Well I did go out searching for mushrooms yesterday... And actually found some! The Spring Oyster Mushrooms were out! I found some last weekend and have been eating them for dinner. I figured this weekend, they would be out in full force... But I think I missed the peak time by a day or two. Most of the ones I found were rather old and leathery.
I did manage to find a few that were just hanging on to "Acceptable". for harvest. So I at least had a handful for this week. Most of the time, especially if the conditions are good, the oyster mushrooms will drop their spores and shrivel up within 24 hours of popping out. That is not a long time if you have to drive to your hunting spot every day from the other side of the city.
Things were so much easier when I was within three miles and could walk (Or run) there everyday after work. But... Things change and sometimes there are sacrifices that have to be made for progress.
The weather has been AWESOME lately. And since I was already out and enjoying the weather, I figured I might as well check this other spot that had no Aspen or Poplar trees. Because..."Sometimes you never know...
Turns out.... I DID discover something. Chicken of the Woods!
I have never found a Sulphur Polypore this early before. ( Come to think of it, I have not found very many chicken of the woods Period!) So I was pretty excited to find this little gem popping out in a location I had never found them before. Even though it was small, I harvested it. I did not want it getting too old before I next had a chance to get out there. Nor did I want anyone else harvesting it ahead of me. (Which happened a LOT last year!)
That set the stage for today. After a short nap after Church, I headed out to another place where I have found Sulphur Polypores before. And I also figured there were a couple of area where I found some Lung Oysters as well. Perhaps I could get lucky with one or the other.
I did find a small pinning lung oyster on a log I was familiar with. I left it to grow and hopefully I will be able to find some more there next weekend. (Provided I have time to look for them...) But a couple logs away, I found a Gold Mine!
Golden Oysters! I don't know if I have ever found them yet in Wisconsin. But I have NOW! And this log had more than I could carry. They were all fresh and I quickly filled the basket. I also took a couple small sections and "inoculated" several fallen trees along the path. IF the Goldens are as prolific here as they were in Iowa, next year we should have a bonanza!
So now I have to cook these guys up in some stir fry. Ideally, I will have them all consumed before I have to move to the New house. (I'm beginning to get confident about telling people now... )
Speaking of the house: I just reserved the Moving Van for next Saturday. I think I will be able to handle most of the furniture I plan on taking. I have also set up a "to do" list I will be checking off through out the week. Just thinking of these things begins to get me anxious... but there is also the excitement of "Unexplored Territories" that help temper the feelings. Any adventure usually is accompanied by both fear and excitement. I just have to remind myself to enjoy the ride... It will be over soon enough.
Tomorrow begins a new week! And hopefully, it will be the last week I will be living in this house. It was a good place, but ultimately it was only ever meant to be temporary. So I'm hoping the more "permanent" housing will provide a solution to one of my many struggles. And that will allow me to free up my mind to focus on the next thing that needs attention. (I have so many... so there will be no shortage of things to work on.) But Rome was not built in a day. And I can't solve all of my problems all at once. Start small, and work my way up.... And hopefully, God will provide the time that I need to complete each task. My job... Will be to make every second that I'm blessed with... count.
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