Comments on: Rattled http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/ The contents of this blog are shovel-ready. Where's my bailout? Sat, 19 May 2012 06:25:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: John http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13185 John Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:24:39 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13185 How did I miss this for a month?! I have never encountered rattlesnakes on walks and hope I never do. But glad to know what to do if someone is bitten. I just have to remember to carry my cell phone at all times and stay near a tower. How did I miss this for a month?! I have never encountered rattlesnakes on walks and hope I never do. But glad to know what to do if someone is bitten. I just have to remember to carry my cell phone at all times and stay near a tower.

]]> By: Laura C. http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13163 Laura C. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:51:59 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13163 Hey Phil. I forgot to tell you and Betsy that I once brought in a rattlesnake skin to present as a Show N' Tell when I was in elementary school. My uncle had found a rattler in his garden in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and lanced it with his weeder, so the skin had a gaping hole in it, but was otherwise intact. Andi t provoked enough interest among my classmates to make it, in the words of Ed Sullivan, a really big shoe....:) Glad you stayed safe. Great pix! Hey Phil. I forgot to tell you and Betsy that I once brought in a rattlesnake skin to present as a Show N’ Tell when I was in elementary school. My uncle had found a rattler in his garden in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and lanced it with his weeder, so the skin had a gaping hole in it, but was otherwise intact. Andi t provoked enough interest among my classmates to make it, in the words of Ed Sullivan, a really big shoe….:)
Glad you stayed safe. Great pix!

]]> By: Elizabeth Westmark ("Beth") http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13148 Elizabeth Westmark ("Beth") Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:20:22 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13148 The critter I always worried most about when we were doing a lot of mountain hiking was the two-legged criminal or unhinged variety (we did have one encounter with one once deep in a Western Carolina forest). I was naively friendly to a fellow hiker, but ta da Buck to the rescue as always, so there was only a flash of teeth and a hint of knife, nothing more and I learned my lesson about talking to strangers. Next on the list are snakes and wild hogs. Great story, and I sure am glad you both lived to tell about it and don't have any bite scar souvenirs. Gorgeous countryside. The critter I always worried most about when we were doing a lot of mountain hiking was the two-legged criminal or unhinged variety (we did have one encounter with one once deep in a Western Carolina forest). I was naively friendly to a fellow hiker, but ta da Buck to the rescue as always, so there was only a flash of teeth and a hint of knife, nothing more and I learned my lesson about talking to strangers. Next on the list are snakes and wild hogs.

Great story, and I sure am glad you both lived to tell about it and don’t have any bite scar souvenirs. Gorgeous countryside.

]]> By: Teresa http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13136 Teresa Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:29:07 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13136 Lovely writing, Phil. You hooked me with fateful footfall and you took me right under with the grousing grouse. I was also glad to read of your noisemaking on the return trip (works for skunks when walking a dog at night too). Zowie. Lovely writing, Phil. You hooked me with fateful footfall and you took me right under with the grousing grouse. I was also glad to read of your noisemaking on the return trip (works for skunks when walking a dog at night too).

Zowie.

]]> By: Phil http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13135 Phil Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:56:05 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13135 Kathy, I believe you're right, he probably thinks he stumbled on an Interstate. Such empathy - has your zoo work engendered Stockholm syndrome? ;-) Kathy, I believe you’re right, he probably thinks he stumbled on an Interstate. Such empathy - has your zoo work engendered Stockholm syndrome? ;-)

]]> By: kathy rogers http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13134 kathy rogers Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:48:19 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13134 That's right pretty. Too bad about the big damned rattler. If it's any consolation, I'm sure you disturbed his/her outing as well. That’s right pretty.

Too bad about the big damned rattler. If it’s any consolation, I’m sure you disturbed his/her outing as well.

