A Fast Week.

 Where did the week go?   I kind of like it when the work week flies by.   Then again,   I have to remember that I'm old!  And I have hit that age where there are now fewer days in front of me than behind me.   At the same time,  Time seems to now be more like a runaway train going down a mountain!   And no matter what I do, I can't seem to make it slow it down.   So the best I can do is try to catalog the travels... 

And hang on as best I can. 

All that deep philosophy just to intro into the weekly blog post.   How fun!   Who says late night blogging can't induce a bit of artistic creativity? 

So let us begin....

I helped Dave move a hutch!  Or China Cabinet.. or "BIG FRAGILE HEAVY THING" that someone wanted to donate to the cause.  Be cause....   she no longer had room for it and wanted to find it a good home.  I guess I should be flattered that someone believes that my domicile is a "good Home."

It was heavy!  And BIG!  And barely fit inside the doors.  But I had Dave the Crossfitter to help.  And despite his appearance...  He is pretty strong!  (That is a joke!    Dave is INSANELY strong!   Don't comment that I'm making fun of a guy who is taller and stronger then me....  I am aware. ) 

So now the living room is complete.  Personally I thought it was complete with just a single couch.   But,,, things have been accumulating.  Aside from another bed in the other bedroom,   I don't know what else we can fit in here.  Interior design was never my specialty. 

My foot pain has been acting up to the point where I have been forced to change my routine now.   I have taken up walking in the park instead of running.   I am try to implement exercises that are supposed to strengthen the tendons so they will be able to handle the stresses of running and standing on concrete.  But I have been told the process will take months.   (If I manage to stick with the routine and not forget a day or two...) The walks are nice and I get to carry my camera.   So I can capture cool wildlife sightings along the way.   

Speaking of the Lake.  ( I'm just jumping in, because there was a pond in the park.) I invited Boyd Tesch  on a small fishing exploration trip.   Mostly I wanted to give him his Kayak back, and possibly go to the lake  so I can add some bluegills to the freezer.   But time was short and the car top carrier for the Kayak was "sketchy".   So we decided to just take the kayak to his house and possibly explore one of the closer bodies of water.   We went to Simmons Island to see if we could fish from the shore and possibly land something of note there.

Boyd and I caught a few small Round Gobies and a couple small Bass.  We were told that there were Perch by the sailboat pillar, but found that that was not exactly true.   Or at least we did not catch anything.  There was a band playing near by and we could at least sit down and enjoy a little music while we "Sunbathed"   

At least we did not get skunked!   And moving away from the jagged rocks near the boat launch was probably a good idea.  

And finally...  Since we did not catch any additional fish, I decided to thaw out some bluegills and have some for dinner tonight   A little messy for just one guy, but I did enjoy the meal.   

Perhaps tomorrow I will go out and look for a few mushrooms.   It has been a while and I think it rained this week.   So maybe there will be something popping up.  ( Hen of the Woods!)  I did manage to find a bunch of White Dapperlings out in the fields near Haribo. These guys were HUGE compared to the ones we found in the Spring.   But I did not find them as a "Choice"edible as the freezer filled with Chanterelles.  There were good when there was no other options...  and I may go back for them just to toss some into the crock pot for later lunches.  

Ah how quickly time slips by.   Half of my weekend is already over.  And I slept through  a good portion of the afternoon because I talked to my brother for 5 HOURS last night.  ( We had lots to chat about...  and nothing of importance...  As most conversations should be.) So I should try to harness what is left of my fleeting free time and try to make every second count.

 

A Midnight Visitor...

 After writing my blog post last night, I stopped by the bathroom just before heading to bed.   I flip open the toilet lid and ...

YEEEEHHH!   

I quickly close the lid. 

What was THAT?  

I close my eyes to re-see the image that is now burned into my brain.   Was that a rat?  

No...  It was a Chipmunk.   What is a chipmunk doing in my bathroom toilet?   They are not the same type of rodent that lives in a sewer.  

