We have been very busy the last couple of weeks working on fixing up our houses so we can hopefully put them on the market in the next couple of months. This has seriously cut down on our summer travel but it will be so worth it in the long run.

I did just book a weekend at the Mandalay Bay Resort for the first weekend in September. With my Disney Annual Pass, I was able to book a great weekend package that includes tickets to see the Lion King Broadway musical. So planning for our September trip is pretty much done; airfare (check), hotel in Las Vegas (check), hotel in California (check), rental car...rental car? Hmmm, I will let Bob take care of that.

Morel Hunting

We went morel hunting at Meramec State Park the weekend before last. For anyone who isn't familiar with morel (mushroom) hunting, there is only two weeks out of the year that morels grow. Mushroom hunting is a very popular past time in the State of Missouri, Illinois, and lots of other states.

This is the first year I had went mushroom hunting as an adult. I have a co-worker who is quite into morels and his constant talk about the mushrooms peaked my interest so with my sister and her family in tow, we headed to Meramec State Park.

Hmmm, let me just say I had a very nice time but I do know what I will not be hunting for next year. Yep, it was a fun one-time experience but not something I will try again. After traipsing around the forest in a light mist for four hours, we found 14 mushrooms...and ticks...lots and lots of ticks. The ticks were not fazed by my bug repellent. I think they have become immune to deet.

The mushrooms were quite tasty though. After cleaning the mushrooms by soaking them in salt water for a couple of days, we sauteed them in butter. The morels were quite tasty but I don't think they were worth picking ticks off my clothes for four hours.