SNAKES ... AND BIGGER SNAKES

It already seems as if this will be a year for snakes here on my homestead.  I don't know if the cool, wet Spring has been the culprit, but at various times & places on my property this year, I have found a snake or two.

Besides the snake I found in my kitchen -- which I wrote about on this blog back on April 20th -- I have since had several "encounters" -- all of the "third kind" -- with various species & sizes of snakes on my property.  They are everywhere this year.

This past weekend I had to "save" an 18 inch Garter Snake from my cat Nibblets.  "Miss Nibs" was having a good bit of fun -- for her, not the snake -- going back & forth in the grass with the frightened snake.  Since cats very seldom understand or respond to the word "NO" -- & that held true in this case -- I had to pick up the snake & transport it to a safer place in the yard.

I have always been interested in snakes.  I had a few as "pets" back in my Memphis days.  It's just when it comes to reptiles, I prefer turtles & lizards.

I am always surprised -- & a bit P.O.ed -- when I hear other people react so negatively about snakes.  [The same people seem to love their Pit Bulls !!]  These people have such a fear of snakes, that to them, all snakes are an object to be killed.

Today, my John Deere mower was returned from the dealer.  While talking with the guy who brought the mower back, we both saw a large (three foot) snake cross over the road, into my yard.  I guess my visitor was surprised I did not immediately rush over & kill the offending reptile, rather than allow it to proceed across the front lawn, which I did. 

The snake -- a Black Rat Snake -- is a regular on the property & I often see it in various places in the yard.  I'll probably see the snake a lot more, but not that delivery fella.

Now someone reading this will think a three foot snake is big.  No ... the snake in the photo below is BIG.

This is my friend Bill Lamar, with a Bushmaster ... a snake he collected this past weekend in the Amazon Basin of Peru.  This BIG snake is about 8-10 feet long.  And "yes" ... it is poisonous !!

I have known Bill Lamar for over 40 years & have been with him on trips to Central & South America. He leads tourists on trips to the jungle through his company Green Tracks. He also works with TV producers for shows on channels such as Animal Planet & National Geographic.  Bill is the one who collects the snakes & places them in the spot where the TV host being filmed can "discover" the animal.

Obviously, a BIG snake in Bill's jungle, is a LOT bigger than the "visitors" to my yard.

FLOODING IN ARKANSAS

Flooding continues to set records this Spring, both when it comes to the volume of H2O & to the record number of towns, cities & states affected.  This truly may be the return of the "Hundred Year Flood" & the worst flooding since 1927.

While places like Memphis, Tennessee are featured in national news stories for the flooding of the Mississippi River -- deservedly so -- the flooding of the White River in Central Arkansas may have one of the most major impacts when it comes to transportation & the national economy.

While the White River has flooded many homes & businesses -- especially the towns of Des Arc & DeVall's Bluff -- the river flooding of Interstate 40 -- one of the major East/West routes for trucks hauling just about everything from army weapons to fresh produce -- has created serious detours, adding miles & hours to any vehicle trying to cross Arkansas.

Note to "hipper" readers:  Interstate 40 is also used by many drug dealers.  No doubt, a lot of people are going to be finding themselves relegated to smoking twigs & seeds until the H2O recedes.

Westbound traffic on I-40 is redirected North to Bald Knob, Arkansas & Eastbound trucks are sent to Pine Bluff, on down to Lake Village, Arkansas & across the Mississippi River at Greenville, Mississippi.  Trucks then go North to Memphis.

The detours add from 200 to 300 miles for anyone trying to get between Memphis & Little Rock.

Highway 70 -- which was the "old" East/West road (before the Interstate System) -- is not an option for diverting Interstate traffic, as Highway 70 is also flooded from the same rivers.

Of course, it is not only the larger rivers which are flooding.  Almost every where I have been driving in the past few days, I have encountered flooded fields, swollen streams & many roads closed due to high H2O.

Traveling yesterday to Lonoke, Arkansas, I was amazed at the places where the H2O was at the pavement, on both sides of the road I was on.  All indications were that the flooding was across the road earlier in the week.

At my home, I have been luckier than some neighbors as to the effect of the rain & flooding.

 Above is a photo of the creek in the back of my house, taken last Monday.  I'd say it was more than "full".

This next photo was taken yesterday. Most of the H2O has drained off & things are returning to normal.

My flooding is gone ... for now/until the next major rain.  For so many others it will take weeks/ months to recover from this year's flooding.