Loving all God's creatures, great and small... I open the toilet lid and pull him out.   He was hypothermic, but still alive.    I dried him off, warned him up, and took his picture.  Eventually.   I let him go outside ( where he belongs) even though it was raining.   I did have the decency to release him in a place where he could get dry and be sheltered from the rain at least.    

And that is where the tale should end. (Pun intended)   

But the real story begins with how did he end up in my bathroom?  

I have a theory.

A couple of months ago,  I "adopted" a cat.   (Or, more accurately:   Had one dumped off on me!)   I believe cats choose you,  not the other way around.   And this cat did not choose the last three owners she was thrust upon.   

But, being a "cat Person" and currently living alone,  I figured I would enjoy the company...  So I agreed. 

But I have honestly not seen the cat AT ALL!  ( I Think she is living under the couch.)  I make sure she has food and water. And I scoop the litter box each day.   But I have not seen her come out and attempt any type of social behavior or interaction with me.   It kind of bums me out... Because I love cats.   And always thought of myself as some sort of "Cat Whisperer..."  (Ok,  That might be a little bit of an exaggeration.) 

So... with a cat in my house. (somewhere)  I think one of the outdoor chipmunks decided that he would go exploring inside the house while I was away.   And, unlike me,   the mysterious cat took an INSTANT interest  in him.   

I imagine a chase ensued...  and it was probably comical.... Like a Tom and Jerry cartoon.  Only with the ending being a Chipmunk seeking shelter in the only the place the cat could not reach him..... The toilet. ( Good thing the seat lid was down!)   

And there he stood.   Trapped in a slippery bowl of toilet water.    Shallow enough to stand, but deep enough to cause heat loss and struggle.   It is probably a good thing I found him when I did.  

Anyway,   That is all.   I saved a cute chipmunk from drowning in the toilet.  And NO,  I never thought of flushing it.  (I'm not so sure if he had been a rat though.....) And now,  You know I have a cat.  An invisible cat, a Ghost of a cat.. but still a cat.   Maybe one day she will appear and I can properly introduce her to the blog.   

Or maybe not.   I don't really know how to deal with this situation... because I do not have a ton of expendable time.   

And every second counts.

When The Mushrooms Find YOU!

 Mushroom hunting is a lot like an Easter Egg Hunt.  You search for them and when you find them, you are overjoyed!   But then are already on the hunt for the next one.  It can be quite addicting.

But it can also be quite frustrating!   Like fishing for Walleye or Perch.   "They were here last year!   Where the heck are they now?   And why is ever one else catching them except us?"  

(Yes, that actually happened..... Many times with our family fishing adventures.) 

But every now and then,   the Mushrooms simply find you.    Similar to smelt Dipping in the U.P. of Michigan.   I have never actually gone smelt dipping!   But have had to clean bathtubs of smelt because our neighbors had a bonanza year.  

And that is what happened today.   Only with the Hen of the Woods.  (Grifola frondosa) Also known as:  known as  sheep's head,^[2] ram's head, or maitake.  Today, a random stranger gave me a HUGE section of one he found in his friends yard.  I was stopping in at the Kwik Trip and this hippy looking guy comes up on a bike and starts doing what ALL mushroom hunters do... Monologging about his find.  (I do it all the time!)   And when he found out I actually knew what he was talking about,   he was more than eager to offer up a section of the mushrooms.   Unbelievable!   

He said it was because it was heavy and he did not want to carry all of it home.    So I was more  than willing to take away some of his "burden".  

The hen of the Woods will now fall into a unique slot in my mushroom mental notebook.   I believe it is the only mushroom where people have given me   parts of their finds.   In otherwords:   The mushroom has found me!   Even though I have been looking for it over the last several weeks ( along with the Chicken of the Woods)  All I really had to do was be at the right place at the right time and I would acquire the mushroom without having to actually go out in the woods to find it. 

