Getting Lost In Goodwill...

 I visited Goodwill today.   A number of my readers (Can I call you My Readers?   It makes me sound so important....) have suggested that I go there for common kitchen items that are cheap and disposable...   Or keep-able, if they end up being something I like. I had been putting it off because I know I wanted stuff from IKEA (Because it is also affordable and it matches!)   But today, I realized there were a few things I still needed and IKEA was not going to be  the place to find them

I needed a basket.   For Mushrooms! (Of course!)  And I figured I would check out Goodwill first before investing money in a basket that functions, but looks bad. (Images of Hobby Lobby come to mind from previous years....) 

Well I found one!  In fact, I found two!  And for only $2 each!   Well you can't beat that price,  so I nabbed both of them. 

But then I got sucked into the black hole that is Goodwill....  

Goodwill has lots of "Stuff" and it is cheap!   But...   If you take a moment to actually look at stuff,   your mind begins to wonder. ( At least mine does.)    What is this!  Who would throw this away?  Why would anyone throw this away?   Who would ever buy this!?!?  

But the Journey does not stop there.  You begin to think about the history of random things.  And what that item must be thinking... If you believe it had a soul.  (Hey!   I think Subies have a soul.....  so back off!)  If you have ever watched "Toy Story" and let your imagination run wild,  you begin to think that these abandoned items are simply yearning for another life.  Kind of like a pet at the Animal Shelter. 

And then it gets sad... because you cant take all of this junk home... No matter how cheap it is!   So you look for reasons to NOT buy it.   "I would not have any place to put it... "  "It is not the size or color I was looking for."  "It CLASHES with everything I have at home!" 

Eventually,   You add a few items to your list of things and you end up spending more than you had originally thought. ( Even thought everything is SO CHEAP.... that it really does not matter.) I actually needed a salt shaker for my huge box of salt.   (Seriously!  Who does not have a salt shaker? ) Well I didn't have one...    And I never use pepper, so I broke up the pair and only bought one.  Will I be condemned to hades for splitting up a salt and pepper shaker set?   I don't care.    Let Pepper find their own home!

I also found a cluster of baking pans that were cheap enough for me to modify with a guilt free conscience.   They will now be repurposed for "Food Covers" for my griddle.   And  "Yes!"  I punched a hole in the bottom and added a bolt for a handle.  I even added a cork handle to the top so I won't burn my hand.   

Where did I get the cork?   Well,   I am a master of being resourceful!   And we happened to have all of these bottles of wine that "survived" the fire.   You just throw the cork away after you open it anyway... why not repurpose it for something more lasting?   

As for the wine...  well.   No one will know if you drink the evidence, right?  

Come to think about it, perhaps I should not admit this on the blog.    Then again,  perhaps I shouldn't attempt blogging while drinking the wine to begin with!   Ah well... It will all work out.   ( Then again, that would explain all of the typos and bad grammar. Mental note: Alcohol is best left for AFTER the blog has been posted!)  Hopefully....

Honestly,  I just reread the last paragraph and it was TERRIBLE!  Seriously!   Don't Drink and Blog!  It will ruin your ....  I forgot.  

Anyway,   Now for something completely random:  I went mushroom hunting again today.   several hours in the woods with my new Goodwill Basket!   I was able to harvest Brittle gills without the Chanterelles crushing them.  So I consider that a success!  

The Chanterelles are seriously lacking behind the Russulas this year.   I happened upon several locations where it appears the deer or Squirrels are "digging them up" before they are harvest able.    (Those stupid animals!) Bu tI found a basket worth of Russulas to bring hoime to make up for the lack of Chanterelles.  And I know that the Chanterelles are going to be popping up over the next several weeks anyway.... so I will let nature take it's course..

Well...   That is all for now.  That wine is really hitting me and I find it getting more and more difficult to focus....  so I should probably end this blog post now.   Even though I took so many mushroom pics that are BEAUTIFUL!   It will not matter if the people can not understand the sentences that accompany them.

 So,  Let's just end this now.   I begin Haribo tomorrow, so my blog posts might get a little less frequent than they have been I might have been able to expand upon that, but not in this condition.   Let's just say that I this is the last day of my vacation" and I now have to get back to work.  Because life is short and every second counts....  

Because it is funny, I will admit I had to do some MAJOR revisions.  to this blog post....  You can fill in the gaps.

Russulas On The Hill!

 I went out today to see if any more Chanterelles had popped up in any of my other hunting locations.   I discovered a few that were of harvestable size, but most of them seemed to be just beginning to "pin".  So...  I though it would be a quick loop and wait until later to come back... Simply taking inventory of the mushrooms that were out. 