SATURATED ...

Finally ... it appears the weather radar screens for central Arkansas are devoid of the mixture of colors -- green/yellow/red -- which have dominated them for the past 72 hours.  The question now remains:  How long till the flooding areas & TOTALLY soggy earth, returns to ... "normal" ??

I took this photo yesterday afternoon.  I thought the rain had finally stopped.  It hadn't.  I got caught in another downpour trying to capture the look of the flooded/swollen creek which separates my property.

The above photo shows "Lake Hilda" -- named for my Mother -- submerging the front yard to such a degree that the H2O flows over the driveway, like the H2O in a dam's spillway.

There are a lot of "projects" awaiting me this Spring, most of them involving repairs & clean-ups.

The fallen/broken trees await.  The front fence needs parts replaced.  The shed roof has a hole in it -- from a broken tree branch -- allowing H2O to drip close to my John Deere mower -- which by the way, awaits the earth to dry out -- so it can be picked up & repaired by the J.D. dealer. [The drive train broke the other day.]

I sure am looking forward to things getting back to "normal"; complaining about the heat ... the mosquito's ... along with having to haul H2O to trees & plants in the yard ... to keep them from drying & withering.

Right now ... it's just saturated !!!

AND ... IT'S NOT OVER YET

Yesterday was another day& night of killer storms & tornados in Arkansas.

So far, the reports are five people killed by tornados last night in Vilonia, Arkansas -- just N.W. of Little rock -- & two people killed by flooding water.

As the line of wind & rain arrived at my home, "The Girls" & me were nestled in the hallway, cell phone  in my pocket, surrounded by quilts, pillows & two flashlights. This time the power flickered off several times, but (thankfully) remained on all night.

With daylight today, it was time for an "inspection" of my property.  Along with the "normal" debris -- sticks, tree limbs, leaves, etc -- scattered everywhere, there was some major damages awaiting me.

 This large tree in the South field was apparently not able to find an open spot in which to fall on as it split.

Instead, the tree decided to go frr a "soft landing" in the Bradford Pears & Leyland Cypress trees.

 Big tree.  Big damages ... to it & the trees it fell into.

The broken tree "shaved off" the branches of the LARGE Leyland Cypress trees -- there is more than one it hit --  which will mean permanent scaring/ damage/dis-figurement to the trees it landed on.

This will take time to get "cleaned up".  I will probably need to get some professional tree people to help get the fallen tree cut up & removed.

Adding to the damages, this large tree branch in the back of the storage building, apparently fell first on the roof, as there is a large hole -- about 4X6 inches -- in the roof.

The weather forecast for today is for more of the same weather conditions ... storms/tornados & flooding rain.

It's NOT over yet !!

WORKOUTS WITH REESE WITHERSPOON

Back on January 5, 2010, I wrote about my workouts at the Hayes Senior Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  While not really offering all the amenities I was hoping to find at such a facility, the price was cheap & the hours were good. 

I was a member of the Hayes Center for about two & a half years.  I have the word "was" because I decided I could no longer "tolerate" going there.

That's right ... TOLERATE !!!!

The Senior Center is just that.  A bunch of old pharts.  A nice place to play canasta or work a jig-saw puzzle, but no one is trying to workout & improve their physical condition.  It's just a bunch of old people wanting to visit with other old people.

Hey !!  I tried to pick my time & avoid the hours when everyone seems to want to shuffle around in small groups on the two lane track, gabbing away, oblivious to anyone else less than a hundred years old. 

Don't they have someplace else to go ??  They would get the same "excerise" walking from the couch to the kitchen.  Just as fast, too.

And don't get me started about the treadmills.  Ya, those machines, going an eighth of a mile per hour, with a large fan blowing on it, so that no one would ever SWEAT !!

While I like my workouts to be beneficial to my heart & body, I realized the STRESS I was feeling -- from trying to deal with all the fossils occupying space & taking up time at the Center -- was counter productive.  I was on the road to a second bypass.

I decided that I was too young (34) to continue at the Hayes Senior Center.  It was too counter-productive to my health.  I had to find someplace else to get my heart rate pumping & keep me from accidently knocking over some old geriatric. 

Thankfully, I found that place. As result, I may have added some more years to my life.



I am now a member of the North Little Rock Athletic Club. [I like the name, since it's obvious ... I am an athlete.]  It's located near all the important places, like Barnes & Noble, Target, Kroger, Sam's Club, etc.

