While Walking Through the Park...

© 2008 Albert A Rasch

Charlie and I where just finishing up our morning jog. Charlie doesn't seem phased at all, with his four legs and all, but you know the point, where your lungs are burning a bit, and your legs are getting that leaden feeling? I was there. But I hadn't reached my marker from two days ago. I had thrown down a palm frond where I had stopped the last time. I try to get a few yards further every day.

There it is, just a few more paces. As I am ready to drop my victory stomp on the frond, I see that a venomous serpent has taken up residence on my frond! Through a supreme display of physical prowess, I heroically lengthened my stride, and my Vibram soled and booted foot, fortuitously for Mr. Cottonmouth, landed a couple of feet beyond his pointy little head.

Agkistrodon piscivorus "Cottonmouth" or "Water Moccasin"

Fish eating viper! Should be in the water away from civilized folk!

"This just won't do!" I thought to myself. Lots of folks walk their dogs around the ponds and children fish and play around them. More than likely it would find itself being beaten to death with a stick. Pulling Charlie back a bit, I searched for a small branch I could pin him down with. Finding a suitable one, I wrestled him down and put a head lock on him.

Mr Cottonmouth moments before I felt the sharp end of a fang.

As I mentioned in my previous article Cracks in the Sidewalk, Theses smaller cottonmouths are squirmy little bastards. This one was no different and just grazed my finger with the tip of his fang. Fortunately there was no penetration whatsoever. But that sure put my heart into overdrive!

I don't know how many of my readers are youngsters. For you kids reading this, remember a couple of things:

• Mr Albert has been doing this a long time.
• I have a great respect for the danger involved.
• Parents, and especially Moms, will make your life miserable if you do stupid stuff.
• Just because Mr Albert cusses occasionally and while under duress, doesn't mean you can.

For you older readers:

• Take your kids out more often. I know as well as you that you're busy, but make the time.
• Don't do stupid things unless you know the consequences and are willing to accept them.
• Don't blame me if you get snake bit!

I did a little research when I got back in the house. The anti-venom for a Cottonmouth bite is called Crofab Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine). It is critical to get anti-venom in the patient as soon as possible to minimize necrotic damage to the tissue and coagulopathy. Coagulopathy is a fancy word for bleeding like Hell from every orifice in your body. The anti-venom works by binding to the venom toxin and neutralizing it, so the sooner its in you, the sooner it gets to neutralizing. Now it has mercury in it, so I'm not convinced that the venom is any worse than the cure. But if I were bit, I probably wouldn't worry about the potential for mercury poisoning! If you are allergic to pineapples or papaya you could be in it deep too! You can read all about it here on the Drug Sheet.

I also bumped into this: Snake Bite News. I don't know why, but it is very dated; the last entry is May 2004. I'll see if I can track the owners down and get an update on it.

While we are at it, lets go over the basic steps to take if you or anyone you know has been bit.

• Call 911.
• Get everyone away from the snake. No sense getting someone else bit!
• Try to identify the snake. No, don't ask for it's name, just try to figure out what kind it was.
• Keep the victim calm. Nothing speeds up envenomation like a wildly beating heart.
• Keep the struck section lower than the heart.
• Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink. Period.
• If the victim has been consuming alcohol, and this was caused by stupidity, assist the victim to a standing position, and ask the victim to bend over. While bent over have him kiss his own ass goodbye.
• Get them to a hospital immediately. Try to call ahead so they are ready!
  
• DO NOTs: Do not ice the injury down, do not use a tourniquet, do not cut the victim up like in the westerns, and above all, DO NOT PANIC!!!

You can make a judgment call. If the hospital is close enough that you know you can get there before an ambulance can get to you and then back to the hospital, and you know you can do it safely, then do it! Every minute counts in treatment. Remember coagulopathy!

Well, we got back without any more incidents. The rest is anti-climatic, I took him to my shop, put him in a bucket, and later today I'll take him to a preserve somewhere where he can hopefully pass the rest of his days in peace and tranquility.

It is late in the evening now, and I have had the opportunity to educate some more of my neighbors. Two little ones were playing on the playground, so I thought I would give one of my impromptu nature talks. I cleared it with their mom and using all my skill and smarts, was able to allow these kids an opportunity to see and touch a real live snake. I really need to catch a good sized red or yellow rat snake. Far safer and less nerve wracking than a cottonmouth. Now both of them can identify a cottonmouth and they know it's very dangerous! We also talked about alligators, and about not playing near the ponds. And cattle egrets, American goldfinches, St. Augustine grass, pine bark nuggets, concrete...

Regards,
Albert A Rasch

Blake's Posse at it Again!

