Saturday, I had two interesting things to occur.
First was finding an axle hub on a 1320 corner near several very active beehives. They were really curious about my yellow safety vest and the orange glo (my favorite color) flagging sticking out of several pockets. I was thoroughly inspected by many little honeybees as I waited for my epochs to complete. The ladt time I set up near a bee farm, several human workers came out, gave the hive a puff of smoke, opened the tops of the hives, and looked for the queen bee on each frame. When the found the queen, they put her in a matchbox along with a worker bee with the intent of mailing the box to California. Yes, they mail bees through the U. S. Postal service.
The second thing was a very assertive bull behind a leaning fence with broken wooden fence posts. I first realized the bull was sending me a message when he began to amble over to the fence "mooooooooooooing" gently (?) at me. Then he began pushing the side of his face in the dirt/grass, then raising his head, and shaking off the dirt and grass while looking at me and still "mooooooooing" softly, not a "mad bull bellow." Maybe he was just hoarse from telling everyone else that he was king of the pasture. I had got my fence corner shot and really needed to search for any hidden evidence with my Schonstedt, but that was about the time he came up to the fence and I noticed the broken posts. Especially the shattered fence corner post with a gap in the barbed wire big enough for a bull his size to go through. When he lowered his head and began to paw the ground, sending chunks of earth waaaaaay up in the air, I drew one solid conclusion: Time to leave!
I've worked about many hives in the urban setting with no problems. Bees are curious but usually not aggressive. However, if you have to pound something into the ground; you better be organized, not miss and work fast.
Having spent a few years on a farm I always check in with the owner when I notice a fence needing repair. No one likes to chase cattle on a dark rainy night.
Never been stung by any honey bees that were kept in wooden hives although they like to check out everything..especially if you're wearing cologne or some sort of smell-good. Wild ground bees are a different story.
I did run into a mess of tender poison ivy while on a recon yesterday. Since the poison ivy and I have an agreement of non-competition I didn't feel bad about slipping in and removing these things that were spattered about:
They were delicious.
Ick! Fungus! Ick!
[USER=4544]@Harold[/USER]
That bull was most definitely letting you know that his turf was HIS TURF. He probably had no interest in exerting the level of effort it would take to actually chase you, though. That very deep, lowing sound is typical of a casual, general warning. Even the head/dirt rubbing exercise and the hoof/dirt tossing exercise is largely a simple notice to stay off of HIS TURF. Most, but not all, bulls are not aggressive unless provoked.
Holy Cow, post: 422773, member: 50 wrote: Ick! Fungus! Ick!
fungi? yes, but muy delicioso!
I have wondered from time to time just how hungry some poor human was at the time of that very first attempt at eating certain items found in nature. Truffles, for example. Grasshoppers and hissing roaches do not look like food to any sane human. Chocolate covering and the invention of cream sauces and cheese sauces and garlic butter must have come along later in an attempt to make such disgusting things semi-edible. Escargot, for example, have the consistency of rubber erasers used by Kindergarten kids and probably taste quite similar unless lathered with exotic juices. Calamari are little more than french fried rubber bands. Euell Gibbons and his earlier brotherhood of insane food lovers must have been lacking something (between the ears, me thinks).
I bought Mr. Gibbons books while I was at school, up in the Adirondacks. It did not take me long to figure out there are a lot of things you CAN eat, but the reason they are not in the grocery store is they taste like crap!
Ken
Holy Cow, post: 422814, member: 50 wrote: I have wondered from time to time just how hungry some poor human was at the time of that very first attempt at eating certain items found in nature. Truffles, for example. Grasshoppers and hissing roaches do not look like food to any sane human. Chocolate covering and the invention of cream sauces and cheese sauces and garlic butter must have come along later in an attempt to make such disgusting things semi-edible. Escargot, for example, have the consistency of rubber erasers used by Kindergarten kids and probably taste quite similar unless lathered with exotic juices. Calamari are little more than french fried rubber bands. Euell Gibbons and his earlier brotherhood of insane food lovers must have been lacking something (between the ears, me thinks).
I've wondered that myself. In the case of morel mushrooms, everything else in the woods gobbles 'em up so I'm sure some fool hardy human gave them a try and like them too.
