Big News (and chicken-mushrooms!!!)

Well, the Big News is "i'm not a father. . . " but i am re-launching a new website for TheoZoic next week. Its been held-up by technical issues and delayed for 3 weeks now. But the hosting services assure me it'll be ready by November 3rd. I will spill more beans later in this posting.

Otherwise, figs have widdled away in freshness this season, but they still fry up well with butter!

The new Falltime food craze is Chestnuts - so far i've collected 60lbs for Scopa, a fine Healdsburg restaraunt, and a few more dozen pounds for family, neighbor, and friends' consumption....

But the real prize goes to Mom for finding the first glorious, bulkiest, strangest, and tastiest chicken mushroom ever!

And because of the 1/2 inch of rain (which fell during the Valley Fire), these fungi were dripping when we cut them from the white oak tree they grew from. Totally, 15lbs – these mushrooms are also known as sulfur-shelf.

And the house my dad built; the house i was born in; the same house i grew up in for almost 3 years of my baby-hood is a dusty, fire-ridden foundation now.

David's doing well. Me and Mum' visited the Big-Wave-Bro for an afternoon up in Lake County. Now he's back home is the land of Pura Vida. . . .

 (a "Nya-ha-ha" quote from David's influential childhood icon: Dishonest John! If your intrigued, ask me the story sometime)

I found a temporary pet bird for seven days. It was disabled, but i couldn't tell how or why. So it would hop around under the Madrone tree all day, eating berries dropped by the birds above. Then by night it would climb and flutter up to my sunflower plants, or other low branches for rest. Always returning to wander the grounds the next day. I gave it worms and maggots, but all wanted was water . . . don't know where it went after that week.

There was a fantastically resplendent wedding at Fitch Mountain, and i caught up with the best of my old friends (and found more chicken mushroom before the ceremonies begun, on the premises).

(the day after we all camped out from the late night festivities)

And some friends i got to see even earlier in the season. There is a celebration known as growing older, wiser, year by year – but still remaining a kid at heart:

Found even more chicken mushroom....

(a fourth harvest of the shelf fungi went into my 4-day broth. adding flavor to the chicken back & feet, shank beef, herbs and and other assorted magical ingredients like unicorn tears)

And Diane helped me understand that "manzanita" bush berries are edible. For medicinal reasons but also as condiments as used by Native Americans. I ate some in September, then added a nice lot to some La Bamba Samba rum rum!

(Thanks Naomi!)

Here's a Petaluma visit to see the Elder Pear Tree Dweller (Mr Ricky) and the vast array of distracting amusements...

Afterwards, we saw the new triplets on Taylor's side of the family. Here's the mom and us:

And a good day is always better with a hike up to the Mendocino line to see the neighbors and examine artistically designed cement retaining walls . . .

Lastly: a unique items i found hiking around with Mom and Ross. Raven skull! 

(if i strap this around my neck with some vertebrae-bones of a cat, i suppose i can now do Shaman rituals)


TheoZoic is so very-very close to becoming a reality. On the new website you will find, ink based Mandala artwork, Musings (essays and poems), and my existing three musical albums.

That's all for now folks.

Jolly Jello!