Earth Day At The Haribo!

 Wednesday was "Earth Day".   The one day on the planet that we set out to recognize that we live on a planet.   And try to do stuff to make us feel like we are saving said planet.   Kind of stupid, if you ask me.   The planet will be here long after we are gone.   And it is doing its best to kill us with everything from the weather, landslides, floods and volcanoes around us.   And don't get me started on using the other living things to wipe us out!   (Black Plague, Anyone?)

As you can see, this topic is an easy one  for me to slip into a political rant against the Greenies and hippies that worship "Mother Earth."  But I would wager that few people love the "Great Outdoors" as much as I do!  Hunting, Fishing, Camping were all parts of my childhood experience growing up.   Heck!  I even went to College to learn even MORE about the intricacies of nature.  Most people who work outside do so because they were terrible in school and have no other option.   I actually went to college so I could work outside!  Try to explain that! 

So when Haribo offered an Earth Day Clean up Crew that would clean up the area on the other side of the highway,  I volunteered!  What a great way to spend a couple of hours outside with my Peeps!  And the weather was wonderful!   Making the experience all that much better! 

Most of the people were from the offices.    It makes sense to me.   I know what when I worked in an office,   getting a chance to go outside was very liberating!   And I would accept just about any excuse to be out there.  ( as long as it was not raining!)  

But there was at least one guy from the Packaging Floor  besides me.   ( So I didn't feel too out of place.)  I imagine most people were probably not willing to show up  two hours before their shift to walk around in Tick Infested brush to pick up a bunch of trash...  (That shows you where their love of the planet ends.... )   Luckily,  there were no ticks.  At least from our shift.  

  I guess one of the guys on first shift picked one up while cleaning the median.  But there was not a lot of tall grass or brush in our section.   A little bit safer.   (Ticks!  Another one of "Mother Earth's" Vectors of Destruction!)  Still,  I wore long pants for the occasion.  Had I thought of it, I would have brought my Deep Woods Off! from my fishing gear.  

The entire Event lasted a little over an hour.   And we had cleaned up a fairly long stretch of the road and highway.  Nate and I filled up two large garbage bags each.  ( Not sure about the others,  as they were further down the road)   But it was a Fun way to prep for the work day and they even brought snacks.   There were pictures for the Haribo Blog and Commons area, but I forgot to snap a picture while at work today. 

Speaking of which,  I worked today.   I have been working a lot of Saturdays lately.   Mostly because I have don't have much else to do and enjoy getting all of that Tax Free overtime now.  Who would have ever guessed that elections actually have results?  Besides,  I enjoy the work and the people I work with.   What could be better than spending the day helping out friends with a common struggle?    

Oh!   And did I mention the pay?   Which is nice.  ( And tax free!) 

It has been so nice outside lately that I even went down to the park for a bit of fishing before work.  The Bluegills are not on the beds yet, but they are getting ready... and are Hungry!   I managed to catch several before losing my fly.  It's always promising when you catch something on the first cast!   Hopefully,   when I have a free Saturday or an early morning,  I will be able to head to one of the local lakes and try my luck there.    

In the mean time,  I will have a little bit of fun with the small pond fish next door.  It's a perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy a little nature. 

In addition to the fish,  the flowers are now showing off their full colors.   Several yards in the neighborhood are spotted with dots of yellow and blue.   This is the one time of year when Ll of the Dandelions bloom in unison.  And I personally  like the symphony of yellow they produce.  I really should get out there and harvest a few for my Dandelion Green Potato salad.  (Mom called it "German Potato Salad, but that is not really what it is. )  

The cat is telling me to wrap this up as it is getting late and I have Church tomorrow... Early!  ( I can't help it, I like the early Service best.)  Which means I had better be getting to bed soon if I don't want to be a zombie tomorrow.   I have tentative plans to go out and look for some mushrooms tomorrow after Church, since I will be close to Parkside and know a few places where the Oyster Mushrooms might be popping up.   Dave already sent me a pic of some Oyster Mushrooms in Canada.  So it is possible the nicer weather has set them to bloom here.   I will try to be there when it happens.   And make the rest of the weekend count.  

The Signs Of Spring!

 The April Showers have begun and this week we have had not one, but TWO!   Tornado Warnings/Drills at the Haribo!  The last one was Friday and lasted 45 minutes!   I guess there was some flooding in Milwaukee....    But seriously...  I have never seen a Tornado in the Midwest. Usually,   it is just some strong winds with thunderstorms.   I'm actually kind of fond of them.  ( Sometimes they even drop a tree in our yard for carving purposes!)

