Not only because of the Swedish nature of the brand... (And my family tree....)  That is to say: Simple, compact, AFFORDABLE!    But also because the furniture comes with "Some assembly required!"   

And I LOVE assembling stuff!

And to make it even more challenging..  IKEA usually adds instructions that are vague or confusing.     And have NO written instructions.    

Now I know that they do this because most of the world is illiterate. (That is the snobby teacher in me...   or maybe it's the heat again...) But the pictures could use a sentence of two to clarify some things.  I'm just saying. 

None of that matters for me, because I never use the instructions anyway.   Even with the pictures, I treat it more like a puzzle:   Trying out each piece until I get something to looks right.   This usually means that I have to disassemble and reassemble it several times to get the results that look like the finished picture.   But hey!  It's the Journey, not the destination, right?   And I enjoy the process. 

So now I have a really cool bed that fits neatly in one corner of my small room.   I can take it apart and set the bottom half next to the top for a larger bed if I eventually choose to upgrade.   (IKEA is so thoughtful in their engineering and design!)  Or I can split the bed and share it with someone if we have company come over!   Like one of those Futons or Hide-a-beds! 

That has not left much time for anything else.  I have not been able to do any nature walks this weekend.   I did manage to capture a Tiger Swallowtail and find some old Woodear mushrooms.   I have been looking for Wood Ear for a while now, and was so excited to finally find some.   Too bad it was old and dry.   I ended up spreading it around to other logs in the hopes that it will take root and bear fruit next year.  

Tonight,  Christina has offered her services for another IKEA visit.   She will help me by providing an additional perspective on the things I may need for the new place.   Mostly kitchen stuff, as I currently am not cooking in the kitchen.   But I know I will eventually need some utensils and plates for food and stuff.  And I'm sure there are other things I am missing, and will not realize it until I need it.  

That all being said,   This week is filling up with things I must do.   And I can't afford to waste time.. because every second counts.

The Taming Of The Butterflies

 Like that Shakespeare play... Only nicer.   

You may remember that I have been gushing about the Mournning Cloak abundance this year here in the Kenosha area.  ( perhaps they are abundant in other places as well....) Well,  they are unique in that they tend to be a friendly butterfly.   That is to say,  unlike most butterflies that fly away when you approach them...   Mourning cloaks tend to stay in the area and circle around you as long as you are not swating at them or trying to catch them with a net.  

Case in point:  Yesterday,  I found this beautiful GIANT SWALLOWTAIL here in Wisconsin ( Near one of my fishing spots..   For those who do not know,  these are a rare southern stray butterfly, that occasionally flies north during the summer.  ( Their food plant is citrus leaves...)  Every time I see one of these beauties,   I give chase and try to capture a picture.   This is made most challenging, because these butterflies are what they call " Horizon flyers" in that, once they feel threatened,  they fly off into the sunset!   Never to be seen again....

But I DID manage to capture a long range shot of him before he took off.   I was so pleases with this picture, I was going to blog all about just that!

 But then ...  This happened:

I noted that this guy was floating around Ladybird and I for a long time.   And I decided to see if I could get him to land on my hand.   

He was flying all around.  And kept landing on a blade of grass that could not support him...   So I held out my hand as a substitute. 

Several times, he nudged my hand or arm with his wings.

And I took many shots,,,  each time, missing the "near miss!"

But then....  This happened!

It was close enough to perfect for me.   With my crappy little phone camera. (The irony of our standards in photography is not lost on me in my own statement...)  

So I made another friend today.   This time with a butterfly!   Hey!   What is the count of wildlife things that I have been able to hold or touch this month?   Let's see:   

A Turkey.

A Chipmunk.

A nest of Baby Robins..  Oh!  Who have since left the nest!    I knew they would begin flying soon.   I'm sure the entire day of rain must of helped motivate them to leave the open roof concept.

And the countless fish that I have been releasing....   

You might think that I'm a "Dr. Doolittle" of sorts.    (There is a joke in there some where... for those who know me.)   I know some are thinking about the "Do Little" as what I have done with my life thus far.    But I was referring to the ability to observe and talk to the animals.   (More than simple communication....)  I guess that is why I gravitated to the animal kingdom more and got that Fish and Wildlife degree.    What can I say.    Some times it is a challenge to make every second count. 

Oh!  And here is an interesting video on the Awesome Mourning Cloak!   Enjoy! 

The Season Of Change....

 Well,  Summer has finally arrived, if you were to judge purely by the weather.   The last two days have been a scorcher! And it looks like the hot weather is here to stay.  I went out for a run this morning (Almost afternoon!)  and only managed to get in about 4 miles.   It appears I am starting from the basics once again. And the pleasant weather we had previously has changed to "unpleasant"!   Adding an additional layer of misery for my exercise experience.   And just when I thought I would be able to get back into the swing of things easily....

Well, to be honest,  I have not been in much of a position to where I can figure out a routine... Under our current situation.   But I believe that is about to change.   You see,   Dave and I have secured a house for rent for a short time.   I called this morning to secure the utilities.  My plan is to move in around Thursday.   And through out next week, when Dave will be on Vacation. 

It should be fairly easy...   All I have are clothes!  Any additional things that are currently in storage ( tools mostly...) I will bring along and store in the basement or garage.   If I'm fortunate,   I will secure a chair and a desk...  and a mattress soon after.   It will be easy!   

And having been in the Army, where sleeping in an abandoned chicken coop was like sleeping at a HILTON instead of being in a muddy foxhole...   I'm used to doing more with less.    ( The coop was on stilts!  And had a roof!  A nice touch when it is pouring cats and dogs outside!) 

In other news,  I did the Haribo assessment... And passed!   ( 86% I believe...)   I can't tell you how nerve wracking it is to take a test with no advanced warning or prep time.   It was 50 minutes long,  36 questions  in length...  And the questions ranged from fairly complicated math questions to "what would you do in this situation?"  Some fo the terms they used were unknown to me, so I did what I always told my students to do....  Process of elimination!  

It must have worked... because they offered me the job.  I begin on July 8th....  After another drug screen and background check. ( Nothing should have changed since the zebra one...So I should be good to go!)  The pay is slightly better and the benefits are about on Par with Zebra.  AND it is a new experience with a new environment and more things to learn and master!   I can't wait!

It will be second shift, though.    Not that big of a deal ( comes with an additional $1.50/hr!)  I have done the second shift thing before and after a little bit of adjusting,  you grow into it.   IT simply means I will be able to sleep in and do my exercise before work, which will probably be better as the summer heat kicks in. 

Scaly Caps!  Pretty, but inedible/

And finally,  Another nature walk with the Ladybird.   We checked out the Robins, ( They are growing so fast!)  and the usually places for mushrooms.    I'm still on the search for the chicken of the woods, which appeared this time of year two years ago.   (Last year I missed it!)   

A Carpenter Bee!  

There are also lots of butterflies out where we hunt.   I have yet to see any Painted Ladies or Red Admirables....  Usually they are the ones dominating the fields and forests this time of year.   But the Mourning Cloaks are a welcome change.    It must be their year to shine this year...

So the rest of the week:   Beat the heat ( And the rain!  There is lots in the forcatst the next several days) Move the stuff into the new place of permanence,  and prepare for any additional tasks Haribo has for me.   With the Sun being out so full and hot,  it makes fishing a little more challenging.   No one wants a 3rd degree sunburn!   So,  I shall see if I can find something to do inside for the time being.   No crafties... Just other things that keep my creative mind occupied.   

In the mean time...   I will continue to try to make every second count.