From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   Have only been able to find these in the "usual" place.  But, I'm also   
   finding them on the other side of the trail from where I almost always   
   find them.   
      
   There were *lots* of federal Forest Service workers in the woods   
   yesterday.  Very strange.  On entering the National Forest, there was a   
   man *shining* (!?) the wheels of his truck.  His door was wide open out   
   into the gravel road.  A woman was directly opposite him on the other   
   side of the road was also standing outside her car, with her passenger   
   door wide open.  I had to drive very slowly and carefully past them.   
   Neither had the courtesy to close their door to facilitate my passage.   
   Neither moved out of the way.  Both gave me the cold stare as they   
   surveyed my slow passage past them.   
      
   Deeper in the forest there were an unusual number of Forest Service   
   workers; standing and talking beside their trucks, not doing any visible   
   work.  There were several dirt bikes running up and down the road,   
   unlicensed and off the designated atv trails (use of the forest road is   
   limited to licensed vehicles).   
      
   I pulled off the side of the road to let a Forest Service truck pass.  I   
   was being courteous, because I was going slow while scanning the woods   
   for mushrooms, and he was riding my bumper.  The truck pulled along side   
   me, very close, and the man in the passenger seat rolled down his   
   window.  I rolled down mine, and he asked me, "What are you doing?  And,   
   "Do you need help?"   
      
   I said, "I'm fine.  I'm picking mushrooms."   
      
   He asked, "Why did you pull off the road?"   
      
   I answered, "You're going a lot faster than me, so I thought I'd let you   
   pass."   
      
   He asked, "What kind of mushroom are you picking?"   
      
   "Lobsters," I replied.   
      
   Both men in the truck looked at each other with puzzlement.  The driver   
   hunched his shoulders.  "Never heard of 'em." the passenger said.   
      
   "Oh man, they're gourmet," I said.  "You should look them up."   
      
   "I will," replied the passenger.   
      
   "If you've got 10 minutes, I'll pick one and show it to you.  They grow   
   beside the trail just ahead," I said.   
      
   "No, that's ok.  We gotta go."  And, so they left.  About a 100yds. down   
   the road, they stopped as another Forest Service vehicle coming from the   
   other direction stopped, along with what looked like a private vehicle   
   and a dirt bike.  The group of them conversed for a couple minutes then   
   continued on their separate ways.  Very, very strange.   
      
   Anyway, here're the lobsters.  Will check the same spot again today for   
   stragglers.  These will be pickled and eaten with the Chesapeake Bay   
   blue crabs my family are planning to feast on this weekend.  See:   
   http://www.flickr.com/photos/63108152@N00/6216666901/sizes/m/   
      
      
      
      
      
   --   
   "Scrogged Kt'C will fulfill the promise of cold fusion powering every   
   household.  Off-line and abundant.  Exactly like having a powerplant in   
   your broomcloset."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)