"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[silenthunterstudios]

I'm not afraid of snakes, but I would say that as a good rule of thumb I consider all snakes to be "2 feet from face" kinds of snakes.

I've got a meeting in a couple minutes, so just a short story while on break.

I was on a local trail, coming back, dead dog tired, and saw a large black snake sunning himself on the trail. There really was no chance of going all the way around him, and he was pretty lethargic, so I put my walking stick in front of him, right in his face, and walked past. He followed the stick, and perturbed, slithered off into the woods.

It was only later that I realized he could have shot up the walking stick like a flash. It was spring time, hopefully he was still asleep from his "nap"...

 

[JB in SC]

Some friends of my daughter have a Hedgehog, very docile little creature. My grandson thinks it's the coolest animal ever...

 

[5K Qs]

I used to see hedgehogs in my garden all the time, but these past few years I haven't seen a single one. A huge increase in the local cat population probably hasn't helped, but the species are in serious decline nationally. So I was pleased when I came home to find this little feller. With all the rain we've been having here, he was probably looking for the ark!
...

I've missed lots of interesting fauna in this thread lately. Jack, is it possible that hedgehog is related to the legendary Spiny Norman, has mistaken you (perhaps because you wield a knife) for the notorious Dinsdale Piranha, and is actually looking for YOU in particular??
http://www.montypython.net/scripts/piranha.php

- GT

 

[Peregrin]

I was wondering why there were no birds at the feeders this morning.

An uninvited guest finally made himself known. I'm pretty sure it's a Cooper's Hawk, sometimes it's hard to tell between the Cooper's and Sharpshin. I wish I could twist my head around like that!

 

[Jack Black]

I've missed lots of interesting fauna in this thread lately. Jack, is it possible that hedgehog is related to the legendary Spiny Norman, has mistaken you (perhaps because you wield a knife) for the notorious Dinsdale Piranha, and is actually looking for YOU in particular??
http://www.montypython.net/scripts/piranha.php

It could be GT D), because I actually encountered it again the following day (yesterday), just walking up my street!



It walked up the road, through my gate, and scuttled off into some bushes. I thought it was strange seeing it twice during the day as they're nocturnal creaturures. So did a bit of research on the internet. Hedgehogs are one of only three mammals here that hibernate for the winter, and I guess that normally it'd be curled up asleep in a nest somewhere, but our climate is going crazy lately (I have green leaves on my sycamore and mountain ash trees), and it's also been raining very heavily the past few weeks. Apparently, hedgehogs have to build up a store of fat to keep them warm and alive for the winter, and if you see them during daylight, something is wrong. They're trying to find some food or just get warm, because a lot of them die of hypothermia. Ordinarily, I would never bring a wild animal into the house, but the clear advice on the issue was to bring it in, and put it in a box with an old blanket, and let it warm up. Of course I couldn't find the hedgehog again, but I did leave some crushed up nuts and muesli (the only food I had that was recommended), and fresh water out for it.

Since then, the weather has got a lot worse. The food was gone this morning, but the birds could have had that. No sign of the hedgehog at all today, but I bought some dried mealworms, and left some of those out. Hope it survives, they're really in decline here, and I feel bad about not being better informed at the time I first encountered it.

I was wondering why there were no birds at the feeders this morning.

An uninvited guest finally made himself known. I'm pretty sure it's a Cooper's Hawk, sometimes it's hard to tell between the Cooper's and Sharpshin. I wish I could twist my head around like that!

Beautiful Gary :thumbup: I get a lot of red kits flying over, tend to make their presence felt! I had a swan fly over the other day!

 

[r redden]

I was wondering why there were no birds at the feeders this morning.

An uninvited guest finally made himself known. I'm pretty sure it's a Cooper's Hawk, sometimes it's hard to tell between the Cooper's and Sharpshin. I wish I could twist my head around like that!

Reminds me of Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

 

[Peregrin]

It could be GT D), because I actually encountered it again the following day (yesterday), just walking up my street!



It walked up the road, through my gate, and scuttled off into some bushes. I thought it was strange seeing it twice during the day as they're nocturnal creaturures. So did a bit of research on the internet. Hedgehogs are one of only three mammals here that hibernate for the winter, and I guess that normally it'd be curled up asleep in a nest somewhere, but our climate is going crazy lately (I have green leaves on my sycamore and mountain ash trees), and it's also been raining very heavily the past few weeks. Apparently, hedgehogs have to build up a store of fat to keep them warm and alive for the winter, and if you see them during daylight, something is wrong. They're trying to find some food or just get warm, because a lot of them die of hypothermia. Ordinarily, I would never bring a wild animal into the house, but the clear advice on the issue was to bring it in, and put it in a box with an old blanket, and let it warm up. Of course I couldn't find the hedgehog again, but I did leave some crushed up nuts and muesli (the only food I had that was recommended), and fresh water out for it.

Since then, the weather has got a lot worse. The food was gone this morning, but the birds could have had that. No sign of the hedgehog at all today, but I bought some dried mealworms, and left some of those out. Hope it survives, they're really in decline here, and I feel bad about not being better informed at the time I first encountered it.



Beautiful Gary :thumbup: I get a lot of red kits flying over, tend to make their presence felt! I had a swan fly over the other day!

I've enjoyed your pictures of the Hedgehog, Jack. I remember seeing one of the little critters when we were walking some trails outside of York some years ago.