But there has been lots of rain this year!   It even rained today!   (Slight sprinkle.)  And with the rains come all of those flowers.   I walked around the neighborhood and took a few pics of the tulips and daffodils.  Also, a bunch of the trees are beginning to sprout and flower up!   It won't be long now before all of those fruit trees start painting the landscape with pinks and yellows. 

I even found the first mushrooms of the year!  I'm guessing these are something from the "Inkcap Family"   Possibly edible,  but inkcaps have a reputation of making you ill if you drink any alcohol after eating them.  ( Up to three days!) And some will just make you sick regardless.   I did not harvest any. I'll wait for Morels.

In addition to the flowers and mushrooms,  the spring rains have also triggered the growing grass in the yard.   And after last fall,  the caretakers of this property asked if I would mind taking over the lawn maintenance.  I agreed...  After all, it was soon going to be winter and I had thought I would be out of this place by the first of the year!

But plans tend to change and here we are in April! So it looks like I had better make good on the commitment.   It has been about 30 years since I actually mowed a lawn.  ( Not counting the times I worked for the DNR.   That was a Tractor/brush hog) I used to mow our yard growing up.   Me!  With a purple push mower from Sears that hated cutting grass almost as much as I did.  It took about 30 pulls to get the thing started.   It was loud,  heavy, and dull as a butter knife.   Mom used to make me re-mow all of the sections I had just finished because it would not cut the Dandelions or Plantain stalks.  Looking back, it could have probably been a better experience had I given it a good cleaning,  tune-up, and sharpened the blade...  But I was a KID!   With no small engine experience or knowledge.  And Mom would just yell at me until I got the thing running.  She must have thought that that just yelling at something would fix  it.   Mom yelled at everything.  And most times, it worked!  (Mostly because people just got tired of her throwing a fit over everything and would just fix it for her....) 

So I had to mow the yard.   Not Eric!   Eric....  a Genius!   Mowed the lawn only once.   And he did such a bang-up job that the job was quickly handed off to me shortly after I took my first steps!   Eric was so thorough in his mowing, that he made sure to mow off all of Mom's flowers.  

And I'm not talking stray flowers that grew wild in the yard.   I'm talking "Flower Beds!"  Mowed down to the dirt!   (GENIUS move!)   You might be thinking "what kind of idiot would jump over the meager landscaping and mow off the Tulips, Hyacinths,  and Irises?"  But you would be mistaken.   He did not do it out of stupidity...   He did it intentionally!  

You see,  Eric was much smarter than he pretended to be.  Mom and Eric never really got along.   And whenever Eric would not want to do something,  he would become "Extra Dumb."   To the point Mom would call him and idiot and make me do it instead.  Not wanting to be dumb, myself... or get yelled at more,   I would do the job and try to do it so Mom would leave me alone.  

It did not take long for Eric to be banned from the lawnmowing....   And I was forced to take up the slack.   Genius!   And I was the actual dumb one not figuring that out until years later.  

But when I finally had enough money. (A small savings account with birthday money.   I purchased a new lawnmower and learned to assemble and maintain it myself.   (Because Dad was usually out of town working...  Otherwise he would have assembled i!  Because I would "hurt myself" if I ever used any of his tools....) I remember the lawnmower was from Kmart.   It was the cheapest one they had. ($70 Bucks!)   And it was lighter, quieter, and started on the second pull!   

I remember changing the spark plugs and washing the heat sinks.  I cleaned off the fuel filter and sharpened the blades.  In short,   I maintained it and it actually worked!  We had that machine until I went to college.  Then Dad purchased a riding lawnmower so Mom could mow the lawn in my absence.  (Dad still worked out of town and Mom never trusted the neighborhood kids to "do a good job."  

And so it was that I have not pushed a mower since then.   Nor have I had any opportunities to work or assemble a small motor.  Until today! 

I bought a small lawn mower at Menhards yesterday.   And I have to say,   the entire event is rather exciting.   Not so much the cutting of the grass... But mostly the assembly and maintenance of the machine.  

I have to say,  it is just like riding a bike!   (Figuratively speaking...)    The box came with instructions... But who needs those?    Besides, they are usually in twelve different languages anyway.  And who wants to read that much or be told what to do?   (Luckily,  there were pictures!)  