© 2008 Albert A Rasch

Ok, last post of the evening! I'll make it mostly pictures! Blake guided us to a little afternoon fishing excursion. We got skunked bad, but everyone had a good time.

Darrel, Joey "Thumbs", and Blake

First stop: Braden River

Darrel with his catch of the day!

Nesting Great Blue Herons.

Blake, Darrel, and Joey. Good boys having good fun!

Even I had a good time riding with them and taking pictures. They have one more day until school starts, and I promised I would take them out tomorrow. Hopefully we will get into some fish. They are beginning to ask about some salt water fishing,and Blake knows a few spots that might be producing.

Regards,
Albert A Rasch

The Hunt Continues...

Blogs and Sites to Learn From

© 2008 Albert A Rasch

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.

Margaret Fuller (1810 - 1850)

Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set yourself on fire.

Fred Shero

The preceding phrase, "You must first set yourself on fire." is a metaphor, and not to be taken literally.

Albert A Rasch

I've been putting off this particular writing assignment, not because I didn't want to do it, but because I wanted to make sure I did these sites justice. These blogs and websites are particularly good at doing something that I really appreciate, and that is, the sharing of knowledge and information. I especially like hands-on tutorials and real, live demos. When it comes right down to it, there is nothing like an explanation with pictures to really get you to understand what is going on!

First on the list is Bygone Country Skills. I originally found Antoni "Toni" Ross' site through a video posted by our fellow Outdoor Bloggers Summit member, The Suburban Bushwacker. As many of you know, SBW has more than a passing interest in outdoor and traditional skills.

In his introduction Toni says, "This site is intended to inform, educate and entertain those who believe that traditional skills are worth preserving." He further goes on to say, "...it is my aim to pass on my skills and preserve our heritage..." To this end he has made himself available for demonstrations at schools, scouting events, and holds one and two day workshops at his... well... workshop, where he shares his skills for a very nominal fee.

Toni only uses hand and human powered tools to produce very beautiful and practical implements for daily use. These items can also be commissioned from him, which is how he makes his living. See some of them here.

It's the videos that I really like. There is enough information on them for a reasonably handy and inquisitive person to learn from. Observe first if you please, this demonstration : Carving A Wooden Ladle. Notice how Toni deftly reduces a chunk of wood with a hatchet, and then refines it with a crook knife or hoof knife and a straight bladed knife. If I thought I wouldn't lose a thumb, I might try it myself! Check out the finished product; it is beautiful!

Think about this for a minute. You go to the nearest Walmart and get a plastic ladle. It costs you next to nothing. You use it, toss it in the dishwasher. Done.

How about instead, you set aside a few dollars, pounds, or euros, and you order one from Toni. The anticipation of its arrival is just like waiting for a gift. It arrives, you eagerly tear open the packaging, and you marvel at the craftsmanship. Now every time you use it, you think about the craftsman, Toni, eyeing that just right piece of wood, and then carving your ladle out of it. That makes for a far more satisfying time in the kitchen!

Next is a Shrink Pot. Notice how Toni selects the wood, then augers the hole in the wood. That creaking noise is the sharp auger pulling itself through the wood. Then he removes the bark with a draw knife. Believe me it is sharp, but it won't cut on striking his chest. Run it down your leg though, and that might be a different story. Next he cuts a shelf in the body for the bottom, splits another piece of dry wood for the bottom, thins and flattens it, and cuts it to shape for installation. As the wooden body dries, it will shrink against the already dry disc of wood, thereby making a secure bottom.

Toni has many other marvelous and well done demonstrations. Check out his video page! Many of these projects are done with relatively common handtools. Oh, and by the way, Toni has great taste in music!

The second site I would like to mention is Stormdrane's Blog. Stormdrane likes to tie knots. He takes line and makes knots until the line is something far greater than just a line!

I've owned Ashley's Book of Knots for well over thirty years, and I have on occasion used it for some project or another. The lanyard on my Swiss Army knife is one I made who knows how long ago. I've got a sap I made out of a three ounce egg sinker too.

I'm not sure how I found Stormdrane's Blog, (probably SBW) but his work has motivated me to try a little knotwork myself. He has some great tutorials, and an excellent list of links. Another thing I like about him is that he answers your question! And answers them well. All of his projects are doable with little more than some cordage and a knife. For those of you with limited shop space, this is a great activity.

Last I want to mention my good buddy Todd at the Primitive Point. As some of you have undoubtedly heard before, Todd got me into blogging. Todd is a bladesmith and works strictly with salvaged metal. He writes well and has put together one video so far. It was very well done, and I keep on harassing him to produce more!

Besides his metal working skills, he keeps some goats, and bakes bread.

Folks, I hope y'all will stop by and visit my friends. Give them a few minutes of your time and you just might learn something new!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

Weekend Update!