 

[RDaneel]

i made the mistake of leaving a certain cutlers catalog on the seat of my truck. My father saw it, and knew right away which knife i was looking for, the case bose cattle knife. I asked him jokingly if he was going to get it for me, and received his stock answer of bull$. However, i find that my baby sisters boyfriend is a knife nut. He is a good kid, i gave him a remington bushpilot made by camillus for christmas last year. It had been resharpened after the tip was knocked off, but still a great blade. He said his grandfather asked him if he knew what he had in that knife :d. Anyway, he's a ford guy, about the only thing i can hold against him , and we are going to get him a case knife with the ford logo on it. I was hoping i could find one that came with the ford truck. The diecast truck, not the real ford truck. Those come with a free dog, so you have someone to walk home with :d.general motors and toyota have been the only way to go for me, so please don't hate me.:foot:

Almost broke my back when I fell on the floor laughing! One of the better digs I've read.

 

[Peregrin]

OK, OK, I promise this is the last bird picture I'll post today.

I know Turkeys roost in trees at night but in 30 years of seeing them daily on my property, I've never seen one sitting in a tree in my yard. Actually there were two. I ran to get a camera and one flew to the ground.

 

[Gevonovich]

Great pictures, Gary! Speaking of birds of prey...yesterday morning i had just let the cat out and she usually sits up on the fence to gather the morning sun. I decided to check on her and opened the front door to look out and out of the sun, at bullet speed, flew a large bird of prey right over her head on top of the fence. So cool and I'm glad it was not after her

Jack
I think that means you will not have exceptionally good luck for the next year! Very cool animal:thumbup:

 

[Peregrin]

Reminds me of Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

That made me laugh! I don't think I want to be able twist my head around if you need to be possessed to do it!

Great pictures, Gary! Speaking of birds of prey...yesterday morning i had just let the cat out and she usually sits up on the fence to gather the morning sun. I decided to check on her and opened the front door to look out and out of the sun, at bullet speed, flew a large bird of prey right over her head on top of the fence. So cool and I'm glad it was not after her


Jack
I think that means you will not have exceptionally good luck for the next year! Very cool animal:thumbup:

Thanks, Gev. I'm glad he wasn't after you cat.
A few years ago I saw a Red-tailed Hawk grab a a full size grey squirrel out of the yard and fly off with it. He was flying pretty low into the woods though. He couldn't gain much altitude with that load I guess. Ouch.

 

[MT Damascus]

Great pic Gary of the Coopers or Sharpshinned, I love birds of prey. We have some local Golden eagles that look the size of a child sitting on the telephone poles.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Great pictures Gary - I love natures creatures!! amazing!

 

[Jack Black]

Beautiful Gary :thumbup: I get a lot of red kits flying over, tend to make their presence felt! I had a swan fly over the other day!

Very sorry, that should have read RED KITES! I don't know what's wrong with my typing this week, not sure whether I need a new keyboard or a new head!

(Stock pic)

Reminds me of Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

LOL! I've STILL never seen that film!

I've enjoyed your pictures of the Hedgehog, Jack. I remember seeing one of the little critters when we were walking some trails outside of York some years ago.

Thanks Gary. Yes, they have always been common here, but their rate of decline in recent years has been disturbing

Jack
I think that means you will not have exceptionally good luck for the next year! Very cool animal:thumbup:

Not another year of bad luck! :grumpy:

 

[Campbellclanman]

Jack!!! youve never seen The Exorcist !!!!
Man, I remember when I saw it - it scared the hang out of us!!

 

[r8shell]

Hope you got some sweet wine to drink with, do you know Monbazillac?

No, but I'll look for that. (we were into the harder stuff by then)

 

[Jolipapa]

I've got a meeting in a couple minutes, so just a short story while on break.

I was on a local trail, coming back, dead dog tired, and saw a large black snake sunning himself on the trail. There really was no chance of going all the way around him, and he was pretty lethargic, so I put my walking stick in front of him, right in his face, and walked past. He followed the stick, and perturbed, slithered off into the woods.

It was only later that I realized he could have shot up the walking stick like a flash. It was spring time, hopefully he was still asleep from his "nap"...

I had the same kind of adventure back in '75, we were on a trail in middle Ivory Coast with a friend and just after nightfall we nearly walked on a python. He was lying in a hole in the middle of the trail and we both distinguished him at the last moment. imagine how fast we ran! But happily he was asleep, probably had eaten not long before and was a small one. He did even not turn his head.

 

[Gevonovich]

Not another year of bad luck! :grumpy:

My apologies..I meant good luck...where did that not..come from Good luck...good luck....exceptionally good luck...I said

Gary
Ouch is right!

 

[Jack Black]

Jack!!! youve never seen The Exorcist !!!!
Man, I remember when I saw it - it scared the hang out of us!!

I've lead a sheltered life Duncan! When it came out over here, I was too young, and there were people picketing the cinemas! And by the time VHS came along, I was older, and didn't really care! I buy a lot of DVDs, but The Exorcist is one I never see. I don't know if that's because it's rare, or just too old! I'm going to have to come out behind the sofa SOME time!

I missed Star Wars AND Saturday Night Fever too!

No, but I'll look for that. (we were into the harder stuff by then)

I like Monbazillac, but prefer Sauternes. Not that I drink many dessert wines these days. Monbazillac isn't that common here these days, but I saw a bottle the other day, so might swoop on it to go with Xmas pud! :thumbup:

My apologies..I meant good luck...where did that not..come from Good luck...good luck....exceptionally good luck...I said

:thumbup:

 

[1066vik]

you may not have seen Saturday Night Fever, but you didn't really miss much.