Diary (Day 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)

Day 68

I’m still reluctant to open the mushroom fruiting bags. I still do a lot of research on how to clone these fungi. I feel intimidated. Is it really for me? Still I need a lot of patience.

Day 69

But I’m now losing my patience, or hope. I just don’t know what to do. I think writing is a lot easier than cloning mushroom—which I haven’t yet started. This is really a new province to me.

Day 70

I have read that newspapers can be used to grow mushroom. I have lots of old newspapers in my room. I shredded some and mixed them with the old sawdust I had bought about a year ago. Then I soaked the mixture in boiling water, had it drained and cooled. I will pack the mixture in plastic bags tomorrow, put some other ingredients like urea and lime in it and have it steamed for final pasteurization.

Day 71

The fruiting bags are ready for inoculation but it’s getting dark and I’m sleepy, so I had better do it tomorrow.

Day 72

So I did inoculate the bags using one of the original fruiting bags I bought.

Day 73

The wife arrives home from Bataan. I had better clone the mushroom in the afternoon. One fruiting bag has four fully grown mushrooms now ready to be cloned.

Day 74

I finally cloned the mushrooms yesterday afternoon and I felt relieved. I made a decision at last. Tomorrow is Monday—just to remind myself.

Day 75

It’s my day off. I had the time to clean my room and wash the dishes and some clothes. I felt better than any other working days.