The club is two stories & has everything for cardio & strength conditioning.  I'm a big fan of running on the treadmill & they have several dozen of those machines alone.  No waiting.

When I first started going to the NLRAC, I utilized the treadmill shown in the far left of the above photo.

My "view" from upstairs -- on a Saturday morning, when the 10 A.M. pick-up games begin -- of the six basketball goals below.  Hard to see in the photo -- upper left corner -- is the upstairs "Cardio Theater", where the treadmills I currently run on are located.

I don't watch anything on the four TV screens on the wall.  I have my iPod & headphones.  Also, I am, mostly concentrating on the display screen in front of me on the treadmill, convincing myself ...  I can go another 10 minute mile.

 Some of the weight machines directly below the "theater".

More machines, with the track in view, looking out towards another exercise area & on to the basketball courts.

What I did not take a photo of, is the aerobics room, where they have several classes a day, with (mostly) women getting their grove on.  That's where I spotted Reese Withspoon.

Well ... it's probably someone who sure LOOKS like Reese Witherspoon.  She caught my eye & does every time I see her in the class, not that I would ever take part in the class.  I get enough "neck action" just going by the room while on the track

And, yes, there are people older than me at the NLRAC.  Ones who are really having a workout ... sweating ... getting the heart pumping.

WHEN I'M 64 ...

THE BEATLES HAD IT (ALMOST) RIGHT ...

 

When I get older losing my hair,

Many years from now,

-- years ??  It's happening NOW !! --

Will you still be sending me a valentine

Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

-- Gosh, why did I stop drinking ?? --

If I'd been out till quarter to three
-- ME ??  3 A.M. ?? --
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
-- I'd love a pizza, or ice cream --
When I'm sixty-four?


oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooo
You'll be older too, (ah ah ah ah ah)
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.

-- But, not for long.  Got to go feed the cats --

I could be handy mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
-- Call someone else --
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
-- Who are you ??  Hilda ?? --
Sunday mornings go for a ride.
-- Looking for turtles --


Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
-- I don't do weeds --
Who could ask for more?
-- How about a big LOTTO win ?? --
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?


Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
-- How about the Caribbean ?? --
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck, and Dave
-- Where did THEY come from ?? --


Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, Wasting Away.
-- It's the workouts & proper eating. Really --


Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

Not much time ... I'm 64, TODAY !!



My childhood "best bud" -- Dale -- who I've known longer than any non-relative, sent me a card recently that included an illustration of a Texas Horned Lizard. I framed it up as a reminder of the two lizards we had as children, which at the time were mis-named "Texas Horned TOADS".

So there you are ... 64, going on 34 !!

NEW BAMBOO ... AND A FEW SURPISES

Signs of Spring abound lately.  The flowering of many trees , as well as the rapid development of their leaves, is giving the landscape the colors that make us forget of the grays & browns of Winter past.

Like clock work, with day length becoming longer & the warming of the earth, the bamboo on my property is sending it's annual new shoots upward.  The rapid growth -- sometimes more than a foot per day -- is occurring right outside my front door.

The new Black Bamboo shoots are much lighter in color & will soon turn green.  Throughout the the Summer the bamboo will darken to a black color, thus it's name.

The new shoots of bamboo emerge from the soil with the width they will retain their whole life.  Once the full height is obtained, the bamboo will get no bigger, & each years growing cycle will only replace leaves & never gain in size.

Some "Spring Surprises" included this nice bloom on one of my Cattleya orchids.  I label it a "surprise" since it's flowering caught me off guard, as the orchid plant was nestled in with a number of plants which spent the Winter on the side porch under grow-lights.

When it comes to my cats, there are few surprises, but still they come up with something out of the ordinary every so often.  One of those times was yesterday morning.

Nibblets was laying on the kitchen floor, very much enthralled by something next to the trash basket. She often will bat around a piece of dry cat food to amuse herself.  When I moved the basket to the middle of the floor to see what Miss Nibs was so interested in, (above photo) I got another "surprise".

This baby snake was the reason for the interest by Nibblets.  It was curled up on the floor, no doubt, fearing the worst from the inquiring cat. I have no idea how/when the snake got in the house. If one of the cats brought it into the house, they concealed it well, as most every time they return indoors, I am there inspect them & give their fur a brushing.

I took the small snake to the fence line in my yard, where there was ample vegetation for it to hide & resume it's life ... outdoors.

Just another of the "Surprises of Spring".