The Final Fall Mushrooms! And Snow!

Yesterday,  on the way home, I found a hillside covered in Shaggy Caps!  Fresh ones!    And in clusters!   I simply had to pull over and harvest them!  Or at the very least,  check out how fresh they were.   

This is the same place I found them last year, only back then I only found a few.   This year,  they were  dozens in clusters all around.   I chose the freshest ones I could and tossed them in  my Zebra Hat so I could carry them.   

Oh!  Did I forget to say that it was Cold?   31 degrees!   My hands were frozen trying to harvest them.    However, I did manage to harvest a lot of them and brought them home to show Dave.   He suggested we clean them up and eat them right away.    (Especially since they will not last longer than 24 hours after harvest.)   We tossed them into a skillet of ground Beef and vegetables and had it over rice.   Very Tasty!!

That was yesterday. 

Today...  Snow!   A couple inches at least!   It started out once again as a chilly morning,  but as the day progressed,  the snow began....  Covering all of the Cars  in the Zebra Parking lot.  (Including Subie!)  Looks like winter has made its first appearance on stage!

Oh!  And today is Halloween!   Fun for the kids who braved the weather outside this evening.   Even More Fun for ME!  As I stood in the open garage handing out candy.    Only a few kids stopped by.   And by 5:30,  it was pretty much over.   But at least I got more kids this year than last.  ( Last year... Zero!) Perhaps it was the open garage this time.  I just did not know how to handle Trick or Treating last year.   No one knocked on the door or yelled "Trick or Treat!"   I waited until dark.   I wonder if I was doing something wrong or was simply that "Creepy New Guy" in the neighborhood.  Either way,  I deem this year more successful.  

Looks like running is now going to be an even more challenging exercise.   No tunes and now...  Cold and Snow!   I will have to purchase some tights or warmer running gear if I want to prep for the Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving.   

And then there is November!  I was thinking about working on that Novel and that means I will have even less time to train or run after work.   Which is already a tiring ordeal....  Normally, I feel like just taking a nap when I get home.   But now I have to run and Write!   How will I do it all while still keeping on top of the regular things I have to do?   There simply are not enough hours in the day these days.... And Every Second counts!

A Fine Fall Day.

That was yesterday.   Today was actually rather cold.   That being said, I did manage to run 6 miles in the chilly weather.   That is kind of a mile stone for me because I have not run that distance since the Marathon!   Sure, I attempted to run a little several days later,  but my legs and knee hurt.  Then two miles a week after that.   And then 4 miles in the 80 degree weather we had just earlier last week!   So... Finally!  6 miles!   Yeah!

Subie... in the Fall Color

What it is like when you run without music...

Not that I felt that much of a celebration.   I actually find running rather boring without my tunes to help me soldier on.   But until I replace my headphones,  I will be forced to run without music or any distraction from the pain and suffering that is running.   I simply have to bear it. ( Bare?   As in bare Nekid?  Or Bear as in "Large Furry Omnivore?")  Either way...  You get the drift.  ( Personally, I like the thought of an angry Bear running on the sidewalk...) 

I have managed to gather a few pics of the fabulous Fall colors.   While exploring  several new areas for Mushrooms,  I happened upon several wildlife sightings along the way.   It gave me an idea about exploring the fishing sport once again at a future time.   Nothing is usually more peaceful than wading through a shallow stream while fly-fishing.  

Ok....  "Nothing"  is just an expression,   There are LOTS of peaceful activities that you can do in the forest that have nothing to do with water or fish.  Like hunting!   

For Mushrooms!  Truth be told,  that is one of the only things that is always in season.   Unless they are not in season...   Which usually means either it is too dry or you are not looking hard enough.   But even knowing where they grow and hitting those places several times a week does not guarantee you a find. In fact,  this week was rather a dud week for me.   I only found a handful of oyster mushrooms and a LOT of Turkey Tail.    ( Too bad I'm brimming in Turkey Tail now.... No need to gather more of that just yet)  

But...  Yesterday,  just before I was going to pack it in,  I found an entire tree with pinning Oyster Mushrooms.   I was able to fill the basket up and save the day.   Other than that,  the leaves are probably hiding any ground mushrooms.   And I simply have not found very many other species.   So....   I'm grateful for the find.  