This has happened to me three times now!   First, the German couple at Petrified Springs.    They had found several and offered me a large section.    Second, was Joan from Zebra!  One was growing in her front yard.   She thought it was turkey tail, but NO!   It was a HUGE Maitake.    And she gave me the whole thing!

I should mention we found a couple last year with the kids from the Natural Science club.   It was a little too old to eat, but it was still a fun find  when hunting with the kids.  

And now this.   Turns out,  if you manage to find Just One Maitake mushroom, you will have more than enough to share with complete strangers.   I guess I actually shared my Chanterelles with Dave, Christina, and the Bartender at the Clubhouse.   So perhaps the universe is smiling at me and helping me out since I have not been able to hunt as often as I used to.   Either way, I will see if I can cook this one up in a crock pot ( just purchased one today!) and see how it will turn out.   I do know that Hen of the woods is more like a Broccoli vegetable. in texture, and probably will not make for a good "Mushroom and Swiss" burger.  

I can't wait to see how it turns out, since I prepped all the stuff int eh crock pot  already tonight.  Hopefully, it will be able to cook all night and I will be able to have a sample tomorrow when I get up before work.  A for now, I have to get to bed because it is getting late, and I have already made every second count....

A Brief Weekend Wrap up.

 And by Brief... I mean the weekend seemed brief.   Probably because I had to work yesterday.  AND I ended up sleeping in until 8!  Missing my usual 8:00 Church service!   Luckily,  the closer church has  service at 9:15, so I went there instead.  In fact, I saw a lot of familiar faces, because the KLA kids were singing in that service.  And all of those parents and Grandparents want to see and hear the little ones sing.  

Anyway,   Friday morning I managed to clean all of the bluegills.  28 in total!     I had to toss out one that looked and smelled "odd".   It looked like he was fighting off some infection or something, because the meat did not look good.   Nor did he smell good  (Not that fish usually smell nice,  but this one was noticeable.) 

There was another one that I discovered yesterday.   Still in the Kayak!   Needless to say, I "found" him because of the overwhelming smell that rotting fish produce if not properly cared for.  And 24+ hours in the sun baked garage did not help.  I left the garage door open and am currently rinsing out the kayak with some water and bleach.   That should to the trick... ( Nothing cleans and kills rotting fish smell like good old bleach!)    I'll get a hose tomorrow and finish the wash out. 

So,  26 fish cleaned and stored in the freezer.   I saved out a dozen fillets for Dave and I to enjoy this afternoon.   He wanted a quick lunch before heading over to his kids for his Birthday Party.  They had planned it for the weekend so they could enjoy the Packers Game and a little family comradery.

Probably a cribbage Tourney.  Did I mention Dave entered a Cribbage Tournament last weekend.   he did not make it to the finals,  But had a couple impressive hands.  

Dave is usually pretty good at Cribbage, so there must have been some serious competition there. 

Speaking of Dave,  He came over with a couple additional pieces of furniture to add to the growing collection in the living room.  there is still a cabinet and another end table to add.   Before you know it, we will have a house full of furniture and will have never had to purchase any of it!  All of the furniture is really nice too!   ( A little used, but that is actually kind of nice to live with.)    I can see why the people who donated us these items did not want to simply toss them for their upgrade.   Full leather couches and solid wood end tables are nice, long lasting, and rather pricey!  I'm sure they still have a lot of use left in them. 

Anyway,   I did a little fishing this afternoon after folding laundry and cleaning up the fish fry.   (I still have a bit of a mess to tidy up.)  Mostly I wanted to test out a few new "ultra light" rigs for the future.   And even though the fish down the road are small,  they are still fun to catch and a good test subject for the "real" fish in larger waters.  

I wanted to check out a drop sinker rig and a slip bobber set up.   Both worked well and I caught several fish in the hours and a half I was out there.    

Mostly, I caught crappie!   Which is  fun and satisfying... Because they are a rare catch.. Unless it is overcast or raining! 

