Author Topic: Backyard critters (Read 106155 times)

varoadking · « **Reply #1825:** July 03, 2020, 07:41:27 PM »

Quote from: Copecwby20 on July 03, 2020, 12:29:43 PM

I do remember that. She thought it was so cool that someone actually knew where she lived as opposed to resorting to "Just outside Chattanooga."
This place is definitely growing on me. If the-half predictions are true that we may be moved to a fully remote work capacity I may find myself living out here permanently.

There's worse places to be...

varoadking · « **Reply #1826:** July 04, 2020, 07:50:59 PM »

Heron in the creek bed. This bad boy is big...click on the photo to enlarge...

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #1827:** July 04, 2020, 08:13:35 PM »

Quote from: varoadking on July 04, 2020, 07:50:59 PM

Heron in the creek bed. This bad boy is big...click on the photo to enlarge...

(Image removed from quote.)

Great Blue Heron? Have those around us in Orlando.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id

varoadking · « **Reply #1828:** July 04, 2020, 08:22:37 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on July 04, 2020, 08:13:35 PM

Great Blue Heron? Have those around us in Orlando.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id

Sho 'nuff looked like one...

wj73 · « **Reply #1829:** July 05, 2020, 11:15:51 AM »

Magnificent!

wj73 · « **Reply #1830:** July 05, 2020, 11:48:17 AM »

Apparently today is Bear Spa Day. Our trail cam caught this big girl plopping herself down in our pond for a nice soak.

https://imgur.com/gallery/P0y5Iy6

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #1831:** July 05, 2020, 01:56:26 PM »

Quote from: wj73 on July 05, 2020, 11:48:17 AM

Apparently today is Bear Spa Day. Our trail cam caught this big girl plopping herself down in our pond for a nice soak.

https://imgur.com/gallery/P0y5Iy6

wj73 · « **Reply #1832:** July 05, 2020, 04:56:17 PM »

Embedded video of Bear Spa Day. Just figured out my settings were wrong. Doing this on a phone and fat fingered the wrong setting.

tomterp · « **Reply #1833:** July 06, 2020, 02:53:26 PM »

Found out where the annual yellow jacket hole is for 2020.

imref · « **Reply #1834:** July 06, 2020, 02:54:21 PM »

Quote from: tomterp on July 06, 2020, 02:53:26 PM

Found out where the annual yellow jacket hole is for 2020.

I ran over a nest with a lawnmower once. I got stung five times and unfortunately was wearing shorts at the time.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #1835:** July 06, 2020, 02:59:36 PM »

Quote from: imref on July 06, 2020, 02:54:21 PM

I ran over a nest with a lawnmower once. I got stung five times and unfortunately was wearing shorts at the time.

Same thing for me. Since then any time I get stung it swells.

tomterp · « **Reply #1836:** July 08, 2020, 06:06:01 PM »

Quote from: imref on July 06, 2020, 02:54:21 PM

I ran over a nest with a lawnmower once. I got stung five times and unfortunately was wearing shorts at the time.

Growing up getting stung wasn't a big deal, but in 2000 I got stung by fire ants 13 times in an incident, had a mild general reaction (itchy palms, lips swelling) and ever since I've been much more sensitive to yellow jacket stings. I get a lot of swelling now no matter where stung. This last one got me a few inches above the knee on the inner thigh, had a rash about 10' long and a lot of swelling and pain. Took 3 days to stop bothering me.

1995hoo · « **Reply #1837:** July 08, 2020, 06:43:44 PM »

The worst bee sting I remember was when I was at Scout camp at Goshen one summer and I stepped on a bee while taking a shower. I couldn’t get the stinger out, couldn’t see the bottom of my foot well enough to do it, so I had to dry off, put my clothes on, and make my way to the first aid place, all with a stinger in my foot, to have someone pull it out.

imref · « **Reply #1838:** July 08, 2020, 07:16:23 PM »

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2020, 06:43:44 PM

The worst bee sting I remember was when I was at Scout camp at Goshen one summer and I stepped on a bee while taking a shower. I couldn’t get the stinger out, couldn’t see the bottom of my foot well enough to do it, so I had to dry off, put my clothes on, and make my way to the first aid place, all with a stinger in my foot, to have someone pull it out.

Which Goshen camp?

1995hoo · « **Reply #1839:** July 08, 2020, 09:13:18 PM »

Quote from: imref on July 08, 2020, 07:16:23 PM

Which Goshen camp?

I believe we were at Bowman that year. I’ve been to Olmsted, Bowman, and Ross (the latter for Webelos).

imref · « **Reply #1840:** July 08, 2020, 09:20:55 PM »

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2020, 09:13:18 PM

I believe we were at Bowman that year. I’ve been to Olmsted, Bowman, and Ross (the latter for Webelos).

Ross is boss! (I’ve been to Olmsted as well). Miss that place.

1995hoo · « **Reply #1841:** July 08, 2020, 09:45:59 PM »

Quote from: imref on July 08, 2020, 09:20:55 PM

Ross is boss! (I’ve been to Olmsted as well). Miss that place.