As for today,  I continued working on the cardboard fish.   And I managed to fold a Pegasus from one of the sheets of hand made paper.   That little sculpture will require a coat of Modge Podge to keep it intact, I'm afraid.   But it was fun to dust off the folding skills for something a little more complicated. 

Tomorrow is the Big Reformation Service at one of the larger churches.  And after that,  November will be right around the corner.   November is the National Novel Writing Month.   I have done this before and was successful!   And have attempted it several times afterwards and did not complete it in the given time frame.  However,   I did manage to complete a second novel.   I have had a third story in my mind for several years now and simply have lacked the motivation to complete it.   I should try to get off my butt and actually try to rough it out this time.   And with November so close,  And with the Universe sending me LOTS of signs,  perhaps this is the year I can make it happen.   Fingers crossed that I keep myself to that goal.    

Because I think I like telling stories.   And I like writing.   And sometimes people tell me I'm a good writing.  (Really?  Or perhaps they are just being nice....)   Well, at least those who I can coax into reading my blog.    And the NaNoWriMo helps you stay on track and gives you something to aim at.  Call it a "Pacer" for the race of writing 50,000 words in 30 days.  And who does not like running a race?   ( Um... Everybody?) Well,  Life is short!  And sometimes you need a fire under your butt to get you to do things.   And 30 days is not a long time.   So every second counts...

Broken Appliance, A Farewell To Jerry, And The Band Played On....

For a couple of weeks now, I have been trying to "fix" the Dave's dishwasher.   I have managed to repair it several other times before, but this time, I seem to be at an impasse.  According to the "code," ( If I'm even reading it right...) The main motherboard is faulty and shorting out.  IT can not be repaired, so it must be replaced.    Easy Peasy!  

Unfortunately,  the part is no longer made. ( In stock)   And the cost on Ebay for a used one is $135!!!   (Used!  Meaning:  Might not work!)   And that still might not solve the problem.   According to the internet,  the short might be coming from one of the many parts that the motherboard is sending power to.   Unless you have special equipment,  Or have an idea where to look,  it would be impossible to find,  and the motherboard mist likely would simply short out again!  If the power steering lesson  from Subie taught me nothing...  it was:  Do not rely on refurbished parts for old machines. And even then... It could be a second or third issue that continues the problem  And so...  It looks like Dave may need to invest in a new dishwasher.  

I have already replaced a drain pump,  a latch, and figured out a sensor issue.   Things are simply wearing out due to steam, wear and tear, and possibly age!  ( Even Maytag Dishwashers don't last forever!)  IT is kind of a disappointment.  Mostly that I can not fix it.   But,  New Dishwashers can be expensive... if you choose the top of the line models.   We shall see what Dave decides....

Today,  We said goodbye to a friend.   Jerry Vigansky died a few days ago and his funeral was today.  He was one of Dave's friends who I had the fortune of meeting at Church. He and Helen greeted me and began a conversation when I was fairly new here.   I believe the topic of introduction was fish...  ( Walleye, specifically)  And we chatted away until the subject of "the broken ice maker" in Dave's freezer came up.   You see,  Jerry was an appliance repairman for nearly 40 years!  (by the way...  He was 91 when he died!) He was a valuable asset to have when appliances and electronics broke.   Now that he has moved on, I no longer have anyone to bounce questions off of when I'm out of Ideas.   That is another reason the dishwasher will most likely stay broken!

Jerry lived a pretty good life, filled with adventure and hobbies.   Navy man,  Photographer, Avid fisherman.   The funeral was a good one with wonderful hymns and stories of his hilarious past.   I have always felt Funerals should be more about celebrating life and laughing rather than mourning and sadness.   Honestly,  you would have never guessed the man was 91!  He was just as sharp and fun to chat with as a person my age.  ( only with 40 extra years worth of stories!) The only sad part is that such a life has finally reached its conclusion.   The video game of life is over and Jerry won.   

And finally,   Dave and I went to Illinois to catch 38 Special in concert.  I was fortunate enough to tag along when Dave found he had an extra ticket in his possession. It happened to be at the same place as the last concert we attended.   So things were fairly familiar.   

