Fish And Ticks! With Mushrooms and Eggs...

 Greetings on the Eve before Easter!  A pretty chill day for me as I spent most of the day working on the fish.  I made some serious progress on it today,  since the weather was nice enough to add several layers of paint.  I first worked on fixing any blemishes that might be a little more noticeable.  I then covered it with Modge Podge to seal up any holes.  

And finally,  this afternoon I took it outside to paint it.   I still have several cans of black paint, so I figured I would use them up first.... Since it is essentially a primer coat.  The sun helped it dry nice and fast.

After that,   I brought it in to finish the initial layering.   This is the point where it pays to be patient. ( or lazy)   since you have to build up those layers of paint.  And there is the temptation to hurry up and get it done!   

In the end,  I'm sure it will have several layers of additional paint as I paint and re-paint it until I get it just right.   OR until I get fed up with it and call it "good Enough!" 

 Between coats, I went out for a little nature walk this afternoon.   I figured I had better get out there and begin looking for mushrooms as they are already finding them in northern Ohio.    Yesterday was rainy and warm, so there is a possibility that they could start popping up here.   

You might be thinking I would be targeting the Morel Mushroom.   But actually,  there are a couple other ones that I was looking for specifically.    The birch Oyster mushroom pops up this time of year and I have several locations I have been checking where I found them before.   I also tried to inoculate several dead trees with the old mushrooms I found last year.   I have my fingers crossed that there will be more mushrooms available and in new locations where I "planted" them.  

While out hunting around,   I found a Robin's nest.    Only a single egg, but it looked like it was still good.  Hopefully,  the birds will have a happy hatchling in a couple of weeks.  Who says it's not fun finding colored eggs on Easter.

Robin eggs were not the only thing that was blue.   I also found a number of blue flowers.   Love the color, but I do not know what the flower's name is.   I think I will call it "Delilah!"  

Just kidding.  Besides,  A Delilah is an entirely different flower.  This is called a Wood Squill.  (Scilla siberica)  The carpet the forest floor in the Spring.   But I only found this  one plant.   The Campus of Iowa State University has large areas dedicated to this plant.  They are quite striking in large numbers.

And lastly,   I found my first tick!   You would think that it has been a little too cold for them.   Or that it is too early in the season.  Well, guess what!   Not so!  I felt him crawling on my hand as I was driving home.    I guess I was in some fairly bushy areas.   I was annoyed when I pulled him off and dropped him in my car.    I nearly had to pull over to find him, because I would not have been satisfied until he was DEAD!   (Only good tick is a dead one....  Along with Mosquitoes!   

I did find him!  (They move faster than you would think!)  And Dispatched him accordingly.  But not before taking his picture so I could brag to the internet that they have one less tick to worry about.  You're welcome!

Tomorrow I will be heading out to a party to sample some Glutten Free Pizza.   ( Or suffer... depending on how it tastes....)  I didn't blog about this before, but I helped Christina move a HUGE piece of furniture that she found on Facebook Marketplace.    I was impressed we got it to her place in one piece.   As "payment",  She bought me a beer and invited me to  some Easter Party that her favorite Bar is throwing.   I may have oversimplified the situation, but that is how it was initially explained to me.   So that is what I'm going with.  Perhaps there will be BBQ....

In the mean time... Time continues to roll by.   And I am powerless to stop it.   So I will end this blog for now and prepare for some sleep.   Tomorrow is another day and every second counts. 

A Case For Dog Napping...

 I have had to fill large blocks of my time trying not to focus on my current situation.   Also,  Waiting for the Zebra Email/ phone call will drive you crazy if you let it.   So, as a reaction to this dilemma, I have taken up dog napping! 

Don't worry!  I return the dog after a couple of hours.   Just enough time to take it for a walk so I get my exercise and have an excuse to explore some unknown mushroom area.   

Where do I get the dog?   You may be asking.   Well,   Funny story.    There is this female friend named Christina.   And Christina  has a dog named "Ladybird". Who happens to be the prefect dog for walking in a forest looking for mushrooms ( and other things)  She is small... But not too small.   She is tough and adventurous,  but not violent.   She likes to play and run around and obeys traffic signals.  She even looks both ways before crossing the road!   In short...   She is (mostly) well behaved.  ( Unless she rolls in something...) 

 And so it goes that I have been stealing Christina's dog every afternoon this week for a couple hours... just so Ladybird will accompany me for a walk.   I know you might be thinking that I am simply using Christina for her dog...  Which certainly looks to be the case at the moment.   But honestly,  I don't know if she actually knows.   And if what you don't know won't kill you,  then where is the harm?  

So we are all good as long as she never finds out.   I'm pretty sure Ladybird won't talk.   She always has a Fabulous time with me each time we execute our little caper.  We do all kinds of things while Christina is out at work.   

"What kind of things?"   You ask? Well..   It's more than just walking around the apartment complex for a potty break.    No sir!   We explore the forest and soccer fields near Parkside.   And I have to tell you,   every since I learned that the mushrooms are finally making an appearance,  Ladybird has brought lots of luck!   

I'm not sure if she can smell them or if we simply stumble upon them by pure accident    Either way,  I have managed to find a few clusters every single time we have gone out together.  

And that is not all!   We have found small animals.   Take this chipmunk for example.   He was pretty small and let me scoop him up just like a little dog toy.  So cute!   

I did not want Ladybird thinking he was a toy, so I had to hide hi in a small  hole in one of the trees.    

There is also the Robin's nest!  Which has finally hatched!   The robin mother was very angry with both of us.  I'm sure it was Ladybird.   But,  some animals...  like birds,  just don't like dogs.  ( even though the dog is named after a bird....) 