But then I noticed a number of Russulas that were fairly fresh.   

   I love Russulas.  ( Also known as "brittle gills")   It was one of the first mushrooms I discovered to "not taste like a mushrooms".  That is to say, I harvested a handful that tasted like Cherries (The Maraschino kind!)  Or almonds!   Wonderfully sweet!  

They can also taste like Habanero Peppers!  And the best way to find out which one is which is to taste them.   A little bite,  touch with the tip of your tongue,  then spit it out.   If your face feels like it is about to burn off...  That one is not edible!

Russulas also come in all kinds of Colors!  (There are over 3000 species in the family I guess) And I have been able to find many of them.    Blacks, greens, yellows, reds and pinks seem to be the most common colors.   I found several that were Burgandy today!  So pretty!

I sifted out the ones I found yesterday from the Chanterelles.    The problem with Brittle Gills is that they are Brittle!   And mashing them in a bag with a bunch of dense Chanterelles will crush them simply with the weight.  In fact, My bag was almost exclusively Russulas today. And just having them was enough to shatter many of the larger ones.  

It didn't matter, because after sampling all of them, I found them all palatable, so they will be destined for the frying pan later.  Last year, I think I missed the Russulas by about a week!   Meaning, I did not find many, and the ones that I did find were "old" and not very desirable.  So I guess they pop out just before the Chanterelles are in peak season. 

My hope is that no one else discovers the Chanterelles before I get a chance to check back on them and see if they have grown a bit larger.   Last year I know several of my spots were ransacked by either deer, squirrels or other mushroom hunters.  ( And all mushroom hunters know what a Chanterelle is.)  In fact, I could see that a number of my Russulas were picked and kicked over.   Probably from a deer or squirrel.   Not many people bother with such a fragile mushroom like a Brittle Gill... ( That is what I want to think at least...)  

I did manage to find a couple of Deadlies.    I thought it was perfect that the yellow Amanita popped up right near the yellow Russulas and the Chanterelles. If you were ONLY harvesting by color, you might accidentally pick this guy and be in a world of hurt!  

Gills!  

But look closer and you will see they are very different.  Chanterelles do not have gills or a really long stem.   

Russulas are FRAGILE!  (in case you missed it...)   Russulas have hollow stems that break easily ( And usually stems that are pretty short by comparison.)  

Destroying Angel!  

But the BIGGEST tell tale sign for me is that Amanitas have a Veil Remnant and come out of an egg.  ( Volva:  A cup shaped feature at the base of an Amanita stem.) Bottom line,   I would not eat anything that comes out of a volva and has a veil remnant. ( Probably not even a Stinkhorn..) 

And it looks like the Destroying Angel mad an appearance.    They are so  pretty, but it is best to only take their picture and not toss it in your basket. (or Bag.) 

 I washed up the Russulas and cooked a few up for some Mushroom and Swiss Burgers.   I think I'm getting better, since I made less of a mess and did not require a fork to eat the burgers.   I still have to work on the seasonings though.  

Tomorrow is my last day of freedom before I begin the new Job.  I will probably spend a portion of it out in the forest searching for more Chanterelles or anything else that might be popping up ( Boletes?)  The good news is that I have currently "Fixed" the bathtub drain and can now take a shower at home after my morning run.   Yeah!   My hope is that it will stay fixed for the remainder of my time here and not require a plumber to come out to dredge out the pipes.  With no long hair to clog up the drain, I'm thinking it should stay fixed for a while.  

I can't believe it is July already.   Summer sure is flying by.   And with the new job beginning on Tuesday, I have to make every second count. 

Mushrooms After The Rain!

 The Chanterelles are out!   Finally!   They are just starting here in the Kenosha area (for me, anyway....) And I filled up a bag in just about 15 minutes.   

Of course,  It took about an hour to get out of the woods, because "there is always one more" out there.  And the temptation to harvest it is irresistible!     So I had to take my glasses off and try to leave th woods blind so I would not gather any more. 

Just kidding.   About the glasses part.   I DID have to march out without looking at the ground though. I knwo they are just starting because I was here just two days ago (I was in a different section yesterday...)   And there was nothing!    So all of these guys are only a day old. 

And judging from the size, I would say that is accurate.   I started off being so excited about finding a field Bolete.   And a small number of Russulas.  I tossed them into my bag, thinking that may be the only thing I found.   

But then I stumbled upon a gold mine!   This tree must have a serious network around the roots, because you could clearly see the mushrooms popping up in a line radiating out from the tree base.  So fun!  

