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Posted on 01/02/2007 9:57:39 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
I’d say they are after mice. I’ve had a lot of them out there, I’m guessing because of the hard winter.
I don’t particularly like killing anything, and I don’t kill non-poisionous snakes..but I can’t leave copperheads around, and trying to re-locate them, IMO, is just risking being bitten. I’ve know people riding/walking out in the woods who will stop to kill any snake just because they don’t like them...or deliberately run over them on the road. I don’t do that, that is a shame. I don’t like snakes, but they do serve a purpose.
I had a black snake live in my feed room one year all summer:). It was when I had chickens, and I had a hen lay an egg everyday on a table I had out there. Somedays, the egg wouldn’t be there, and finally I caught this snake up there with the egg in his mouth. So after that I always left one for him. He pretty much always stayed up a horse pad that was covering a saddle I had out there on a saddle stand. He’d curl up on the seat. I’d use the handle of my muck rake to lift the corner of the pad to see if he was there every day just so I would know if I need to watch were I stepped:)
Becky
Well, it looks like a big blob of heavy rain is heading right for us and not far away, so riding this morning is on hold.
Becky
Yikes! I am impressed that you can get it with an axe... I’m afraid snakes turn me into a squealing woman.
LOL...such a girl:)
Well, an ax is quick, not much effort has to be put behind it. I have more problems with disposing of the remains then the actual killing. Right now, I just threw the cushion back on top...The one from yesterday is still on the shovel I scooped it up with. I’m going to have to get them out tho, or it’s going to smell...
Becky
Well, we’d be a good team I guess, because I don’t have a problem with the dead bodies... I’ll pick them up if you axe ‘em. :~)
That’s a deal:)
Well, I don’t think it’s going to rain, so Harley is saddled, so I’m out of here for a while.
Becky
‘Morning y’all!
Becky, that’s kinda scary about those copperheads. It sounds like there may have been a nest hatch out so you may have quite a few around there for a while. Be careful where you step and put your hands!
One of my cats found one last night in my front flower bed. I’m not sure if she caught it and brought it there or if she just found it and was playing with it. It was a small one, about as big around as my little finger and about a foot long, but they’ll kill ya just as dead. I wasn’t 100% sure that it was a copperhead, but it was mottled brown and it was dark so it didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. I hate to kill them too, but I don’t wanna get bit on the foot next week when I’m watering the plants. I think they’ve started coming up close to the house for water.
This drought has gotten so bad that all kinds of critters are looking for water. I’ve been finding drowned mice every day in the bucket that I catch the drip from the AC unit in. When it’s this hot and humid, it’ll fill up nearly a 5 gallon bucket in a day, so I catch it and pour it on my flower bed. It keeps it from making a muddy mess under the drip tube and helps my flowers too.
In other news, we had a nice ride on Saturday. It was a Cowboys for Christ ride and was at the farm of an old riding buddy of mine. He has several hundred acres and we just rode on his place, so it wasn’t a very long ride, but it was nice to meet new people and see new places. The group was quite varied with young and old, gaited and non-gaited, experienced and not. There were a lot of pretty horses there and I enjoyed getting to tour the farm. He has a barn to die for. I took pictures but I ran off and forgot my bag that has my camera cables in it so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the pictures. :o(
But the really interesting news is that this particular friend, H.L., had quite a bit of excitement in his life last week when his horse took a really bad fall with him. He was out riding alone on his own home trails with his older horse when the horse stumbled going down a hill and couldn’t regain his balance. After going head over heels, the horse landed on his leg and didn’t get up. He thought the horse had broken it’s neck and was dead, but it wasn’t, it was apparently just knocked unconscious. But he couldn’t get out from under it and he couldn’t reach his cell phone, so all he could do was lay there and hope that somebody came looking for him. But after about 30 minutes the horse woke up and got up off of him, but then he discovered that his artifical hip was dislocated and he couldn’t get up himself, but he did manage to reach his cell phone then and called for help.
But the cool thing is that when his horse got up, he turned to H.L. laying on the ground and nudged him, like he was saying “Get up!”, and then he stood there over him until help came, and even stood there with him when the med-flight helicopter landed. Now THAT’S a good horse! At first H.L. wasn’t going to let them put him in the helicopter because he had been in a bad helicopter crash while serving in Vietnam, but they finally convinced him and he went. The doctors did manage to get his hip back in the socket without surgery and the only other damage he had was a small tear to the rotator cuff on his right arm and lots of bumps and bruises. So I’d say he was a very lucky man. He said that when the paramedics were coming through the woods to get him that he overheard them talking amongst themselves about “what’s a 75 year old man doing out riding alone in the woods”, but then they saw him and they understood a little better. He may be 75, but he’s a former Marine, about 6’3”, slim as a rail and tough as nails. I hope I do as well when I get to be his age!
