Is that all there is?

[BUM]

JG

We all have some snakes to kill. My truck sounds like your jeep! Outside hinge pin rusted solid. Asked Bubba at the gas station about it. Bubba said you gotta buy a complete hinge from the dealer. I said bull%^&*. I figured I'd drill out the pin and put in a carriage bolt or something. Three hours later I was up to my ankles in spent drill bits, burned up the drill, heart pounding like a bastard, and I'd only drilled down a tad past the first hinge joint. Took a hammer and banged a bolt down in part way....bottom line I seldom use that door anymore. Your approach has merit. Why risk the heart attack? Sorry to hear about your buddy's dad.

Mom selling Avon at 85? God bless her. Theres got to be a novel there.

 

[LEX]

Great Topic...
I have found the simple things, if done well, to be an adventure.

But the issue raised is an important one. What will the last chapters of your story be filled with? For me the adventure includes helping others. I lost my parents when I was a child, so I am most likely easy to figure out as to my charitable inclinations. My spouse and I have been traveling and helping out at an orphanage in Russia for about five years. Its small things, such as sending clothes, helping with placements with decent families, and we travel to the region about once a year. I know there are so many on this board that do good, and each of us has the capacity for personal growth each day.

I have found more about life and living that I would have ever believed possible in doing such simple things for these kids. I have reflected that what I do with my life is only important if, long after I am gone, there is something simple and good that results.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I agree LEX. Most of us won't do what you have, but a good start on leaving a positive legacy would be your
own children. Mine are all adults now, but they are
always uppermost in my thoughts even though they
may not know it.

JG

 

[LEX]

JG:

I have my own kids, and they are very well loved.  In the independence of ER, the great advantage is being able to find something that elevates your life.  I can sure appreciate being able to surf a 12 footer, run a marathon, bike across England as part of the options.  In reflective moments, I know that what good we do is what truly remains.

 

[BUM]

JG, come on down. It got up to 90 here in the Hill Country today. I killed a 4-foot rattler in my driveway this morning.

Springtime in South Texas...Gotta Love it!

REW

So REW,

What happened to the snake skin? Hat band? Belt trim? Key chain? Thong for DW :

 

[REWahoo]

So REW,

What happened to the snake skin? Hat band? Belt trim? Key chain? Thong for DW :

Actually, I was planning to fry him up (tastes just like chicken) and use the skin to make a one-of-a-kind pocket protector for my last month at work. Unfortunately, by the time I got home at the end of the day the 90 degree heat had taken its toll. All I ended up with was the rattle.

Photo to follow...

REW

 

[laurence]

So REW,

What happened to the snake skin? Hat band? Belt trim? Key chain? Thong for DW :

LOL! This and REW's comment about the heat leaving him with a rattle just crack me up! I would tip my hat to any woman who would wear a thong made of THAT! Be afraid of her though, since she must either be a S&M Dominatrix or a female WWE wrestler (is that redundant?)!!!

 

[REWahoo]

... she must either be a S&M Dominatrix or a female WWE wrestler (is that redundant?)!!!

lawrencewill, no way DW would qualify as either of the above. I had to do some serious persuasion just to get her to come out of the house and take a look. She was really spooked by the thought she had walked by that same spot 10 minutes prior to my discovery.

REW

 

[REWahoo]

As promised....

OK, so it wasn't quite 4ft, only 3' 9".

And back to the subject of this thread, I sure hope so.

REW

 

[haha]

That baby is big enough to cause a lot of hurt. Good job!

Mikey

 

[REWahoo]

CT,

I agree your snake is "harmless" and no, I don't like any of them either. I don't usually try to eliminate the non-lethal variety but do give them a wide berth.

Guess I would describe mine as a financial planner and yours as a "fee only" financial planner.

REW

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hard to tell from that angle. The basic rule of thumb is if the head is larger than the main body, its likely a rattler...smooth from the neck through the head, its likely not.

You'll see from REW's post the slim neck and large diamond shaped head...your shot looks like a head the same size as the body but its at a funny angle.

Oddly, I live in an area supposedly infested with rattlers and have never seen one once in 12 years.

REW...I hope those are not your legs

 

[REWahoo]

REW...I hope those are not your legs

Why? You got some sort of a problem with my legs?

REW

 

[sgeeeee]

These things give me the creeps. I did take this picture of one out in Montana. I think it was a harmless Bull snake or gopher snake unless another forum expert can set me straight. Still gave me the creeps though!

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/snakes/Bullsnake.shtml

I see a lot of these guys on my normal outings. As long as I can see them, I'm okay with them. But the gopher snake (or bull snake) has this un-nerving habit of imitating rattlesnakes. I really don't like rattlesnakes.

 

[Caroline]

Sigh. I love deserts -- the farther from civilization the better -- and I guess I've seen rattlesnakes about 15 - 20 times whilst backpacking. I've never been menaced by one yet -- they generally stay out of your way unless you do something silly like try to pick them up (yes, people do that!) They're actually very interesting creatures -- so beautifully suited to their environment.