Most of them were under 2 inches,  so there may still be a ways to go over the next few days.   I will check back tomorrow and monday and hunt around in other areas. 

I also found a small stash and variety of Russulas.   They are so fragile... And when I put them in the bag with the Chanterelles,   The Chanterelles crush them!    But they are tasty.   I cooked them up after I got home ( because they are the ones who will spoil first.)   A wild Mushroom and Swiss burger!  

For those fragile mushrooms, I miss my little basket.  I think the fire claimed that as well. so I may have to head to Goodwill and see if I can find another one.   

Upon finding that the Chanterelles are finally out, I pretty much texted everyone I know with pictures.   I can only harvest so many since I no longer have a dehydrator.  And those mushrooms are not going to last forever on the ground.    

I also know that there  is competition out there for these "Easy to Identify" mushrooms.  I would rather fellow mushroom lovers would rather share the experience with people I know that "Hope" a random stranger finds them and knows what to do with them...

I'll keep this post short.   Just an update on the Mushroom situation in Wisconsin.  And I get to share the pictures!   If you find yourself in the Petrified Springs anytime this weekend,  take a talk in the woods and see if you can find any of these tasty, yellow beauties!   They won't last long...  even without any competition.   And every second counts. 

Happy 4th Of July!

 It was a rather busy day for me today.  Even though it is still not over!   AND  I had my plans change from my newly formed routine....   Seems I have had to remain flexible this last week as well even though I have a fairly stable home to dwell in at the moment.   I shall elaborate....

Well,   First the good news!   The Hot Water heater has been replaces and is working properly.   Yeah!   DJ came in and spent the majority of the night hooking it up.  (And I am eternally Grateful!)  He also showed me the CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING!   (Yes,  the house had central air all along and I was too stupid to figure it out...   Lesson learned!)    And the central air works great!  So I have put the window units "On Ice"  ( Get it?  On ice....  Because they are cold.... and will not...   Never mind)  for now so I can save a little money on the electricity.  

The bad news:   The drain in the bathtub refuses to fix itself!   No matter how much I beg, plead, or plunge....  it keeps spitting out junk from below.   IT is the only drain that does that, so DJ thinks it is specific to that line.   And this is another job for the pros   Because I will not be messing with a disastrous leak because I don't know how to hook up a pipe line...  ( Otherwise, I would DIY it....)  

So that means more showers at the YMCA until that issue is fixed.    But it should be the last one ( knock on wood....)  And then I begin the Haribo Experience beginning on Tuesday! 

Lucky that I would have a free week at the YMCA due to my volunteering.   Funny how things work out!  It's almost as if a divine hand was at play....   

Normally, I would either toss the gift card or give it to someone who might use it.   But I kept it and it has come in VERY handy these last few days.  IT also allowed me to actually tour the facilities and check it out.   It is nice!   And fairly close by.    Will I join?   I doubt it.    But it is nice to know  what they offer and that I can use it in the event of an emergency. 

Today I visited Sommers for the 4th of July Parade.  My camera battery was close to dying, so I did not take many pictures.   In fact,  the main reason I go to that parade is to see if I can actually recognize people and do some Sidewalk Chalk drawing!  

I have had this chalk for over a year now, and wouldn't you know it... the Fire destroyed that too!   Not really the fire, but more the water that was used to put the fire out.   That moisture just made the chalk difficult to work with.   So I purchased some more cheap chalk from Walmart.   And that was not much better.  

But I did manage to make a few drawings and get some of the kids interested.    One girl.. I think I remember her from last year,  Was pretty good!   With a few tips, she was able to make some really cool looking stuff.   Her centipede was coming along nicely with shading and highlights.  

As always, it was hot.  And it rained this morning, so I was unable to get my run in.  ( Which kind of threw me off for the day.)    But I recovered and was able to finish everything I had wanted to achieve for the day.  Including walking the Borrowed dog that I kidnapped.  

I'm hoping after this nice rain we had this morning the mushrooms will be popping up.   I'm now looking for Chanterelles and Boletes.   I have seen a few Russulas here and there, but no huge fruitings.   I did manage to find another cluster of Woodear.   Not enough to harvest for myself, but it is fun to know they are here in the Kenosha area.  

And now, I'm going to call it and spend the rest of the evening in my comfortable room.   I feel I have battled thee heat enough today and do not need to endure  more just to watch the fireworks.   Who knows!  Maybe I will be able to see them from my window, since I'm so close to the downtown area.  Or maybe I will score a NEW EMBROIDERY MACHINE from the now Jo Ann Stores that are going out of business.  

 And there is no desire to fight anymore crowds at the moment.   Because my time is important to me.   And Every second counts..