What a great if somewhat scary story. I’m so glad he wasn’t hurt worse. He does have a great horse:)..I hope I can do as well as that too even just for 10 more years:)
Back from my ride. We had a nice fairly easy one, but it was sure enjoyable. We had a lesson of standing in the creek, and he is getting a lot better. Maybe being hot helps:)
Bird report....I was out on my patio all morning weeding the garden waiting to see if it was going to rain, and I didn’t notice anything unusual with the birds. Mom and dad would feed them flutter around, same ole, same ole. All three where in the nest when I left. I did put Bink in the bedroom so I could leave the door open. Any way, when I got back there is only one in the nest:(....I’ve looked all around but don’t see the other two. I have seen the mom and dad come and feed the one left. He looks so pitiful by hiimself. I hope the other two come back at least once, so I know they made it.
Becky
Wow... no kidding! What a scary story... Glad it turned out OK in the end.
Dang it Bay.... watch your FEET!
Well, If you don’t see them again, I’ll assume they made it just fine!
Glad your ride went better. It’s been so long since we’ve been we’re going to have to break momentum and just go one of these days, but between busy things and the wet, it just hasn’t been a good couple weeks.
Well, one thing about my riding with all these old farts, as I so affectionately call them, is that they sure serve as a real inspiration to me. The youngest of them is in his late 60's and the older ones are in their late 70's. And I guess the common denominator among them is that when they retired from work they didn't retire from life. They get out and DO things.
As active as you are and as much as you love getting out and doing things, I think you'll do fine as you age. It's only when you don't use it that you lose it. And your losing all that weight has certainly tipped the scales in your favor too. I'll bet you're better off physically now than you've been in a long time.
LOL!! I'll bet when the weather clears and you get to riding more often that you'll find that Bay stumbles a whole lot less with his new shoes. He doesn't have those long toes to hang on things anymore.
Yeah, one of them is now sitting out on the electric line in the front yard. I know it’s one, because I saw mom feed it:). The other one is probably around somewhere.
Becky
Well, I know I feel better then I have in years, and I’m enjoying riding more now too.
The older ladies who compete inspire me. We have some that are well into their sixties still competing.
Becky
What’s the purpose of a fake tail?
The same as hair extensions and fake boobs on movie stars, to make ‘em look like they’ve got something that they really don’t. ;o)
A story a friend just sent me.
A Wonderful Poem
Heaven Is...
A man was riding his horse down a road, his dog padding along by their side. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that his horse and dog had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He nudged the horse toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friends," gesturing downward towards his horse and dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept animals."
The man thought a moment and then turned his horse back toward the road and continued the way he had been going. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there" The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate.
"Come on in." "How about my friends here?" the traveler asked. "There should be a bowl and a bucket by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl and a bucket beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then gave some to the dog while he filled the bucket for his horse.
When they all were satisfied, he led his horse back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them, the dog following faithfully behind.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is heaven," was the answer. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?" "No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."
Anyone in Ohio with sick horses? Possible feed contamination there. No, I don’t know what it is other than 10% sweet feed and it’s not conclusive yet but if you have any sick horses, you might have the vet check the feed.
Leaving for a show on Thursday but kind of depressed. Our old trooper Whitey, who has not missed a show in the 16 years we’ve owned him, has a sore shoulder and will be staying at the trainers for treatment. It is Deuce’s first show since surgery so that is something to really look forward to.
Someone sent me this joke and I thought many on the horsey thread could relate and would get a kick out of it.
DOG DIARY
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with my people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed
hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the
rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to
keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly
demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
condescending comments about what a “good little hunter” I am.
Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was
placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I
could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement
was due to the power of “allergies.” I must learn what this means, and
how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my
tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and
seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the
guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My
captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is
safe.
For now......
No Duchess, I have not heard of any sick horses. Thanks for the heads up though.
Good one cjshapi.. :) Sorry to hear about Whitey and good luck at the show. Where is it?
Nice day, but looks like rain later. Good day to run errands.
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