The Good Banter Thread

[Big Lou]

I photographed this land and water habitat snake as it swam from a fresh water sail boat harbor to a dock. A park ranger estimated its length.

Your challenge is to identify this snake and estimate its length.

J.W., John & everyone else, the snake is a five to six foot Texas Rat snake. When fully mature this snake can reach lengths of over six feet. As its name implies this snakes primary prey are rats. Lake boat harbors and docks make great homes for rats and the Texas Rat snake.

I truly hate snakes.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes now it is coming to me... thanks Big Lou! That's right it was a python! Their all big and scary and I am sure people would rather fight with a blue heron than those big snakes, coming soon to a pond near you!

 

[addy1]

Neat snake lou! I actually like snakes, they do a great job eating up those mice/moles etc. The only one I have seen here so far, is the black king snake, last one was around 6 foot long.

 

[j.w]

So the rat snake will not harm us,just rats? Or will he bite us just the same even tho he's not poisonous and then will his bite be infectious? I just remember sissy getting bit by that big snake while she was on her riding lawn mower. We don't have any big snakes here,just garter snakes.

 

[Big Lou]

So the rat snake will not harm us,just rats? Or will he bite us just the same even tho he's not poisonous and then will his bite be infectious? I just remember sissy getting bit by that big snake while she was on her riding lawn mower. We don't have any big snakes here,just garter snakes.

Really do not know J.W. In my way of thinking any snake may bite a person given the right circumstances. Like I said "I hate snakes!". LOL.

 

[sissy]

I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT AND DON'T EVEN NEED A REASON

 

[HARO]

Aw, c'mon Lou. Snakes are our friends! Think of all the rats and mice they eat. Seriously, I've kept a number of snakes over the years, and am quite fond of them. The only one I ever had a problem with was a 4' Black Rat Snake. It was all right when handled every day, but if I left it for 2 or 3 days, it would bite viciously when I tried to pick it up. After a few minutes it would settle right down. As a councillor at summer camp, I would take groups of kids out to look for snakes, and most (kids) quickly came to like the reptiles once they discovered that they (the snakes) really WEREN'T slimy! The snakes probably weren't as enthusiastic about the kids, though.
John

 

[Big Lou]

I admire your summer camp work John. Every child should be taught about nature and the importance of conservation. My "I hate snakes" statement is a bit over the top. Snakes do a tremendous amount of good yet I simply have a dislike of those reptiles. Nothing to do with slime.

Forgot sometime, during my military career I spent many nights sleeping on the ground both in forest and desert. Snakes love to find a warm place on a cold night! Yikes!

 

[j.w]

Poor snakes always get a bad rap. Brought to mind this old song I remember from awhile ago.

 

[Big Lou]

Yep they do. About as bad as the poor opposium. We once had two organic apple trees and really enjoyed watching the fruit grow. Over time we saw fewer apples so one night we quietly walked outside to the trees then quickly turned on our flashlight. There clinging to a limb was a big ol' opposium. The big rascal was so easy to see yet true to their nature it was playing dead. We didn't get mad since the apples were taken for a good cause. Those critters are so ugly till they are cute in a peculiar way.

The Lou

 

[koiguy1969]

After 37 years of marriage. Jake dumped his wife for his Young secretary.

His new girlfriend demanded that they live in Jake and Edith's multi-million dollar home and since the man's lawyers were a little better he prevailed.

He gave Edith his now ex-wife just 3 days to move out. She spent the 1st day packing her belongings into boxes crates and suitcases.
...
On the 2nd day she had to movers come and collect her things.

On the 3rd day she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp a jar of caviar and a bottle of Chardonnay.

When she had finished she went into each and every room and stuffed half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of all of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

When the husband returned with his new girlfriend all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly the house began to smell. They tried everything cleaning mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere.
Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even replaced the expensive wool carpeting. NOTHING WORKED.

People stopped coming over to visit. Repairman refused to work in the house.

The Maid quit.

Finally they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later even through they had cut their price in half they could not find a buyer for their stinky house.

Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house ha been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.

INCLUDING THE CURTAIN RODS............

 

[callingcolleen1]

Is that a true story Koi Guy? Sounds like she was pretty smart!

Watch the Lance Armstrong saga.... what a scandal, never really paid attention to him before, but now that he was a big fat lier, who wreaked the lives of many, the story is getting good, watching CNN!

 

[sissy]

I just think it is all just a big mess that he is trying to condone and he is trying to save his butt .I won't watch things like that because he used people and is still trying to use people by doing these interviews ,trying to save his butt is all and save his money .People like that use tv to get sympathy they do not deserve .That story could have been true colleen but is considered a joke now .

 

[callingcolleen1]

I watched the CNN one last night where the people he hurt told their story of how Lance bullied them and ran them out of business. I think many people were involved in his highly complex and secret blood doping and steriod use. Lance also used testosterone which reportedly may have given him testicular cancer, but that did not stop him from using, cause he was so darn driven to win at all costs!

 

[sissy]

HEY CE IS BACK