I remember seeing a huge one next to the trail in Zion National Park. He just relaxed under his rock and watched the clueless tourists go by about 5 feet away - no muss, no fuss. Another time we found a sidewinder curled up under a bush near our campsite down in the Mojave. He was in the same place two days later when we left -- I guess he'd eaten before we got there and was sleeping it off.

I suppose I'd want one removed from under my house , but other than that, it's live and let live for me.

Just one word to the wise -- if you kill all the ones near your house that rattle to warn you (and that's GENERALLY how you know they're there), then you the ones that aren't inclined to rattle before striking are the only ones left to reproduce.

Caroline

 

[Mr._johngalt]

DW is a country girl. Her whole life really. The only wild critters she has shown any fear of are snakes. Don't know why. We don't have any poisonous ones around
here. She doesn't want to kill them, just get far away quickly..............which reminds me of "Jake the Snake"
I used to own a "weekend" cottage in Upper Michigan.
We had a resident pine or fox snake. He was huge.
Much larger than REW's rattler. Anyway, it scared the
pants off my little nephews and their daddy was going to dispatch Jake with a rock. I saved his reptilian butt
and managed to get him into a cardboard box (that was a trick), turning
him loose in a nice brush pile way at the back of our property. He was back at the cabin in a week. May be
still there for all I know.

JG

 

[sgeeeee]

Sigh.  I love deserts -- the farther from civilization the better -- and I guess I've seen rattlesnakes about 15 - 20 times whilst backpacking.  . . .

Hi Caroline,

I love deserts too. I probably see 15 to 30 rattlesnakes a year doing the things I do. My DW and I are usually off trail documenting archaeology sites and features in remote areas and there are a lot more snakes off trail than on. I only recall once when the rattlesnake seemed to chase us rather than retreat. Like you say, usually you see them when they rattle with authority and if you have the sense to respect that authority and retreat, they will too.

We've done quite a bit of research on rattlesnakes and snake bites . . . learn about the things you fear to reduce the fear. It turns out that the vast majority of snake bites reported in the US each year occur on the hands of white males 15 to 25 years old. If you don't get a macho attack and try to pick them up, you are really pretty safe. Most of the rattlesnake bites on peole are also dry bites -- that is, the snake chooses not to inject venom. Apparently the rattlesnake knows that a person is too big to be food and they choose to save their venom for lunch. And despite all this, I still don't like rattlesnakes. When I hear that warning or see those viper eyes, it creeps me out. I'll be jumpy the rest of the day.

 

[WanderALot]

Caroline,

I had the EXACT same experience at Zion. The rattler was about 3 feet off the trail under a rock looking down at the trail. I believe it was the trail going up to Angels Landing. We stood around and watched it for a little bit and all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, the guy started rattling like crazy.

WanderALot

 

[Mr._johngalt]

A good friend of mine (now deceased) was out
looking for rattlers with a group of buddies
(this was in Texas, folks) I guess they were
going to fry them up. Anyway, my friend was laying
on the ground peering into a hole in some rocks.
One of his companions chose this moment to throw
a dead rattler over his shoulders. Gave him quite a
thrill he said. Texas humor

JG

 

[BUM]

That companion sounds like one pain in the asp.

BUM

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Hey BUM.........."Pain in the asp". I like that one. Well, maybe I am just having a
late midlife crisis (already had several) . I think it's partly that there is a whole lot fo stuff
I used to do that I can't do any longer. And.............it's not a matter of not having the
financial resources as I am creative enough to come up with new stuff. It's just that as
you get older your options become limited (sooner for some than for others - but it will
happen). I like my "reading in the rocking chair" time) but I was used to a pretty active
lifestyle ("Low budget Heningwayesque" wasn't just braggin') Also, he was gone at 61
and now I'm getting close. Well, enough of that.

To answer a question by Nords, my -0-% CC money is makin' me 3.25% and that's a lock into 2006. Wish I had more. I posted before that at one time I had 117K borrowed at -0- %APR. .
At 3.25% that would come to $3800 a year, tax-free in my case. Money for nothing!

JG

 

[BUM]

I think it's partly that there is a whole lot fo stuff
I used to do that I can't do any longer. And.............it's not a matter of not having the
financial resources as I am creative enough to come up with new stuff. It's just that as
you get older your options become limited (sooner for some than for others - but it will
happen).
JG

Mornin' John,

For what ever reason nearly all my friends and acquaintance have been years older than I. From childhood to now I've enjoyed and learned from that wisdom. My best buddy, 10 years my senior, now deceased used to marvel at my accomplishments and devil-may-care attitude.

He said at or near 50 you wont care about this (business) anymore. You'll be much more interested in living life. "Yeah, sure buddy." I said. He was dead right, no pun intended.

Now if you'll excuse me I have some life (left) to go live.

BUM