© 2009 Albert A Rasch

"Dillio" in his Snuggly Blankie

Such is my life...

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...

PanzerSchwein, Hoover Hogs, and Armadillos

© 2008 Albert A Rasch

Other than the fact that state unemployment doesn't cover the bills, being off work has its advantages.

1. I can write just about every day, sometimes twice a day.
2. I can work out on my schedule, not the Man's.
3. I can fish with Blake.
4. I can boss everyone around the house 24/7.
   
5. I can take leisurely bicycle rides with the Mrs.

It was number five that led to today's adventure.

We, that is the Mrs and I, where leisurely pedaling our bikes through parts of Lakewood Ranch's commercial district. Well, the Mrs was leisurely pedaling, I was circling around her, jumping the curbs, speeding up and skidding, riding with no hands (She really hates it when I do that.), and generally making a nuisance of myself, when I noticed two black vultures in the bank's parking lot. Everything is closed of course for January First, so the lot was empty, and as usual, curiosity got the best of me. Why would two carrion loving, flying garbage disposals be in the bank's parking lot? As I called Cristal, and spun up the bank's drive to see what was up.

I was fixated on the vultures, and didn't notice anything until Cristal started scolding them. "You nasty, dirty birds!" she hollered. Both birds looked around them obviously shocked, "She's obviously talking to someone else." One said to the other. You could tell it was scandalized at the reference. "Yes you! That's right, I'm talking to you! Get away from him!" I was just as confused as the birds were. At that point Cristal went through the shrubs. "She's gone bonkers!" I thought. The vultures, wisely vacated the premises as I went up the drive-thru lane to circle the bank.

The screen of low shrubs kept me from seeing what Cristal had seen. It was a small nine-banded armadillo stuck in the vast expanse of asphalt. He had shoved his nose and face in a drainage grate in a futile attempt to escape from the relentless sun and the tormenting vultures.


Who knows how long he had been there. All day? Maybe two? A cursory visual examination showed no obvious injuries, lesions, or abrasions. I quickly, but gently, grabbed his tail and body. He barely resisted me when I picked him up. I flipped him over, gave him a once over, determined he was a boy, and saw that likewise he wasn't hurt underneath either.



He had a tick on his belly and with a deft pluck, the Mrs rid him of that bloodsucker. Other than that, the armadillo didn't seem to be injured, just very lethargic. We saw a wooded area not far away so it was decided we would release him there. I walked while the Mrs brought our two bikes. I figured a nice shady spot would be what he needed.



I gently put him down, and he walked a few steps forward and just lay down. The Mrs was worried. "He must be dehydrated." she said. "Probably." I countered and added, "Let me ride over there and see if there's any water. I was pretty sure that there was a pond or at the very least a drainage ditch. When I got there it was in fact a drainage pond, but unfortunately it had been treated. The water was a murky "Tidy Bowl" blue, with rotting vegetation around it.

The Mrs to one look at the stagnant pool and then looked at me and said "Take your shirt off and wrap him up in it, we'll put him on the patio until he regains his strength."


"Sure thing Baby." I replied. Off came the shirt. Now my masterful physique was exposed to all passers by. The little 'dillo was still in the same spot, and just as sluggish when I picked him up. I bundled him up like a baby, put him under my arm, and mounted up. After an uneventful five minute ride, and not a few catcalls I might add, we were home.


Cristal found a shallow plastic top that we put on the floor. I filled it with water, and set the little fellow down in front of it. You could see his nose wiggle one way then the next as he narrowed in on the water. When he found it his tongue and lips went to town. He was thirsty in an awful way.

While he drank his fill, we found him a cardboard tube to hide in, a box, and some leaves to fool around with until this evening when we will release him, probably by Whitetail Marsh. There's plenty of shade in the thickets that surround it. Their preferred habitat, moist soil near water, is also in abundance.


Within moments of finishing his water, he was up and about, obviously feeling oh so much better. He naps a few minutes at a time, but otherwise he walks around sniffing everywhere. Rollie-Pollie isn't too thrilled with the intrusion on her patio. Every time she lies down the armadillo isn't too far behind to shove by her.

As we encroach on every last square inch of the earth's surface, more often will we find animals trying to survive where they don't belong anymore. Sandhill cranes wandering forlornly as the pasture they called home gets scraped clean and turned into a subdivision. Gopher tortoises are buried alive because some developer gets a permit to do so. Softshell turtles being eradicated from every body of water to fill the insatiable desire for turtle in the Orient. One third of all amphibians are either extinct or are becoming so, on account of human actions.

Without some effort and diligence on our part, we will see the last of many animals in the wild.

I guess I'll dig up some grubs or worms for him this afternoon, just so we can say, "We watched an armadillo eat."

Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...