Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)
Lawn Dart wrote:
> Hi boB,
> Eek! I'm sure glad I live in a place with no poisonous creepy
> crawlers! (too cold and wet here?). Snakes and spiders are just fine
> with me if they keep their distance, but if one gets too near my
> skin, I'm not especially happy about that; though I'd rather move out
> of their way than kill them.
>
> I have encountered some rattlesnakes in eastern WA and in the deserts
> of the southwest, but happily, if they weren't just sleeping in the
> sun, they seemed at least as interested in getting out of my way as I
> was in getting out of theirs!
>
The Rattlesnake will also run if given the chance. But the danger to
our dogs is too great to leave them alone. It's funny, before the first
encounter I had walked all over the property walking dogs day and night.
I was walking with an Akita girl we had just taken in and we hadn't had
time to fully evaluate. I had a mini-mag light with run-down batteries
but I didn't think I would need a bright light. The Akita was walking
along the fence but a person can't walk there easily so I was walking a
path through brush when I heard a loud noise like a rabbit would make in
the leaves. But as I got closer where my dim flashlight actually lit up
the area I saw the big guy there all coiled and ready. He didn't rattle
until the Akita walked right by me going directly toward the snake.
Evaluated or not I quickly grabbed a handful of skin on her right side
and pulled her back and away. Luckily she didn't snap or even get
annoyed. She acted like she had done something wrong and I was punishing
her. The next night I took the shotgun down and found him in the same
spot but not coiled. Poor guy never had the chance.
The second time I had no flashlight at all and I was calling our cat. I
meow very loud and she answers me, usually off into the woods. I was
walking toward her as she climbed the chain link and dropped down to the
ground. Right then the big one coiled up and the rattles were going
off. The cat was on the other side of this snake but I couldn't do
anything but hope the cat would not be curious. I went back for a
flashlight (a bright one) and the shotgun. When I got back the snake
was still coiled and the cat was somewhere else.
> My mother grew up in Thailand, where there are several small and large
> creepy critters (she doesn't ride a bicycle because of a crocodile
> encounter, but that's another story), and once my grandfather shot a
> coral snake on her bed while she was still in it! (it had slithered
> up a tree and into her window).
>
> - --
> Melissa
>
Mon o Man o Man. I would be scared to death around there. I talked about
the elephant we scared in South Africa hut there were other tense
moments. Like driving at night and seeing a "Hippo crossing road" sign.
We thought it would make a good picture so we got out and like idiots,
went to the sign and I took some pictures of Gabriella beside the sign.
Then we heard some rustling in the weeds off to the side of the road. We
don't know what the heck that was but we jumped back in the care pretty
quick.
--
boB
U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)
Lawn Dart wrote:
> Hi boB,
> Eek! I'm sure glad I live in a place with no poisonous creepy
> crawlers! (too cold and wet here?). Snakes and spiders are just fine
> with me if they keep their distance, but if one gets too near my
> skin, I'm not especially happy about that; though I'd rather move out
> of their way than kill them.
>
> I have encountered some rattlesnakes in eastern WA and in the deserts
> of the southwest, but happily, if they weren't just sleeping in the
> sun, they seemed at least as interested in getting out of my way as I
> was in getting out of theirs!
>
The Rattlesnake will also run if given the chance. But the danger to
our dogs is too great to leave them alone. It's funny, before the first
encounter I had walked all over the property walking dogs day and night.
I was walking with an Akita girl we had just taken in and we hadn't had
time to fully evaluate. I had a mini-mag light with run-down batteries
but I didn't think I would need a bright light. The Akita was walking
along the fence but a person can't walk there easily so I was walking a
path through brush when I heard a loud noise like a rabbit would make in
the leaves. But as I got closer where my dim flashlight actually lit up
the area I saw the big guy there all coiled and ready. He didn't rattle
until the Akita walked right by me going directly toward the snake.
Evaluated or not I quickly grabbed a handful of skin on her right side
and pulled her back and away. Luckily she didn't snap or even get
annoyed. She acted like she had done something wrong and I was punishing
her. The next night I took the shotgun down and found him in the same
spot but not coiled. Poor guy never had the chance.
The second time I had no flashlight at all and I was calling our cat. I
meow very loud and she answers me, usually off into the woods. I was
walking toward her as she climbed the chain link and dropped down to the
ground. Right then the big one coiled up and the rattles were going
off. The cat was on the other side of this snake but I couldn't do
anything but hope the cat would not be curious. I went back for a
flashlight (a bright one) and the shotgun. When I got back the snake
was still coiled and the cat was somewhere else.
> My mother grew up in Thailand, where there are several small and large
> creepy critters (she doesn't ride a bicycle because of a crocodile
> encounter, but that's another story), and once my grandfather shot a
> coral snake on her bed while she was still in it! (it had slithered
> up a tree and into her window).
>
> - --
> Melissa
>
Mon o Man o Man. I would be scared to death around there. I talked about
the elephant we scared in South Africa hut there were other tense
moments. Like driving at night and seeing a "Hippo crossing road" sign.
We thought it would make a good picture so we got out and like idiots,
went to the sign and I took some pictures of Gabriella beside the sign.
Then we heard some rustling in the weeds off to the side of the road. We
don't know what the heck that was but we jumped back in the care pretty
quick.
--
boB
U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)
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