Most of the assembly was intuitive.  The wheels go on the frame.  The Handle goes on the back part.  And that was pretty much it.   They did have BIG RED WARNING signs alerting the customer that they needed to add fuel and oil to the machine before they could operate it.   Something I still knew after all of those years of having my own.   {Cough, cough...}

It did take a couple of pulls to get it going.  ( Even after priming it..) but it ran great!  And was the perfect size for the small yard around this house. It only took about 15 minutes.   Unlike the yard I grew up with,  this yard is small and easy.  Back in Michigan,  our property was NOTABLY larger! 

We lived on about an acre and a half or land and I used the push mower for it all!  It was also filled with large sandy patches mixed with old brush piles and stumps that mom insisted should be mowed over. It usually took me several hours to complete, counting the Kool-Aid Breaks I would take between yards. 

Now I am not a yard man.   I have no intent to purchase a weed trimmer or edging tool for a completely manicured lawn. In fact,  being in the natural sciences,  I abhor those lawns!  (Bad for bees, butterflies, and the soil!) But I do like the minimum of a mowed lawn.  And there was a bit of nostalgia that accompanied the experience.   Mostly on the equipment, and less about the actual job.  I would wager that I am probably  the first one in the neighborhood to mow their lawn for the year.   ( Unlike Iowa,   Where I'm sure Don has already mowed his lawn 4 times!)  

With yard work completed,   I now plan on spending the rest of the day inside with the cat.  She could use a little attention after a week of late work nights. 

 (At least I had this Saturday off....)  She currently is whining over something, ( probably attention) and I should probably end this post soon.   It ended up much longer than I had originally thought it would be.   But that is what happens when I take a week off from blogging.   I guess that writing bug has to manifest itself somewhere!  

So hopefully the stormy cool weather will trigger a bumper crop of Mushrooms this year.   (Specifically Morels!)   My plan is to go visit my Brother in Michigan on the property and hopefully find a few while I'm out there.   The timing should be in the peak of the season... But you never know how things will pan out when it comes to Morels.   ( So elusive!) 

In the mean time,  I will try to contribute to the blog more regularly...  And make every remaining second count. 

Where Will You Be A Year From Now?

I have been asking myself this question a lot lately.  Perhaps it is triggered by the approaching Memorial Day.  Perhaps it is being triggered by the Fire that Dave and I survived and endured...  Either way,  I thought I would give it a few moments of thought for the blog. 

I have to tell you,  this is not the first time I have asked this question of myself.   In fact,  When I first came to Kenosha,  I thought I was only going to be here a couple of weeks!   And after it became apparent that it would be longer,  I never thought it would be over a year.  

And now it has been well over that.   And each year, after asking  myself that question,  I discover that the answer ends up being something completely unplanned.  It all leads me to solidly cement my philosophy in that NO ONE knows the future!  

Except God. 

A phrase I used to like was :Wanna make God laugh?   Tell him your plans for the future...  It would sometimes get a chuckle at a party.   But I seriously believe it.   God has a plan for us all.   And there is probably very little you can do to change it.  It could even be that your plans actually come true!  But not exactly  the way you had envisioned it.   God is writing the story.  

And so I find myself in a house.  Dave has moved on to Canada and I now have a Cat for a roommate.  And I'm  looking for a house.  Something I never thought I would ever be doing.   Nor ever thought I COULD do!   I thought I had completely destroyed my credit history with lack of steady employment,  failed business ventures and owing  back taxes to the government from 2016-2022!   But these last three years in Kenosha,  I have somehow managed to repair  and rebuild what was damaged.   I have completely paid off the Government and I guess that makes me some kind of superhero in the eyes of lenders!  

I have also had a steady job for those years and will soon be adding another year  to the workforce under the supervision of Haribo!  Slowly accruing a bit of skill, knowledge and money along the way.  Who would have thought? 

Did I fail to mention the fire?   Oh yeah!  Ask me that question last year and I never would have thought it possible.   No clothes,  No shoes!  No furniture.   No home!  (Oh!  And No job at the time, either!) Less than a year later,  I have them all back.  With a Cat!  Who would have ever guessed?  

Except God.

I am humbled whenever I think about these events.  Not only the fire and the aftermath of that night;  But also the year prior!   When I was a High School Teacher at Shoreland!  I had never imagined that as a possibility.   Even now, it seems like it was all a Dream....

But it happened. 