]]> By: robin andrea http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13130 robin andrea Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:37:49 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13130 Yes, a photograph would have been great, but sometimes you just have to get the heck out of there and forgo the artful moment! You remember what happened to Steve Irwin? One too many close encounters with wild beauty. Yes, a photograph would have been great, but sometimes you just have to get the heck out of there and forgo the artful moment! You remember what happened to Steve Irwin? One too many close encounters with wild beauty.

]]> By: beatriz http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13129 beatriz Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:08:58 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13129 It was bigger than that, like about the size of my wrist. It wasn't in a piled up coil, Roger, but rather lying on a rock in a big S-curve. I bet it was warming itself. The image of it is emblazoned in my visual memory. However, we both agreed we wished there had been an opportunity to photograph the creature; it was astounding. I could hear Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, exclaiming,"Crikey! Look at 'er, she's a beauty! All gravid and full of eggs!" Man. I kept working through scenarios and actions for quite a while. It was bigger than that, like about the size of my wrist. It wasn’t in a piled up coil, Roger, but rather lying on a rock in a big S-curve. I bet it was warming itself. The image of it is emblazoned in my visual memory. However, we both agreed we wished there had been an opportunity to photograph the creature; it was astounding. I could hear Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, exclaiming,”Crikey! Look at ‘er, she’s a beauty! All gravid and full of eggs!”
Man. I kept working through scenarios and actions for quite a while.

]]> By: Phil http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13128 Phil Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:47:10 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13128 This was actually my second close encounter with a rattler. The first was when I was hiking solo over in Leavenworth. A couple descending the trail told me they'd seen a rattler on the trail, but had driven it away with rocks, etc, so I hiked on heartily. My first warning on this one was a hissing by my right ear, as I passed the bugger perched on a rock. The conventional wisdom is to freeze, but mine was to run like hell. I photographed him from what I thought was a small distance, but the photo itself discloses that I was well up the trail. Roger - I believe that any rattling is threatening, though by Betsy's observation, he wasn't coiled to strike. And, no, I don't deny him his right to be there. I was surprised that this occurred in rather heavy undergrowth rather than on some sunny scarp. Tara - we had discussed a strategy whereby the lighter of us went first, so the meatier could carry the victim. Though even the untutored eye would affirm Mrs. Perils to be the lighter by several stone, it was I who preceded her into the breach. This was actually my second close encounter with a rattler. The first was when I was hiking solo over in Leavenworth. A couple descending the trail told me they’d seen a rattler on the trail, but had driven it away with rocks, etc, so I hiked on heartily. My first warning on this one was a hissing by my right ear, as I passed the bugger perched on a rock. The conventional wisdom is to freeze, but mine was to run like hell. I photographed him from what I thought was a small distance, but the photo itself discloses that I was well up the trail.

Roger - I believe that any rattling is threatening, though by Betsy’s observation, he wasn’t coiled to strike. And, no, I don’t deny him his right to be there. I was surprised that this occurred in rather heavy undergrowth rather than on some sunny scarp.

Tara - we had discussed a strategy whereby the lighter of us went first, so the meatier could carry the victim. Though even the untutored eye would affirm Mrs. Perils to be the lighter by several stone, it was I who preceded her into the breach.

]]> By: taradharma http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13127 taradharma Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:20:48 +0000 http://perilsofcaffeineintheevening.com/2011/06/26/rattled/#comment-13127 scary stuff. how in the hell does one rely on a 911 response out where you were? you don't! Whomever is bitten should ride piggy back if at all possible and hike the hell out of there as fast as one can manage. could one make a paste out of -ack-something- to help draw out the venom? Hmmm...next time I hike I should go armed with this information. The hike did seem worth the danger...as they usually are. Your wife swears like a sailor, sir. ;-) scary stuff. how in the hell does one rely on a 911 response out where you were? you don’t! Whomever is bitten should ride piggy back if at all possible and hike the hell out of there as fast as one can manage.

could one make a paste out of -ack-something- to help draw out the venom? Hmmm…next time I hike I should go armed with this information. The hike did seem worth the danger…as they usually are.

Your wife swears like a sailor, sir. ;-)

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