Mushrooms. . . . . again!

Mushrooms. . . . . . again! That's right. It's still going on. Here's my son again with a couple of his largest. Finally, a year when I've got more than I'll eat. John Michael says the best way to save them is just let them dry, put them in a plastic bag, then soak them in water for a day or so before you use them. Freezing makes them mushie. I have a few I will try the dehydrating with this year.

Update on "it's a wonderful life" here on the farm. First of all, the man the neighbors recommended because he did such a good job for them, did take off with the $650 I gave him to begin work and replace the pump. I called the sheriff, have been to the prosecutors office to file charges. Here's what they said: they will investigae but the prosecutor will probably throw it out......he didn't steal enough money from me. I can take him to small claims court (filing there will be another $75 and chances are he won't be able to pay me) My renter did see this guy at the gas station and called the cops. His name is James Puffenbarger, don't hire him! - The cops talked to Puffenbarger and told him to call me and make arrangements to pay me back......do you think he called? Not! In addition to the $650 Puffenbarger stole (I could have had a nice flat screen TV or new mower or little ATV to chase people off the farm). - that little plumbing job cost another $800 labor, and $700+ for pump, lines, and that tank thingy. I have got to start wearing my baseball cap again. I say I wear that to cover up the S-T-U-P-I-D that must be written across my forehead!

Now, on to my next problem........I haven't been able to mow because of the constant rain. Today I went out and I can't get the big John Deere started. I used it once earlier this year to mow the woods so I'm hoping I left the key on or something simple. The battery light doesn't come on but it says in the book to call your John Deere dealer if that happens. I shudder to think what this will cost. I put a trickle charger on over night and have my fingers crossed that it will work this morning.

I guess I could always have a U-pick mushroom farm to raise money to get my mowers, weedeaters and tractor going.

Just wishing. . . .

I live on a farm. In the spring I can't find any mushrooms on my own property because soooo many "citibirds" (I made that word up, you know, kind of the same thing as a snowbird) are back there hunting them. Where all these people come from or why they think it's okay to take the property owners mushrooms is beyond me. This year, there were so many people milling around back there, deer were running across the fields all day long. Oh, the citibirds will be hunting them, too.

Our recent winds from IKE blew down a lot of walnuts. It's not a good thing for the mower and buckets of them have to be picked up before mowing. While doing this chore, I kept thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice if all those "citibirds" who pick my mushrooms and hunt the deer, would get as excited about walnuts and pick these darn things up?"