Animals Blogs (472)

...Now we hear of a lady who, while in a national park, tried to sit down on the outhouse terlet, and was bitten from below by a Black bear, right where I like to nibble. Minor wound. But I digress.
Rangers said she probably entered for warmth and perhaps interest, ?hibernation spot?, via the back service latch.
In some parks, campers are told to ring a bell at night when on their way to the dugout shitter. Mountain lions seem to like sleeping on roof tops.
And some wonder why we kicked King George, Tojo, and the Hun's arses. Lots more. And saved many such in both big wars. You are welcome.

Health, Wealth & Happiness In The Year Of The Metal Ox, By Teacher Ham ...

.....a type of wax wing in Texas was observed to have been a little erratic (erotic?) on the wing. Crashing into windows and into each other.
The rumor is that they gorge on fermenting berries (climate change?). Three carbon fragments in abundance. Stuffing themselves until the fall. And when back in the air, look as I did in the first weeks of flight training.
But these reports and explanation come from hornythologists. Could they really know about wax wings falling off the wagon?

Wuhan flu.....
Seems like a third allergenic phenotype of this delightful bug has been detected. These viruses, when under strong selective pressure, as via effective counter measures, preventive or therapeutic, can mutate faster than a Georgia coon hound can chase squirrels up a tree.
But don't take my words for it. Ever had more than one common cold per season?
On the possibly positive side, to be added to flu like prodromal/ full syndromic signs and symptoms, and decreases in smell senses, are two more. Newer bumps on the tongue, and redness on the palms of hands, and soles of footsies. Nice.
Recall that Dr. Fauci was well in the loop, VERY well, of US funding for this PRC CCP viral arms research. The same wannabee who is recorded on again/off again---THREE times---on the logic of wearing the mask. Google it.
One of the highest paid US government Democrat-bureaucrat seat warmers. $400 large per year. Think of all the retirement this will require of US tax payers?
Any of y'all rubes outside of government dis-service, and in the dreaded private sector, have defined retirement benefit and pension plans? No? Didn't think so.
Finally, while he did have some initial supervisory role in the failed and costly, VERY costly, lab bench research for a vaccine to HIV, his training is in internal medicine, not in public health. He wouldn't know epidemiologic thought if it came right up and bit him squarely on the arse. Doesn't it show?

All animals are equal, but some are a bit more equal than others. Tootles, all.

All of the snakes I've ever seen in New Jersey are non-venomous.
I've seen quite a few garter snakes


and the much bigger northern banded water snake



I've read that the banded water snake bites can hurt quite a bit (pun intended),
but generally they are harmless.

New jersey does have some venomous snakes. But, in all my many outdoor travels
I've never seen one (knocking on wood).
But, the main one in my area is the northern copperhead. Not a snake I would like to pet.



Further south there are timber rattlesnakes, especially in the pinelands regions.


Although I've encountered a lot of snakes in Florida,
the only time I've ever actually been bitten by a snake, was in Maine of all places.
It was a 'harmless' garter snake. At the tender age of 7, it made me bleed and scared a mite,
but no real other damage.

The next time I encountered snakes was when I went to college out west in Kansas.
They had one of the few veterinary schools in the country and I originally decided to become a veterinarian. While in college I made a lot of friends out there, and had a lot of fun.
The gals all wore leather belts with their name on the back. It sure made introductions easy.
"Hey Sally, how have you been ?"

Since I was totally unfamiliar with the geography there, I had to rely on the locals for locations of interest. One time a friend recommended climbing a "mountain" to watch the sunset.
I was more than a bit skeptical, as Kansas has to be one of the flattest states in the USA.
Florida is another flat state. So anyway, 4 of us drove to this "mountain" together.
It wasn't a mountain, but it was a very large hill. It took us about an hour to get to the top
and at the top was a radio tower. So, crazy as it was, we climbed the radio tower too,
and then watched the sunset.

After climbing down the radio tower, one of us (not me) decided to challenge the other 3 to a race down the "mountain" and shouted "go". So all 4 of us ran down the mountain and on the way down we took somewhat different paths. At one point, I was running full speed and I came to a gully.
In it I noticed 8 coiled rattlesnakes resting on large flat rocks, peering up at me.



There was no stopping. I was going much too fast downhill.
If I tried to stop I'm sure I would have ended (in more ways than one) right in the gully on them.
So, thankfully, I instantly got the idea of jumping, as high, and as far, as I could.
It was the biggest jump I ever attempted. Literally, the jump of my life.
I sailed over the gully and watched the snake heads following the direction of my flight.
I landed beyond the gully on my feet, and continued running to the bottom of the "mountain"
with my heart beating extra fast from my encounter.

While I arrived first at the bottom, all 4 of us thankfully made it.
It was dark by the time we did.
One (not me) was bleeding from a tree branch. Crazy kids !

...or for the under bird, as it were....
Here on the white privileged, VERY white, mid coast of Maine, even in smaller urban areas, wild life abounds. Sure, the white-tailed deer saunter through the thousand hectare Vierk Estates, (and my veggie garden!), now and again. But moose with young in tow? Not to mention coyotes. Lynx. And our share of birds of many sorts. From the returning tiny ruby throat-ed HB each spring, (right to the nectar feeder at our window, after almost 10,000 Km voyages), to bad arse birds of prey. VERY bad. Hawks, owls, falcons, osprey and bald eagles, no less. See these almost daily. As some doth spot my vehicles., and my hats. So...
...Loved the radio report of a rooster, strutting his stuff, not too far away, in his barn yard. One Sir Stanley, as I recall. Well, it seems a red tailed hawk, Stuka dived down onto big little Stasha, and with lots of noise, dragged his little neck and arse off into a neighboring tree line. Concerned farm family came right out to help, but how, really? In these situations, as with armed mobile police protection from home intruders, when seconds count, they arrive in mere minutes. Seconds-second amendment. But....I digress.
Oh no, animal lovers all, not this time. The farmers report seeing the hawk fly off in disgrace, and watched street fighting man Stanley, strut out back to his harem. Poorer by a few feathers, but head erect, crowing/scratching proudly, and appearing no less intact for the encounter. If hens could only applaud, as did the humans, we suspect. Hard to believe for this bozo on the bus. But the radio never lies.

Wish I could make this stuff up, Peebles.

An ordinary gal.

Always try my best.

Romantic: treat a man to best of my ability. Can be sensitive. Not perfect, but a good person. Like to laugh and have fun.

You are to be booby rich...

**fell off the pin**