Mushroom Strike After The Rain.

A couple of rainy days here in Kenosha and the Mushrooms were Blooming!   Perhaps not as much as past seasons for me.. But still enough to get me excited for an hours hunt after work.   I managed to score a nice mess of Chanterelles.   For a while, I thought that would be the only mushroom I would find.   No Boletes,  No Russulas.   But then I found my first Green Cracking Russula.   It was so pretty and fresh, but I knew it would get damaged before making it home.   Still, I tossed it in the bag with the rest of my finds. it is edible, after all.....

I did not want to go overboard on the pictures today, but then I found a Coral Mushroom.  

And then a new cluster of the False Saffron Milkcaps.  

And then the MOTHER LODE of Coral mushrooms.   An entire log covered with them.   I collected everything that did not look too old and was very excited I had two of the best edible species of mushrooms to show off for dinner this evening. 

You see,  Dave was grilling up steaks for Dinner and wanted to add some mushrooms and onions to them as a topping.   We still had a few Chanterelles from the last hunt, but I wanted to add some fresh ones to the mix.  And possibly a few additional species as well.   

The Coral mushrooms added the texture of sprouts or rice noodles while the Chanterelles and Russulas added the flavor.  Everyone seemed to like them. Of course,  the steak probably played a big factor in that. 

Overall,  A great meal!  Fit for a King!   Meals are like that when you find your own food and enjoy it with friends and family.   A nice cap to a fine Sunday.   

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend this weekend.  I got to enjoy most of it by helping someone move and going to work.  (Sundays are always quiet at the warehouse... But the time passes quickly enough.)  The move was actually fun!  And I got to apply all of those old skills from the days of working for United and Allied Van lines.  Like riding a Bike.... You never forget!

The weather has cooled off a touch here in Wisconsin.  I feel the hint of Fall in the air.  Even a few of the trees have already begun to turn color.   My favorite time of year is on its way.   Thanks for stopping in.

Music In The Park...

There is a certain romance to sitting in a city park and enjoying LIVE music from local artists... for free.   Like watching old movies or having some small mid-week farmer's market.   It's a nice way to bring a community together and have a place to bring your girlfriend  on a Thursday night. Sit back on the grass and enjoy a picnic or brew while listening to old Big Band Tunes.

And so it was that I got to experience  an evening of  "Swing" in one of the Kenosha City Parks.   I tagged along with Dave as he scoped out a spot where Christina could find us.  ( All the way in the Front near the stage!) That is another one of the perks of the music in the park...  No reserve seating required.  Come as you are.  Sit where you want.  First come, first serve..  So come early if you want some shade from the sun. 

And so we did.   About 20 minutes is all.. But we got a nice location.   Sampled the beer we smuggled in. (Lesson learned from the previous concert experience...) And waited for Christina to join us so we could dig into the rotisserie Chicken we brought along.  I had not eaten anything all day, so I was kind of hungry.  Christina said she was going to "Eat the Whole Chicken 'Zombie Style'!" since she had nothing after work either.
Good thing Dave ate before the event, otherwise it would have been a three-way "Day Of The Dead Free For All!" at the KFC! ( Remember that scene?  No?   Well,  watch the 1985 movie and you will understand the joke.) 

It was a good time.   We got to enjoy some chicken,  Beer, ( Honey Brown....  Yeah!)  And enjoy the Big Band tunes.  Like the 1940's all over again.... Only without that whole "World War thing."   Dave even knew a couple of the folks in the band. 

Dave knows everybody in Kenosha. One of the Perks of being a Pastor.

We did not stick around for the Mardi Gras band that came afterwards.  It was getting late and people had to work the next day.  So.. We listened to a couple songs so as not to be rude, and then headed home.Good Times!

Today was my day off from the GXO.  It is a long story I may elaborate on later, but overtime now has to be authorized.   All it takes is one employee to screw everything up for everyone else.  But that is ok, because I was in need of a two day break anyway.   And having a full two days of free time to accomplish things seems like a luxury now.   I can't wait until we get to a normal 5 day, Monday through Friday schedule.   I think everyone is looking forward to that in a week or two from now. 

In the mean time,  I did a bunch of errands that have been put off all week. I did Laundry,  I ran, I paid bills, And even did a little shopping and mushroom hunting.   I found a purple Cort while on the run and brought it home to show off and Identify.  ( The brown spore print and cleavage cap are obvious indicators.) I still am not sure if these are edible, but I happened upon enough "speculation" that made me reconsider.   Besides, we still have a bunch of Chanterelles in the fridge. 

