d_thomas02 Member

I harvested the King Oyster mushrooms today, 8 days after going into the grow tent. First flush was 872 grams or 1 pound 9 ounces. enough to fill two paper lunch bags. Not bad at all for my first ever mushroom harvest. The block has been flipped and returned to the grow tent for a second flush. We'll have to see how long…

My home page won't load either. I get this; Fortunately all the menus still work.

Update on the Mushroom Farm. Five days after installing the table top blocks in the grow tent. Shiitake, day 0 and then day 5. King Oyster, day 0 and then day 5. Chestnuts look pretty much the same as day 0 but they are slower to fruit than the others.

I've developed an interest in mushrooms and since I've not had any luck finding them in the wild so far, I decided to look into farming mushrooms at home. I did my research and started putting together an indoor hobby mushroom farm. This is what I've come up with to grow mushrooms in my mostly unheated…

Yesterday was the last unseasonably warm day we were going to have for quite a while so I drove down to a state forest area about 10 minutes from my home. Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, roughly 2700 acres with a river running through the middle of it. I thought this might be a good place to look for winter…

Strange Christmas weather we are having this year. Usually we are cold, sometimes bitterly so. Ice stroms are not unheard of. Rarely we'll even have a white Christmas. We've been consistently in the mid-60s to the mid-70s F (20 to 25-ish C) all week with more unseasonably warm weather the next few days. On Christmas day,…

Is it the Gypsy mushroom (Cortinarius caperatus)?

While I was working today, had the chance to dump leaves on-site in a wooded area. Kept my eyes open and found this on a dead snag, maybe oak. Old, faded, and dried out but still recognizable as Turkey Tails (Trametes versicolor). And the right size too. ;) The ones at eye level are about the size of my thumbnail. Lower on…

After more research, I think you are right. Size alone would rule out Turkey Tail. Turkey Tails are two, maybe three inches across and thin. This specimen was larger than my hand.

Been almost two years, what with COVID in 2020 and then the crappy employee situation in 2021. I have managed to make it into the smithy once or twice during this time. Forged this kissing horses heart from a horseshoe for a friend to give his sister for a wedding present. And a little progress on the treadle hammer. After…

Found these choice Hen-of-the-Woods (also known as Maitake) earlier this Fall. I'm still very green at wild mushroom collection so I didn't harvest them at the time. With further research I found there are no lookalikes and allergic reactions are rare. Those are walnuts on the ground around them (about the size of a tennis…

Hard to find time this year. Can't get guys to work. Need nine guys, currently have four. Last week (one week mind you) I clocked 83 hours. Things will change, though. I told my friend and boss that this will be my last year running a crew. I'm retiring (again) at the end of this season. Probably still work part-time for…

Loving the boat and river jargon. Don't understand most of it, but loving it none the less.

A freak snowstorm last Tuesday followed by a killer freeze. My blooming lilacs. Three of my four lilacs got bit but the fourth's blooms were still buds so didn't freeze. It's blooming now.

I hear both of you. During my slow season (Dec - Feb) I do body weight exercises (squats, sit-ups, pushups, planks) and a couple of dumbbell exercises (combination of squat, curl, and press with 25 lbs in each hand) alternating days with 30 minute elliptical cardio and then a daily walking treadmill for an hour (both…

I was fortunate in that my job in lawn maintenance is considered essential so I was able to keep working through all of this. I actually made it to my goal weight of 185 a couple of weeks back but, as cold weather approaches, I've seen my weight spike. It's now closer to 190. Gotta get back on top of it.

From https://www.healthline.com/health/ten-best-menopause-activities If you have a crafty side you can make your own dumbbells. A search on YouTube can show you a vast variety of dumbbell exercises. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViX8riaHX4

That's right. Currently in a heat drought which has slowed things in lawn maintenance a bit, but we should be getting a drought breaker come through over the next four or five days which should kick things back into growing as the cooler temperatures of Fall start. I know you'll handle all the stuff as it comes. Been a…

Still here. Three pounds to go to hit my goal weight of 185.

Bacon wrapped anything and then grilled over charcoal. Hot dogs, chicken breast, hamburger, asparagus, mushroom caps, tofu, bell peppers. jalapeno peppers, etc. Bacon makes everything better. ;)

Back at ya, brother. ;)

On our dives out to the Blue Hole at Belize (one dive at the Blue Hole, two dives at surrounding reefs), the dive master would spear lionfish and feed them to the large groupers that followed us (waiting for just such a handout), but he had to stop when the reef sharks showed up.

https://www.roatanmarinepark.org/invasive-species-reduction "All spearfishing in a marine protected area is illegal in Honduras. However, with a Roatan Marine Park issued Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License, visiting and local divers and free divers are legally allowed to use a Hawaiian sling or pole spear of up to 3…

And you haven't eaten fish until you've had lionfish! (These are from my 2013 trip to Belize.) Tasty and you're helping control an invasive species. Lionfish FAQs