Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Not sure if I'd trust Wellingtons to be be snake-proof. I would think that a snake might be able to bite through them. It's good to be cautious, though. Snakes that you see won't hurt you. It's the ones you don't see that pose the problem. I once saw a water moccasin beside a lake. When it saw me, it immediately slithered under a large rock. Wanting a closer look, I lifted the rock by one edge to reveal not one, but two off the little beauties. Then I realized I had created a dilemma. If I let go of the rock, I risked injuring the creatures, but if I didn't, I was at their mercy. Fortunately the snakes provided their own solution by quickly slithering into the water. What passes for conventional wisdom by folks who haven't studied cottonmouths is that they are extremely aggressive snakes who will attack without provocation. The truth is that if you don't molest them, they won't bother you. Of course, some are quicker to bite then others when they perceive a threat, and both cottonmouths and copperheads fall into that category.

Yes - copperheads can be quite quick to bite - so I first beat on the pile of branches to give them time to relocate - before I began pulling off the top layer. Many dogs get bitten whilst just sniffing ....

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Yes - copperheads can be quite quick to bite - so I first beat on the pile of branches to give them time to relocate - before I began pulling off the top layer. Many dogs get bitten whilst just sniffing ....

Kudos for giving the critters some warning.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Yes - copperheads can be quite quick to bite - so I first beat on the pile of branches to give them time to relocate - before I began pulling off the top layer. Many dogs get bitten whilst just sniffing ....

Another reason I like living in Seattle. We don't have any poison sticks west of the Cascades.

[tubemonkey]

This video is kinda funny

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Not sure if I'd trust Wellingtons to be be snake-proof. I would think that a snake might be able to bite through them. It's good to be cautious, though. Snakes that you see won't hurt you. It's the ones you don't see that pose the problem. I once saw a water moccasin beside a lake. When it saw me, it immediately slithered under a large rock. Wanting a closer look, I lifted the rock by one edge to reveal not one, but two off the little beauties. Then I realized I had created a dilemma. If I let go of the rock, I risked injuring the creatures, but if I didn't, I was at their mercy. Fortunately the snakes provided their own solution by quickly slithering into the water. What passes for conventional wisdom by folks who haven't studied cottonmouths is that they are extremely aggressive snakes who will attack without provocation. The truth is that if you don't molest them, they won't bother you. Of course, some are quicker to bite then others when they perceive a threat, and both cottonmouths and copperheads fall into that category.

I think I've shared that I was bitten by a rattler when quite young. My Dad and his best childhood friend who became a Doctor (2 New Mexico Cowboys, one becomes a Doctor, the other a lawyer, go figure, right?) got very heavily involved with Search and Rescue which they had kind of done on and off pretty much always (yeah it's kind of genetic). anyway they were ramping it up, and Dad and I were at a western wear shop and he was getting a pair of guaranteed snake bite proof boots. I actually became quite hysterical when the salesman was explaining the guarantee to my Dad. I was about 8 or 9. Bitten when I was 5. It does that

[kindlekitten]

ok, so apparently I make fairly epic lasagna.

my dog smells very bad

I was at a political mixer last night, had too much to drink and the mayor drove me home

I've misplaced my phone and feel strangely liberated

For those that want to read more;
Some of my best friends own a Bed and Breakfast here in town (Which actually ends up on TV a lot). The husband suddenly and unexpectedly passed in December (I think I may written about it). For whatever reason I cook when people die. I made a lasagna that filled the biggest aluminum pan available and took it over. They had scheduled guests and this town isn't big enough to pass people off. Anyway my lasagna fed 12 people on and off for about a week and at the end there was bartering going on. These same guests are coming in again and have requested my lasgana, not knowing she doesn't make it, and they want extra to take back home with them. to New York. I'm not Italian. little chuckle for me right?

I don't know why the puppy smells so bad but he does. and it's kind of like a boy smell. and I feed very expensive food. He's gotten to the point where he needs at least a bath a month. I'd be making the appointment now if I knew where my phone was

I think that my phone is quite possibly on my desk at my office. Which is probably

[kindlekitten]

for the best (computer locked up). Not having the phone is also possibly for the best as except for very few times I only access facebook there and not my computer. I figure that my super secret cyber squirrel son probably cyber stalks me periodically, but I'm not too worried about it here. How many of you care that the Mayor drove me home, right?

What else? oh the phone bit. From the time I was 14 until I went into the Army I went backpacking. A LOT. When we would come out of wherever we had been it was always really weird to hear the news that had been happening for a few weeks. I pretty much only "read" the news anymore and It's kind of weird to not have that right now.

yeah, so how is your life right now?

