The Good Banter Thread

[CountryEscape]

Haha, thanks, Sissy!!! Yep, I'm back, but no way can I read all the entries since I left. Just the weather thread had 12 pages of entries since I left. Yikes! It was a great vacation, but glad to be home. Was in the mid 50's today, windy, but beautiful sunshiney day!
I, too, enjoy snakes. The only type I don't care for are water snakes, as I worry about them being poisonous. However, any snake I have some across has slithered away from me way faster than I could have moved away from it. Even water snakes, they leave, don't stand around to fight. I have a pic of my kids laying on the ground, next to a black rat snake that was longer than them, when they were little. The kids are in shorts, so it was not winter, but I asked my son at Christmas if he remembers if the snake was alive, and he said, "Absolutely yes!" I knew I would not have killed it for a pic. I remember pinning it down with the handle from a hoe, and it was almost too strong for me to hold him down. Both kids wanted to hold it, too. Neither are afraid of snakes to this day. I never pushed it on them, they are just like their mom. When we would find a black snake moving a bale of hay in the winter to feed, we would gentle put the bale back down, keeping the snake warm, and take a bale from another area. Sometimes there would be a "bale tower" where the snake was in the middle, that we left until spring. They helped us way more than harmed us, that's for sure. Never saw any mice or rats in the barn, so all snakes were welcomed with open arms.

 

[j.w]

WELCOME BACK CE :banana:

 

[sissy]

Gosh was looking at some of the new pond videos on you tube and some are really fantastic

 

[CountryEscape]

Geesh, I overloaded myself with likes yesterday, did one just now, and now it says I have met my quota for the day. :-( Guess I'll have to wait again.

 

[Big Lou]

At about the age of 9 or 10 my Dad lesrned he would evidently die due to heart disease. Remember this was back in the early 1960's and that we lived in a very rural area. From the time he learned his fate he dedicated what seemed like a tremendous amount of time teaching me all about nature, fishing, hunting and conservationism. Among those many lessons were snakes. All types. Deep in the woods one day I remember him telling me to turn around and look at the dry reed grass moving. What I observed was jaw dropping. A long Black Racer shook the tall reeds as it literally raced out into an open patch. Never before had I seen such a sleek elegant snake. Dad then told all about the snake, a Black Racer. Yes, I did play with little green snakes. Even kept on in my pocket for a few days. I believe my dislike of snakes began when again as a young boy I found a large snake climbing up our screen door. I was age 10 when my Dad passed away.

Our kindly neighbor, Mr. Buddy, took me bass fishing many times when I was a teenager. Mr. Buddy was the fisherman's fisher. During the most memorable trip we went to a lake far from home. Mr. Buddy had a large month bass hooked but the line was tangled in a fallen tree limb. This 70 year old man handed the rod to me as he calmly took off his shoes, emptied his pockets then over the side of the boat he went! Mr. Buddy swam to the downed limb, dove under water, untangled his line then swam back to the boat with one arm while he proudly held up the bass and line in his other hand. I thought nothing could top that until a short time later I made a perfect cast to the far banks edge. Immediately I had a strike! Not by a fish but by a massive poisonous Water Moccasin! By instinct I set the hook and began reeling. In was about then that at least 50% of the terrifying snake stood straight up out of the water in it fought to break away. Seeing that I was terrified Mr. Buddy did his best to calm me down. I was told to reel in the snake close to the boat so he could hit it with a boat paddle. Honestly, I was ready to throw my rod and reel into the lake. Of all things that could happen my fishing line wrapped around the paddle. Picture this, I'm looking at an elderly man with a boat paddle pointed upward and from that paddle a deadly snake is swinging wildly. Even hitting the side of the boat from time to time. Mr. Buddy yelled at me to hand him my knife which I did toot sweet. Once the line was cut and the lake serpent was out of sight I asked my fishing mentor why we didn't cut the line in the first place? Mr. Buddy said with a snarl "I wanted to get the fishing lure back.". That sealed the deal! From then on I decided to never like snakes.

 

[CountryEscape]

Great stories, Lou! The only racer I've seen was a blue racer way back when I was first married. Not sure if the kids were born yet, but don't think so. Had an old reel to reel video camera, raced into the house to get it and shot a video of it. I know I got him on video, but have no idea where that reel is now. It was the most beautiful royal blue snake I'd ever seen. I know people would say that racers would run toward you, but I wasn't afraid of it doing that, since I knew they were not poisonous. I just had to hold my ground, which I did when he came towards me. I think my rat terrier dogs helped keep him corralled in the yard for a longer period of time than if he was on his own. That is an experience I will never forget. I called the dogs to me once I was done video taping (maybe 20 seconds total) and the snake promptly raced to the woods.

Lots of wildlife stories from that house in the woods. Loved living among the animals, but hated all the trees and leaves they shed in the fall. But, now I have the exact opposite - not enough trees, so I'm yearning for more middle ground.

Once we had bad beef, I swear the butcher had to have swapped my father in law's superb steer with someone's dairy cow. Anyhow, we could not eat the meat, even in soups, so had about 20 packages of roasts and burger that I threw out, wrapper and all, that late winter/early spring. The best part was watching a fox come time and time again, and carry off the meat, wrapper and all, to hide it. I suspect she either had pups already, or would be soon, or it was a male providing for his family. The cutest part was that it left the wrapper on, probably after unwrapping the first one and seeing the treasure! Funny that it would realize that leaving it in the wrapper kept it fresher, or maybe kept it from smelling as much, thus attracting other thieves.

 

[j.w]

Fun reading your stories Lou and CE. I grew up in the city so never got to enjoy those wild nature happenings. Keep sharing them if you like!

 

[koiguy1969]

....

 

[sissy]

like that one koiguy

 

[Big Lou]

When a lady I know stands up then suddenly realizes she has to pee she begins walking just like John Wayne!

No honey, I wasn't talking about you. )

 

[Big Lou]

Oh damn, she read my post! Now I'm sleepin' in the dog house. Problem is we don't have a dog! ;-(

 

[koiguy1969]

PLEASE EXCUSE THE LANGUAGE HERE.... but this might not be far from true...

 

[CountryEscape]

OMG, funny Koiguy (last 2 posts) and Big Lou. Haha Funny, in this farming community, my son, while in kindergarten, explained to his teacher in great detail how dogs breed .... the "getting stuck together" part and all! She was shocked, as SHE had never seen this "ritual" herself. LOL But, since my son told her about it matter-of-factly, she just laughed inside and told us about it.

 

[sissy]

shame on you lou .

 

[Big Lou]

shame on you lou .

I know Sissy. My dear sweetie even laughed when I read it aloud. After 33 years we know each others every habit. Btw, last night at McDonalds the teenage girl waiting on us asked how long we had been married. When Cathy said 33 years the girl was astounded. She could not believe a couple could be together so long. That is not the first time we have received that sort of response. You know Sissy it really shows how our country has changed when it is unusual for marriages to be "till death do you part". I definitely know God brought Cathy and I together.