And it was!   A nice pleasant drizzle.  I think I only caught a handful of small bluegills.  But everything else was a Crappie.   

Tomorrow,  It is back to Haribo!   And another long week begins.   But as the moglas dump more Gummies on us,  that usually means that there is plenty to do and the time goes by quickly.   I only hope that we can keep up with things and have a serious impact on catching things up.  Saturday was spent trying to clear up the back, since we could not get all of the pallets to the warehouse fast enough.   But since they were running several lines at the same time,  all we did was manage to keep from getting deeper  underwater.  And I know there is a lot of Jargon and Slang in this paragraph...  But I just wanted to note the current Haribo Situation.  And remind myself and anyone who reads this that I still work there, even when it does not make it to the blog on a regular basis.  

 For the rest of the night,  I shall hopefully have a chat with Cheryl and possibly begin the long process of shaping the Origami dragon.  He is completely folded now, I just have to add the life into him... which usually takes hours to complete.   But it is time well spent, as I can find my zen and gain satisfaction as the model takes shape.  I'll have to save a separate blog post about that one later.  

In the mean time,   Laundry is folded, Paper is folded, Kitchen is cleared up and ready for tomorrow.   Time to sit back and relax... And try to make every remaining second count. 

A Random Thursday With Friends.

 Today was Dave's Birthday!   And to celebrate... we went fishing at the super secret pond.  What better way to spend a beautiful day here in Kenosha... 

We targeted trophy Bluegills!  And were successful!   I have not done the final count, but I'm sure we caught at least a couple dozen nice fish.    They are currently "Chillin': in the refrigerator, and I will clean them up tomorrow when they are firmer and easier to fillet. 

 The challenge was the light line set up.  I purchased 1 lbs test line for the ultra light fishing experience.   9 inch bluegills are more challenging to catch and fight when you scale the tackle down to their size. ( lots of unintentional puns in that sentence...)  And that is all part of the experience.  

Tom came out just before we got off the lake.  Seems he wanted to enjoy the nice day with a peaceful fishing experience as well.  We exchanged pleasantries and parted ways. 

 I'll have to get the official stats tomorrow, when I clean and measure them tomorrow.  I think there were a large number of the over 9 inches.   Pretty good size for such a small fish.   

After fishing,  I took a quick shower and had a nap.   Dave finished doong laundry and proceded to do whatever he had planned for the rest of the day.   

As for me,I then headed out tot he clubhouse to meet up with John and the rest of the Zebra crew

For a brief moment, it was just like old times.   we chatted about the job and the people from the past who still work there and who have since moved on.   I never knew that catching up at a pub could be so much fun.   All thos years in the military and in college and I never went to a bar.  Nor could I see any real reason.   

But I guess as I get older and friends become more precious,  I see the  value in having a place where people can talk freely and enjoy a brew with a plate of chicken wings.   

Overall!  It was a great day.  A Fine day to take off and reconnect with friends.  And isn't that what life is all about?   Doing your best to make every second count? 

The Missing Blog Posts!

 This week FLEW by!  And I had so many little things to write about.  But time waits for now one, and that includes me!   So, I figured i would try to catch them all up in a single blog post. (As I have done so many times in the past)  That comes in handy, when I really have very little else to blog about this weekend.   So... Let us begin. 

I "Dog-Napped" Christina's dog last weekend and we went hunting for mushrooms.   It is always a lot more fun to hunt for mushrooms with someone rather than hunting them alone.    Hunting alone means there is no one to share your excitement and joy when you find some huge stash or choice edible mushrooms.   Or that "Rare" but "pretty" mushroom that only you know how to identify.  Sure, it is only a "Dog"... But there is a reason why we call dogs "Man's Best Friend".   And I believe Ladybird enjoys the hunt and the outdoor experience as much as I do.  