And so I continue to ask the question.  But it has now become more of a thought experiment rather than a "Road Map that must be followed."   (Besides,  I can barely picture next week, let alone next year!)  Because I know that I am not completely in control.  And some of the signs are hidden until you look back and see how things played out a year later.  Then, miraculously,  they become obvious!  Hindsight is 20/20.  

I recall a line from "Under The Tuscan Sun"  where the Realtor points out to the main character that all of her wishes came true.    She has a house.   She has a Wedding.   She has a Family.   And she has a Child.   Everything she ever wanted....  Just not the way she had envisioned it.  But it allows her to begin looking at things through new eyes.   With a bit less selfishness and a bit more humility.  

So I will Trust God as he continues to write my story.   That all the struggles and uncertainty will fade away or be worth it in the end.  And while I'm on this ride,  I will continue to make every second count.  

 Where will I be a year from now?   Only God knows.   

Mid-Week Post.

I blog so infrequently these days, that it bothers me when I spend an entire blog post ranting against kids. (Was it a rant?   I didn't really mean for it to come off that way.)  But sometimes inspirations simply take over and I have to write about something that I observe, instead of the boring, everyday commotions that happen to me routinely.    So... That is what this post is for.   To catch up on all the "boring stuff."   (Because what would life be like without a little "boring?" ) 

It is currently raining outside.    Complete with all of the trimmings of lightning and thunder.   

And I love it! 

Who does not love the rain?   (Fishermen, perhaps.   Or anyone working outside...  Homeless people?)   Whatever!    I like the rain.   Especially when I am warm and dry and can enjoy the sounds and the cool breeze while sipping a warm beverage.  I guess, given those conditions,  anyone would enjoy a little sprinkle.  

But this rain is a little more symbolic of something bigger.   Spring!  I know it is not the "first rain" of the year...   But I think this will be the first one of Spring, as the temps should be warm enough to keep any freak snow storms away.   Last week,  I think Monday started off with snow again.   It did not last long.   But that kind of ruins the "Spring experience"  for many of us.   "I guess Winter is not done yet...."  Are the thoughts...

But a little rain,  a LOT of Thunder.   And a flash of lightning seems to act as the herald for Spring's final  Arrival.   

And I welcome it. 

There were smaller preliminary signs last week... If you bothered to notice  them.  

Crocuses!   During one of my walks, I noticed a splash of color on an otherwise brown lawn.  Crocuses peeking up and flashing a bit of purple to show that the season was about to change.  

Yesterday,   I saw the first Daffodils.   I'm sure, in a week or two,  the first Tulips will start popping up. Tulips have the honor of being announced by everyone in the form of a festival.  (Those Dutch people LOVE their Tulips....)  By that time,  it is fairly obvious that Spring is now here.   

In the mean time,  I will enjoy the sounds of the rain hitting the roof.  And the cool of the damp breeze as it seeps through the cracks in the windows of the porch.   I know the traditional saying is "April Showers bring May Flowers..."   But the Spring also offers the start of the Mushroom Season.   Even though there are mushrooms you can find during the winter,  I did not go out looking for any this year.    (And besides,  most of those are not edible.)  So I am looking forward to the beginning of another Mushroom Season.   Let the Hunt begin!

The cat does not seem to know what to do with the rain and thunder.   She likes looking outside, but perhaps it is the chill or sound that bothers her.   She is currently curled up next to me.   At least she is not under the couch, hiding.  

Another day at Haribo!   Last night, the three Material handlers in the back had a good game.  (Alex and Tino helped out where they could.)   We cleared the floor of materials and cleaned up the back so third shift had an easier time of it.  First shift always seems to leave us a disaster during the shift change.  I'm sure it is not intentional .  But that means we have to spend the first three hours just trying to stay above water and figure things out.   Well last night,   we not only managed to get the lines all of their materials, but we also were able to wrap and send all of those pallets that were on the floor to the warehouse.   An achievement worth noting!

I like that the days are finally getting a little longer.   I can enjoy the sunset before my first break is over.  I like watching the sun set... even when it is not over the waters of Lake Michigan.   There is something romantic about a red sky at night....   Like a warm embrace before the darkness envelopes you.  

Time waits for no one.   And I had better wrap this up before I head to work.  Another nice thing about the rain is there is an excuse to stay indoors and write instead of doing something "active."   Hurray for the couch potato!  (Not that I'm totally lazy... But I do have my moments.  And Sometimes I enjoy them!)   So I shall end this post and get ready for another day at the Haribo.   And try to make every second count.