Remembrance Redux (Guest Trip Report and Obit for Captain Parmenter)

“You really ought to fly with me, you know.  I’m a pretty good pilot, and I’d take care of you.”  — Orr, to Yossarian

A few weeks ago, I received a gift of mushrooms (as has been the order of things for a few months) and used them to repay a similar kindness from a year before.  My only instructions were 1) although it looks like a lot, do the whole batch; and, 2) you owe me a story.  The note fulfilling part 2), above, is transcribed here as a sort of Guest Entry:

Mushroom Notes

I took less than half the amount on Thursday night. Although I got the ‘coming up’ shivers, I didn’t come up very far. You might say I was stuck on the welcome mat by the doors of perception. I got a slight headache and fell asleep a few hours later.

I took the rest — over half — on Saturday. Within and hour I was back on the welcome mat. Within two hours I was peaking — auditory and visual hallucinations. Mild, I mistook a disabled bearded man for a baby wearing a Grizzly Adams mask. People just got uglier and I had no sense of time, as the song goes.

The peak lasted about 90 minutes. By about 5 hours after eating the mushrooms I was virtually straight again.

I wish I’d taken them all at the same time, but I think that splitting the dose was sensible.  Thanks! [signed]

He’s right.  He really should wish that he had downed the batch in one go … Level 4 likely,  but at least a solid 3.  If only there had been advice he could have taken.  Oh, well…happy days!  Try again in the Spring if the Farmer retries this project then.

Speaking of tripping, this other bit of business involves our guest author’s uncanny resemblance to — albeit much taller than — Ken Berry, who passed away over the weekend.  Yes, Captain Parmenter is dead; but the show, F-Troop, lives on.  My fave quotes from this endlessly, stupidly quotable show all came from Chief Wild Eagle of the Hekawi tribe (as in, “where the heck are we” tribe).  I still, often, answer questions challenging my expertise with, “how should I know…I’m just a simple savage.”

“Teepee never empty when frost on nose of buffalo.  [pause] It lose in translation”
— Chief Wild Eagle