As for this weekend... Well, it rained last night.   But I don't think there was enough time to grow anything out fully.   I did manage to find some "Big Laughing Gym" mushrooms on their usual log.    And some pinning Bear Head Toothed Comb.  ( Also known as "Lion's Mane")   But it was too young to harvest just yet.  I shall keep an eye on it over the next few days. 

The biggest find and "disappointment" was the Chicken of the Woods that was ALREADY HARVESTED by a competitor! I have only myself to blame for telling everyone who will listen about how awesome and easy to Identify the Laetiporus sulphureus is.   And when they beat me to the harvest, that simply means I have not been able to dedicate the same amount of hunting time as they were.   I did manage to find a small button that was a little old to harvest... so I planted it in a nearby log with the hopes it will produce something there.   You never know.  

Last weekend,  I went fishing down the road at Lincoln Park.   I was trying out a new bait and discovered the bluegills love it!   I managed to catch a number of Golden shiners and Crappie as well.   Along with some very pretty Pumpkinseeds.  This Thursday,   I have asked for it off from work so I can help Dave celebrate his birthday with some more fishing at the super secret pond.   With some luck,  he will be able to acquire a kayak and catch enough bluegills for  the upcoming winter months.  You have to be forward thinking if you don't want to freeze your butt off on the ice!

I have not been doing a lot of running this week.   Mostly because I have been battling an annoying head cold.   Nothing major, just sniffles and a sore throat.   And a bit of a cough.   But the days I did manage to get out and run,  I noticed a wonderful Butterfly garden near where I fish.   Normally, i don't like taking pictures of flowers, but I found this place very peaceful and relaxing.  And with the Fall colors coming on fast, I figured these colors will not be around for much longer.   Might as well get a few pics of them in their prime and glory. 

And lastly,  I have been folding more Origami.   This time,  I had the bright idea to work on something a little more challenging.   Another Oriental Dragon.   

Unfortunately, it has been a while since I tackled such a challenge, and discovered far too late a couple of flaws that may require me to refold it.   Ah well.... Practice makes almost not terrible.  And although many people may not see the same flaws as I do,  I still want to put out my best work.  So I will have to begin the refold this evening and see if I can fix the problems.  It's all so much fun!

Haribo continues to get better.   Monday and Friday were almost boring when the equipment and machines work properly.    But Tuesday through Thursday were disasters!   We did 105 tons of Gummy Bears last Thursday... And that is with a broken Passerella and only three Robots available.   As difficult as those days are, they FLY by and it is very satisfying when you are able to keep the lines running and keep the Gummy production flowing.  Sure, that means there will be a pile up of Pallets in the hallway.  But sooner or later, you find the time to clean things up.   And that is what Friday was spent doing.   Super fun! 

My Friend John Tukes will be coming up from Texas for a visit with friends and relatives. (Remember John? )   The plan is to assemble the ZEBRA people at the Clubhouse for a few beers and some catching up.   I'm looking forward to it.   And since I have already asked for the day off,  I will not have to worry about Work until Friday Afternoon.   Plenty of time for some fun and conversations.   I Can't wait!

And that is all.    It seems like a lot, but really,   only a couple of things will pile up if you don't write them down.   So it is best to get those little stories out fo the way and prepare for the fish tails that will be arriving on Thursday!   Along with the pictures of stories that the Former Co-workers will have to chat about.   Perhaps I will bring some gummies to pass around so people can savor the same sweetness I get to participate in every day.  We have the latest Valentines Day Gummies!  (Pineapple and Raspberry!)  They are SO good! I'm sure the three Bartenders will LOVE them!   

Perhaps I will be able to run a little more this week.   My foot seems to be doing better. (probably only my wishful thinking...) and if this cough finally goes away, I will be able to enjoy the beaches of Lake Michigan a couple of more times before the colder weather makes that impossible.   As the weather cools down, it certainly makes those beach runs a little more fun and desirable.   I'll see what happens,  and try to make every second count.