One that completely vexes me is kopi luwak. An Indonesian coffee made from coffee beans that have first been digested by a civet cat....blech! I mean, come on man! Who the hell hangs out around the kitty box so they can scoop up enough for tomorrow morning's pot of Joe? Insane...
[USER=20]@paden cash[/USER]
I gather you're fair dinkum as we say here! Telling the truth ie.
Those things look like they'd send you blotto.
Interestingly just come back from a trip to the high country and we saw some toadstools.
Bloke I was working for told me a storey of an English lady that had some odd looking fungi and said to the other person to take them home and cook them up which he did.
Next day she asked if he liked them. "Yes they were delicious"
"oh" she said. "that's good I'll give them a try then"
Not sure how true that is but can imagine it to be so.
Richard, post: 422850, member: 833 wrote: [USER=20]@paden cash[/USER]
I gather you're fair dinkum as we say here! Telling the truth ie.
Those things look like they'd send you blotto.
Interestingly just come back from a trip to the high country and we saw some toadstools.
Bloke I was working for told me a storey of an English lady that had some odd looking fungi and said to the other person to take them home and cook them up which he did.
Next day she asked if he liked them. "Yes they were delicious"
"oh" she said. "that's good I'll give them a try then"
Not sure how true that is but can imagine it to be so.
Morels are the only mushroom I will eat. Too many killers lurking in the woods to be nibblin' about.
No blotto with morels Richard, they're a delicacy. Broiled with a bit of butter and salt. They're only here once a year so you have to grab them when they show. We eat 'em up with no dramas.
I looked it up and you folks have a strain all your own:
https://www.selbyshrooms.com.au/australian-morels-morchella-species/
paden cash, post: 422730, member: 20 wrote: Never been stung by any honey bees that were kept in wooden hives although they like to check out everything..especially if you're wearing cologne or some sort of smell-good. Wild ground bees are a different story.
I did run into a mess of tender poison ivy while on a recon yesterday. Since the poison ivy and I have an agreement of non-competition I didn't feel bad about slipping in and removing these things that were spattered about:
They were delicious.
That's a pretty nice haul.
Were you in an old orchard or just got lucky?
One needs to understand that morels are homes to worms. Are those considered the condiments to flavor the main course?
paden cash, post: 422855, member: 20 wrote: Morels are the only mushroom I will eat. Too many killers lurking in the woods to be nibblin' about
I love mushrooms but balk at these.
A few have died here from eating fungi and whilst I accept there's safe ones I'll abstain.
HC's comment on worms is very pertinent to our field mushrooms.
Pick them a bit late and they're crawling with tiny maggots that jump out when chucked in the pan to fry! Some not so tiny!
Robert Hill, post: 422859, member: 378 wrote: That's a pretty nice haul.
Were you in an old orchard or just got lucky?
They were in a spot I check pretty much every year. Mature canopy but it's a little brushy to be called "walkin' woods". Sometimes if you hit it at exactly the right time you get lucky.
Richard, post: 422867, member: 833 wrote: ..Pick them a bit late and they're crawling with tiny maggots that jump out when chucked in the pan to fry! Some not so tiny!
Never seen any maggots or worms...really. If there is a bug or two amongst them a soaking in salt water and a cold rinse works well.
Holy Cow, post: 422866, member: 50 wrote: One needs to understand that morels are homes to worms. Are those considered the condiments to flavor the main course?
I'm generally in the habit of washing up my groceries pretty well before consumption.
And I've never really seen any worms on morels, just a small beetle or two. Do I need to sneak into their bedroom at night with a flashlight to check? 😉
Holy Cow, post: 422774, member: 50 wrote: Most, but not all, bulls are not aggressive unless provoked.
I don't know about that, in all the cartoons I'v seen all you have to do is look at them and they will try and kill you.
😉
FL/GA PLS., post: 422879, member: 379 wrote: I don't know about that, in all the cartoons I'v seen all you have to do is look at them and they will try and kill you...
Some of them will stomp you into a dirty grease spot without even looking at them.
paden cash, post: 422730, member: 20 wrote: They were delicious.
Jumping Jesus, I just Googled "morel mushrooms", fresh ones are $249.00 per pound. You have $498.00 (not including tax or shipping and handling charges) in yer gut. 😉