The best Boy Scout trip for me was in July 1989. Six of us and two adults (my father and one other father) went to the Canadian Jamboree on PEI. What a fantastic trip that was, and totally unique for American Boy Scouts. Appropriate I’m thinking of it now, I guess, because today is the first anniversary of the night we lost my dad. He was the organizer who found out about the opportunity to attend the Canadian Jamboree and worked out all the logistics.

I remember a different Scout trip the year before that to Goose Pond near Scranton. We were bored with Goshen and the other father who went to Canada had grown up in Scranton and suggested we try the camp he attended growing up. I remember I had the tent nearest his and he was freaking out when animals would run through the tents late at night. I kept telling him to shut up and be quiet in case one of them might be a skunk.

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #1842:** July 08, 2020, 09:48:24 PM »

It's great that you have such warm memories of him. Still hurts I bet. (25 years in and it still hurts a little.)

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2020, 09:45:59 PM

The best Boy Scout trip for me was in July 1989. Six of us and two adults (my father and one other father) went to the Canadian Jamboree on PEI. What a fantastic trip that was, and totally unique for American Boy Scouts. Appropriate I’m thinking of it now, I guess, because today is the first anniversary of the night we lost my dad. He was the organizer who found out about the opportunity to attend the Canadian Jamboree and worked out all the logistics.

I remember a different Scout trip the year before that to Goose Pond near Scranton. We were bored with Goshen and the other father who went to Canada had grown up in Scranton and suggested we try the camp he attended growing up. I remember I had the tent nearest his and he was freaking out when animals would run through the tents late at night. I kept telling him to shut up and be quiet in case one of them might be a skunk.

imref · « **Reply #1843:** July 08, 2020, 10:07:34 PM »

Great story 1995. I’ve been a leader for almost 14 years now and will always treasure the memories with my boys (both made Eagle). Your memories with your dad will always be there.

tomterp · « **Reply #1844:** July 18, 2020, 08:33:02 AM »

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2020, 09:45:59 PM

The best Boy Scout trip for me was in July 1989. Six of us and two adults (my father and one other father) went to the Canadian Jamboree on PEI. What a fantastic trip that was, and totally unique for American Boy Scouts. Appropriate I’m thinking of it now, I guess, because today is the first anniversary of the night we lost my dad. He was the organizer who found out about the opportunity to attend the Canadian Jamboree and worked out all the logistics.

I remember a different Scout trip the year before that to Goose Pond near Scranton. We were bored with Goshen and the other father who went to Canada had grown up in Scranton and suggested we try the camp he attended growing up. I remember I had the tent nearest his and he was freaking out when animals would run through the tents late at night. I kept telling him to shut up and be quiet in case one of them might be a skunk.

That's really awesome, what a unique experience. Dad delivered!

I know a lot of troops just do Goshen every year but I think that would get really old. We tended to find new camps each year from Pa down to NC. The Pa ones were favored because they weren't as brutally hot.

imref · « **Reply #1845:** July 18, 2020, 08:47:54 AM »

Quote from: tomterp on July 18, 2020, 08:33:02 AM

That's really awesome, what a unique experience. Dad delivered!

I know a lot of troops just do Goshen every year but I think that would get really old. We tended to find new camps each year from Pa down to NC. The Pa ones were favored because they weren't as brutally hot.

Best one I’ve been to is Rodney scout reservation just north of Aberdeen MD. One mile of waterfront on the bay.

The 2021 national jamboree was just postponed.

wj73 · « **Reply #1846:** August 01, 2020, 08:40:45 AM »

Just had a bobcat run through the yard, about 10 feet from the house! It was chasing a squirrel. What a magnificent creature. No pix, sorry, but it was only visible for about 30 seconds. Incredible experience to see it.

wj73 · « **Reply #1847:** August 25, 2020, 01:59:03 PM »

Heehee - one of my neighbors just posted this on NextDoor:

"We had a bear or several visit on Saturday night and destroyed our above ground intex pool (4 feet deep, 15 foot radius), popped all of our floats and dragged them all over the yard, etc. It's a good thing we were just about done with it for the season but we used that pool every summer for the past 3 years with no issues until now. Hope Teddy enjoyed the swim!"

And I thought losing a couple of hot tub covers was bad. At least I didn't lose an entire pool!

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #1848:** August 25, 2020, 04:21:23 PM »

I saw a picture of a moose lying in/on someone's above-ground pool...it (the pool) was definitely the worse for wear.

When I lived in Coconut Grove (Miami), there was a raccoon family that would raid the cats' dishes (eating it with their hands like Ethiopian food) and then wash their paws in the pool. It was hilarious.

dracnal · « **Reply #1849:** August 25, 2020, 05:57:45 PM »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on August 25, 2020, 04:21:23 PM

I saw a picture of a moose lying in/on someone's above-ground pool...it (the pool) was definitely the worse for wear.

When I lived in Coconut Grove (Miami), there was a raccoon family that would raid the cats' dishes (eating it with their hands like Ethiopian food) and then wash their paws in the pool. It was hilarious.

No idea if it's actually true, but I've heard you can really screw with a raccoon by giving it a marshmallow. They'll often wash the food in addition to their hands, and the marshmallows just sort of get slimy and dissolve. I heard this years ago when I lived in Michigan, but have never had access to a raccoon to test it.