38 Special was one of those 80's bands that were everywhere in the background.   Movies,  Commercials,  and always on the radio.   Even now,  Classic rock stations will play several  of their songs  fairly often.  And although I never was a hardcore fan,  I did know several of their songs growing up.  

But then their singing was not what I remember.  I guess age catches us all.    I'm not sure, but the lead singer sounded so different, I was wondering if he was a replacement for the original.  ( Honestly, I don't know!)   The music was good, though.   And loud!   (My ears felt like I was climbing a mountain when I left the theater!)  It was a fun night,   and they played several songs that I could sing along with.   But the music has changed for them...  Yet they continue to tour and play for folks who remember them in their prime.    And why not?   There is a reason why the cliche exists.  " And the band played on...."   We are only in this world for the blink of an eye.  And if making Music is what brings you joy and meaning...  As well as happiness to others around you.   Why not continue as for as long as you can.  

 Because ever second counts!

A Farewell To Patty.

 Patty from our in-bound team, will be leaving the Zebra Warehouse.   Monday will be her last day.   And that is Sad....  She will be joining the Haribo Factory and Warehouse across the street.... With Phil. (Remember Phil?  The Witness Protection Guy?)    Well now Haribo has claimed three Zebras from our Herd....  Phil, Veronica, and now Patty.   All excellent workers. ( except for Phil....) 

Now it is true that we managed to "rescue" Veronica back from the sugar bears.   But I doubt we will have much luck with Patty as her hubby also works there; and I'm guessing this move has been in the works for a long time.  Together,  they will be able to carpool together,  have lunch together, and basically double their Gummy Bear stipend each month.   ( Something Phil promised us, but never delivered!) 

I suppose I'm a little to blame as every time I mention someone on the blog, they seem to get pulled away to greener pastures.   Or in  this case... Rainbow gummy bear pastures!  I will try to refrain from mentioning any of my other coworkers in this blog so they do not get sucked into the void of sweet chewy goodness as well.  Nope...  They will  be members of the Zebra Herd for years.... and years.... and years!

That kind of leaves a hole in the Inbound teams after Monday.   Who will be our Trouble Shooter when paperwork comes in  missing ASNs or pallet counts are missing items?  I guess the bosses could fill that role.   When they are actually around....   Or perhaps Rachel.   Or Alison...But they have their own focus and probably will not be as "helpful" as Patty was.   We will just have to wait and find out I guess. 

In the mean time....Life continues at the Zebra as if nothing else in the world matters.   Stuff comes in,  we receive it and put it away.   Somewhere else,  they pick it and ship it out the door to some other location.  And we are just parts of the Machine that makes it all work.  Life fulfillment at its best!

As for me.... I have bigger plans.   Well,  Big plans for me.   But I will save those moments for later... and a longer blog post.   In the mean time,  My Dishwasher Repair did not go as planned.   My Mushroom Hunt was rather disappointing,  and I did not take enough pictures of the Crock Pot cook-off to mention it for the blog.   So...  Kind of a unfulfilled weekend for me as an individual.  

But I did manage to work on the fish and do the typical weekend things.  So, overall,   a restful weekend.  Ready for Monday!  Hopefully this week will go as quickly as last week and we will have more to blog about.   Good things!   

In the mean time,   A farewell to Patty!   She will be missed!  And we hope she finds happiness and success at her new job making Teddy Bears out of Rainbows at the Haribo.  Along with Phil....  (Remember Phil?   He was in the witness protection program....) Who never gave us Gummies!   

At least Patty brought us Gummies..... Just sayin'....

A Wonderful Saturday!

First!  Did you know there was an Eclipse today?   One where the moon is the furthest from the earth so it does on completely cover the sun.  It was called the "Ring Of Fire!"   Like the Johnny Cash song!    

So... Did you see it?   Not if you live in Wisconsin.   Not only was the pathing over New Mexico... But Kenosha and the surrounding area was completely covered in Clouds!   So I could not even see the "bite out of a cookie" version.  

The Moon at 6 AM.