I also found a bunch of Turkey Tail and decided to bring back my bag and harvest it after the run.  There was plenty  there so I left quite a bit of it for the squirrels. (If the squirrels actually eat that type of mushroom.)  Other than the Cort, I found very little else.  I did search new areas  though, so that might be a factor in the hunt. Even so, it is always nice to walk around in the forest with a purpose on such a nice day. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far.   I'm writing this after 5, so I'm assuming most of my readers are now free from the "bondage of employment."  At least for a couple of days...   

Enjoy the Weekend and weather if you can.   And thanks for stopping in.

A Grateful Birthday.

A special thanks to all of my Facebook friends and family who have wished me a happy birthday today. Normally I joke about how my birthdays are just a countdown to my inevitable end. But this year I want to take a little more serious of a tact.  Life has been a little more harsh to me this year than it has been in the past.   And I have been forced to jump out of a comfort zone and rely on friends and God a little more than Usual ( Ok, A LOT! More than usual....) And for this I am Truly Grateful!

I often joke about death as if it is never going to happen.   My theory is if I can laugh at something.. it must not be that scary.   But every now and then, you discover that there are things that rival  the great unknown and it throws you.   And you struggle to find a joke or angle on dealing with this new situation.   And that is where I learned about the Navy SEALS theory of small bites.   Take  the task at hand in small controllable bites.  The more difficult the situation or task... the smaller the bites.  "One day at a time." They say.  And so... What better way to laugh at life's curve balls and drop kicks than to celebrate another birthday.   A Happy Birthday!   That will show life who is boss!   That I plan on sticking around for another year at least. Right?  

Is that a little dark?   It is supposed to be funny.  But perhaps I'm trying too hard.   So let us switch gears a bit.  

Dave ushered in my birthday Celebration with a 30 pack of HONEY BROWN!  Cheryl and I looked at several different stores in Kenosha this weekend for this beer,, and failed to find any. (Remember, Honey Brown does not exist in Iowa.... But this is Wisconsin!)   Dave goes out and finds it. Neh... Easy Peasy!  Perhaps the name change had something to do with it... but I assure you,   Cheryl and I looked all over and did not find even this new name.  

The first sip of Honey Brown after .... what?  Three years!   Honestly, I can't describe the flood of emotions experiencing that familiar taste.  I can't remember the last time a Honey Brown beer made me feel like that..  A flood of nostalgia and flavors that I had did not even know how much I had missed.  An absolutely wonderful surprise. 

He then sang happy birthday to me while videoing the entire awkward moment while I ate a pice of German Chocolate Cake.  Thus,  destroying the moment...  Good Job Dave!   But it was nice.   And fun...  And the thought was appreciated. ..just like all birthday songs.  (Plus, I would easily suffer through any awkward moment for Honey Brown Beer!)

So how did I spend the day... After Work, that is...  Why,  Hunting Mushrooms!  It has been raining for the last two days here so I figured I would take a look around to see if anything was popping up.  

A welcome distraction.   Mushroom Hunting keeps you in the "now" and gets you outside into the fresh air.   You also get to work a little exercise into the mix.  All pluses in my book.   And if you happen to find an edible mushroom or two,  all the better.  

Turns out,  the Chanterelles made a strong appearance. A few Brittle Gills.  No Boletes  or Corals at the moment.  But enough Chanterelles to make a to share.   So... Kind of a good day. 

The Chanterelles here are slightly more challenging with them popping up under the leaf litter. After I found one,  I had to move a few leaves  to uncover the others surrounding it.  A fun little search party.  

And finally,   I have been listening to Johnny Mathis lately.   I have always liked his voice and songs and recently have this one stuck in my head.   So I will share it with you Now.  Enjoy.

Thank you for stopping in.  And again,  to all those folks who read the blog  or come from Facebook,   thank you for your Birthday Wishes.  ( No more singing!  Unless you are Johnny...)  And a special thanks to Dave for the Beer.   Dave said he has a gift for "finding things".  And I believe that  is very true.

Cheryl In Kenosha-land!

I know the weekend is not over yet, but I have to work tomorrow so I figured I would try to hammer out a Blog post while the subject is fresh in my mind.   

Yesterday... Cheryl came to Kenosha!  ( Du DUMMM mmmmmm!)   Imagine Dramatic Theme Music here.