[badgoodDeb]

Yeah -- I missed the entire OJSimpson slow car chase news thing. It was only a single weekend, but I was doing a RevWar re-enactment, and I was off the grid that weekend. Enjoying the un-connectedness of the 1770's!

Hope your puppy enjoys his baths (probably not!) and hope the guests at the B&B enjoy their second hand lasagna, even if the owner claims it's hers.

[kindlekitten]

no, she gives credit, they just didn't know.

this is, I think the oddest Newfie I've ever had. He's very long, actually too long for my tub which is why he started going to the groomer originally, but he's not BIG! my beloved Pi who was his first cousin and the one I traveled with all of the time was close to 200 when she passed. My puppy boy might *might* be 150. He's also the wettest mouth Newfie I've ever had. He always wants to be with me but has the worst leash manners EVER and we always work on that.

I would very much like to cut off my right big toe. Apparently I have extensive damage to my L3, 4 and 5 (vertebrae) and one of the manifestations is in with the big toe. At least I know I'm not nuts anymore. Regarding the toe at least.

I just got into a huge argument with one of my best IRL friends over guns.

I don't like being home and in pain

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

What else? oh the phone bit. From the time I was 14 until I went into the Army I went backpacking. A LOT. When we would come out of wherever we had been it was always really weird to hear the news that had been happening for a few weeks. I pretty much only "read" the news anymore and It's kind of weird to not have that right now.

We were on an extended canoe trip through the backwaters of the huge La Verendrye Provincial park in Quebec. After the third day we never saw another human until we reached the ranger station and take-out ramp three weeks later. We discovered that while we were away President Richard Nixon resigned. We missed the celebration...


Stitchawl

[cromag]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Yes - copperheads can be quite quick to bite - so I first beat on the pile of branches to wake them up and annoy them - before I began pulling off the top layer.

Fixed.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This video is kinda funny

[YOUTUBE]

That's the first I recall hearing of cottonmouths eating other cottonmouths, but I can vouch for everything else the cowboy said. Their reputation for aggression is definitely overblown.

One thing everyone knows that just ain't so about water moccasins is that they will drop into your boat from overhanging branches. Well, there are some local non-venomous snakes that do that, but as the cowboy in the video pointed out, water moccasins don't like to climb; they're much more at home on terra firma. Those snakes that do drop into in on you unexpectedly aren't trying to get into your boat; it's just that you've made them nervous by coming too close to their hangout and their natural defense in such situations is to drop into the water. Unfortunately if your boat is between them and the water they'll end up in your boat instead. I heard the following story from a local park ranger. Two of Norfolk's finest were passing under some branches in a small boat one day when a snake dropped into their boat. Fearing for their lives, the two officers grabbed their guns and blasted the poor thing into serpent heaven. Too late they realized they had also just sunk their boat.

[cromag]

Right now I am recuperating. Again. I had to drive my Dad (91 yo) to a doctor's appointment ... in Hackensack. The 30 miles on I-80 was nothing, but once we got off the highway we had to get to the office. Only a couple of miles, but it involved making several turns through an industrial area, then a commercial district, before getting to the medical offices near the hospital.

Dad had a printout of turn-by-turn instructions, but they came up quickly and Dad was providing commentary and we were (repeatedly) passing our turns. Finally, Dad insisted on going into a store to get directions. While he was inside I pulled out my phone and checked Google maps. We were only three streets away. We got there in time.

And then we had to get home.

I'm beat!

[WT Sharpe]

I just ordered this to carry on my walks with Norton. There's been no real problem so far, but he does get tired on hot days. Today I kept trying to cut our walk short because of the 90° heat index, but no amount of coaching could persuade him because he knew that on the other end of our neighborhood is a canine friend of his. I worried about him the whole way back. He ran from shade tree to shade tree in an effort to stay out of the sun as much as possible. The really bad part is that after his insistence on going the distance, his friend wasn't in the yard to greet him.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I just ordered this to carry on my walks with Norton. There's been no real problem so far, but he does get tired on hot days. Today I kept trying to cut our walk short because of the 90° heat index, but no amount of coaching could persuade him because he knew that on the other end of our neighborhood is a canine friend of his. I worried about him the whole way back. He ran from shade tree to shade tree in an effort to stay out of the sun as much as possible. The really bad part is that after his insistence on going the distance, his friend wasn't in the yard to greet him.

That looks neat! When I took Shadow on my long hikes I'd wear a fanny pack that held a small frisbee and had two holsters for water bottles. I'd put the frisbee on the ground periodically, and fill it with water for him.

Of course, the biggest advantage was that Shadow was a night person, like me. "Hot in the direct sun" was a lot harder for him than "Hot after dark."