And then there were the butterflies!   I 'm not sure why there are so many Mourning Cloaks this year.  But I do like seeing them  while walking in the forest.   Someone even pointed out that   she had never seen so many of this particular butterfly before.   ( And yes,  I told her all about them... because I am kind of a nerd that way...) 

And so,  we go out for a few hours to explore the wilds of nature and then we return... Before Christina gets back from work.   And before anyone ever finds out.   It's the perfect crime.   A little secret just between the two of us.  How gloriously scandalous!  

Unless Ladybird rolls in something.    Which she did today.   I'm not sure what it was, but if I had to guess, I would say it smelled like some sort of rotting mushroom mixed with dead snake.  Whatever it was...  It was Noticeable and Obvious! 

So I had to give her a bath!

Is this what it is like having kids?  You plan a fun  weekend get away only to have the kids play in the mud in their good clothes?   Or get hurt..  Or get fussy!  I always knew that a dog was the closest thing to having a kid.   Only I think dogs are smarter!   And are not as much of a commitment as kids.   

But I digress....

In other news,  Dave and I finished cleaning out the house.   Not really a cleaning as you might think it would be.   More like a "treasure hunt".   Looking for things that are small enough to take but not damaged enough to call for a total loss.  Mostly the collectables, and a few remaining clothes and tools.   

They came for the Car today,  so when they opened up the garage, Dave and I made our way in.   And like all good guys from the Midwest,   we salvaged the Fishing gear and beer!   Because,   as long as the fire did not damage the can,   the beer should still be drinkable!  

Of course,  several cans did not make the grade.    Possibly some debris punctured the can or something,  (And Ommagang makes such good beer.... ) But the wine bottles made it!  They might looks a little rough, but nothing a little Brillo pad and soap can't fix.   None of that effects the flavor of the wine either. 

I'm hoping that will be the last time we have to enter the house.  It is going to begin to smell bad once the contents of the freezer hits the Summer heat.  And everything you touch turns your clothes and skin black.   Like working in a coal mine...  

I think we salvaged what we could for the time being.   Until we find a new place of residence that is temporary, but more permanent than out current situation,  we will not be able to do any more.  

Nothing brings happiness like a dog running in the field...

And speaking of the "next level".  I finally got my Email for Zebra.   It came in rather late (After 5!)  I accepted it, but will complete the rest of it tomorrow.   It will give me something to do that is probably more socially acceptable than stealing someone's  dog every afternoon so you can battle anxiety and depression.   Right? 

And then there is the laundry and Friday Night Fish Fry... Where does the time go?     Sometimes it is a challenge to make every second count.

More Fish! More Eggs! And Surviving The Gluten-Free Pizza.

 How time flies when you have a little bit of free time!   I managed to get a few things that I have had on the back burner accomplished today!  Namely:  I got a second set of keys for the Silver Bear Subaru!  The place was only a few miles away and took only 20 minutes.   Probably less had I not engaged him in conversation.   ( I find Locksmiths fascinating!)  That was kind of a big deal, because I have had only one key for the Silver Bear all this time.  And getting locked out of my car is no fun!   You may remember the time I locked my keys in my car at church.   Thankfully,  I had an extra set of keys and could quickly recover from that situation.   However,  the lesson was learned!   Have an extra key!

I also did a few other errands that are "monthly" in nature.   Those items are so easy to forget, so when I actually "remember"  I feel that is a huge accomplishment.   Even if it is not really a big deal in the overall scheme of things.  (The accomplishment is in the "remembering" part...) 

Over the last several days,  I have been walking in the forest, searching for mushrooms.  And as I mentioned before in a previous post,  I found a robin's nest with a single egg in it.  

Well,   Yesterday, I was searching in the same area and discovered the number of eggs Multiplied!   That is right!  There are now three eggs in the nest.   

But wait!  There is MORE!   Today,  I was continuing the hunt when I noticed FOUR eggs!   And this was the first time I could ID the parents fussing around above me.   The area where the nest is located is rather thick, so I'm sure they can't bomb me very well  through that tangle of brush.    

I wonder how long it will be before they hatch.   OR if there will be any additional family members in the next few days.   Looks like 4 might be the max for any given year.    We shall see with updates....

As for the fish,   I have been slowly adding a few coats of paint each day,  building up those layers and fixing any imperfections I find.   I'm finally moving on to the detail work on the spots.   Such a fun project....  Paint a little,   Walk away... Paint a little...  Walk away.    

   I have a heat gun to aid in the drying process,  but if I over use it,  it will bubble up the paint.  Turns out this industrial strength gun is used to aid in REMOVING paint....  So I have to use it sparingly. 

I should also mention that I spent Easter with Christina... Eating Glutton-free  Err.  Gluten-free Pizza and Easter Eggs.    We also watched a movie.   It was fun.   I was told there was supposed to be BBQ... But Christina might have overplayed her hand and got herself "dis-invited" to the party.   I'll leave it at that, as I don't want Christina "unfriending" me from Facebook because I got some information wrong... or right.   Or  just made something public on my blog...  Which no one reads.   Right?  

Honestly, I am surprised when people tell me they read my blog.   I really have nothing to say.   And other than a few "thumbs up" on Facebook,  I have no way of knowing who shows up and how far they read.   (Ok,   Some of the kids told me they read my blog. But I'm not sure how interested they would be now that I no longer teach at the high school...) I always thought they were just being polite!  

But it is all good.   I enjoy writing and I am happy if anyone finds my writing entertaining enough to read it all the way through.   You would think that should encourage me to write something more meaningful.   Perhaps someday... 

In the mean time. I doubt I will be spending time watching the meteor shower tonight.   Last night was rather disappointing.   And I'm not sure if there will be clouds  tonight.    Besides,  I tend to value the time I get to sleep.   And Every second of sleep should count.