What did she do?  What was her purpose?  Was there a Run in Kenosha?   What possible reason could she have to visiting such a place.  

Ah yes... These questions are key to the topic at hand.  I have asked these questions myself.  Why would she possibly come to Kenosha if  there was no race to be run here?   The Answer...  Apartment Hunting! 

Apartments?   For who?   Another question I have asked of myself and anyone who would listen..... Including the random stranger on the road. Turns out,  Cheryl is interested in this area for some reason.  But let us begin at the beginning: Once upon a time, about a billion years ago... the Earth was a Molten Mass...

Wait!  Not that beginning...  How about starting yesterday. 

Cheryl traveled to Kenosha Wisconsin  and arrived late last night.  I greeted her and we had some Panda Express while discussing our future together.  You see,  I had been informed about an apartment possibility that was near to my job and checked off a number of boxes that would have been suitable for a possible new home.   I informed Cheryl that I had toured the place that thought it may be a good idea if She go to see it as well.  Just in case she ever wanted to join me in Kenosha. Wisconsin. 

So.. She drove 5 hours after work to see what all the excitement over apartments was all about.  I secretly wanted to try to sell her on the idea of moving to Kenosha.  I had an entire itinerary planned. All these things to do and places to visit that would seduce her into joining me along the coast of Lake Michigan.  

You see... Cheryl is a writer in Iowa.  

Confused?   Let me bridge the gap a little.   She recently got a job working at the local Kalona Newspaper writing stories for the paper.   She loves it.   And is not eager to abandon a job she just got and really,  really loves. 

This is where my warm charm and sexy appeal comes into play.  By making this area seem so much better than Wellman, Iowa;   AND by showing her the sights, sounds, tastes, and textures of the Great Lake of Michigan... Wisconsin Side!   I would slowly and methodically seduce her into believing that this area is worth more than a job that pays slightly more than the previous Pearson gigs we survived on for the last 12 years.  I figured the plan was fool proof! But then again, we are talking about Cheryl here.   (And me!)   And her dedication to things she loves can be tenacious.   I definitely  had my work cut out for myself. 

First.  Appeal to her desire to run.   By hitting her where her passions run deep, I can undermine her desire to write by appealing to her desire to run.  We toured the Petrified Springs park running trails.   She ran three loops around the place while I scrawled words of encouragement  on the bike path.   I even added a cute dog emoji to pull at her heart strings for all things Kawaii!   It was a tactic to use her own passions  to conflict with each other.  I believe the opening salvo was a success. 

Next....  Show her the apartments!   We were able to self tour the apartments by ourselves.   No sales lady this time.   By the time we got to the single bedroom apartment.. Furnished showroom...  I believe she was hooked!  She was very excited about the possibility of living in such a spacious, modern apartment with actual appliances, dishwasher, private laundry, two swimming pools and a gym that I hardly had to say anything.  

We then moved on to the beach.  Yes,  Lake Michigan was another selling point after 12 years of being land locked in Iowa.  The Mississippi river will never compare to the big water of the Great Lakes.  Tapping into that nostalgia, I believe was also successful. 

And then there was the shopping.  And all of the Unique places that Kenosha Wisconsin has to offer.  We toured the Italian Shopping marts, Cheese Factories, and even the local Meijers!  With all the new local shops that are very different from the Amish Bakeries of  Iowa, I believe another blow has been dealt to her "Writer's Fortress" that she had built up around herself.  

So what now?   Will she give up her writing career in Kalona for a possible future in Kenosha?  Will I be able to secure  the Apartment that she finds appealing?   Will Cheryl and Ethan ever be together again?   Who knows?   I certainly don't. But I'm trying my best to write this story with a happy ending.  And we will all have to stay tuned as the story unfolds. Including me!  ( and I'm the supposed Author!)   

That is not entirely true.  I believe that there are many things in my life that I can not control.  And although blogging about things may sound like I control the narrative,  that is simply a fantasy.   But I don't want to stray off topic too far.  Those deeper subjects will be explored on another day.  For now,  Let's just call this a successful mission to get Cheryl to Wisconsin.   And I think she rather enjoyed it.  

Of course, if she ever finds out about our little caper to influence her,   she may be inclined to change her mind and express feelings of  regret for being manipulated.  Even if the intentions were purely  selfless.   So.. Don't tell her  our little secret.   Shushhhhh!   

Thanks for stopping in.