So why do I geek out about things like Solar and Lunar eclipses when I am not a NASA scientist?   Because wondrous things in this world will pass you by if you are not paying attention and noticing your surroundings.  You are bound to miss things everyday, no matter how hard you try to see it all.   But to let things slip by because you are distracted with something "trivial"  seems like a waste of a life experience. Stop and smell the roses now and then.   Unfortunately ( or rather...Fortunately!) for me... I tend to notice too much!  And get distracted from things in life that should be attended to with a timer.  Things that "Other People"  deem "more important."   But this is my life.... and I will live it the way I see fit! 

Complements of YouTube.

At least I was able to watch it on YouTube... From the prime observation spot in New Mexico. ( I think... or Arizona...) Too bad the rain was a factor for us here in Wisconsin. 

Speaking of the Rain....  I was pretty much "shut in" today.  And forced to do indoor things with my time.   Luckily, I had a project in the wings that I could dedicate my time to.  

An Origami Koi!

Last weekend, I made the paper for this.   It requires I make the paper from tissue as I have never been able to get it to fold up with regular,  store-bought paper.   ( The paper eventually rips!)   I did not have any methylcellulose available,  so I was forced to use Gelatin.  It worked out pretty well. 

It took me pretty much all afternoon to finish it.   I have been slowly folding the scales a little each day after work.  Sometimes I would only do a couple of rows... But today I was able to make some serious progress.   Currently, it is drying after  I coated it with Modge Podge to keep it from Unraveling.  I hope it turns out as I had imagined.

I thought about leaving it white..  But the whole reason I chose that color paper to begin with was to be able to paint it.  In every origami project,  there is always that moment where you fear that you could possibly ruin it.   Either the paper will rip or your folding will come undone.   But in this case..  Adding paint to the paper might destroy it.   Or the pain job would end up looking terrible.   However, I think it turned out acceptable. 

I have made the paper with several colored sheets added on before I ever started folding.   But...  The paper was unevenly thick and rather difficult to fold.   And in the end... I didn't like the look as much.  In my opinion:   Painting works best!  ( Maybe certain fish models are better for the paper pieces...  But not this version.) 

Now all that remains is the approval of the person I made it for.  

And finally,   Mushroom!   I went out after the rain settled down and just wanted to go for a nature walk.  I,  of course,  brought my basket along just in case.   And I might have been actively looking for mushrooms in the process of getting some forest therapy... But it was not the primary purpose.   

Then again,  I might as well gather up some Turkey tail while I was out and it was abundantly available.   I only found a couple other mushrooms that were not exactly choice.  I stopped to chat with a lady and she asked if I had found any Hen Of The Woods.   That,  of course,  got me monologuing about them and showing pictures.   I had told her that I had not yet found any today, but was primarily looking for them as this is the right time of the year for them to make an appearance.  

Wouldn't you know... Five minutes after chatting with her, I walk up on two huge specimens!   I was very excited!  But she and her dog were long gone.   Each of the clusters were so big  I would have gladly shared them with her had she been around.  

As it was,  I chopped them up when I got home and they are currently filling the refrigerator.   Turns out, Dave and I still have half of the last one I found in there.   I tried to cut as much of that one up for dinner  this evening, and still have some remaining.   Looks like we will be enjoying  Maitake mushrooms for the next several meals.   Which I don't mind at all. 

Turkey Tail and Maitake

One mental note:  On this occasion,  I happened to have a basket full of Turkey Tail.  I thought this would be a good time to show that Turkey Tail and Maitake do look rather similar in a close up shot.   However,  all you would have to do it feel each of them to know the difference.   Maitake  feels like soft rubber while Turkey tail...  Even fresh ones like these... feel more like leather.  You would have a Tough Time eating Turkey Tail...( Pun intended) 

And that is all.   Tomorrow I will work on the other fish for a while.   Perhaps I will have time to change the oil in Subie.   Or maybe purchase a new Coffee Maker. ( Looks like the European engineering has finally called in for the last time.) I doubt I will be heading out for more mushrooms since we lack any room for any new finds.  But who knows.....  Maybe I will do a run!  Or just relax after a tough week at work.   The day will be mine!  To do whatever I want....    Because Every Second Counts...