MB. I caught the bologna gravy post and thought it was funny I always joke that my wife cooks just like my mom did but my mom didn't poop in it.
Like some others I needlessly killed some critters when I was a kid. I think that may have lead to my deep respect for all living things that I now enjoy.
SP2. I caught that neat water effect on the pic as well.
Later......
Posted by: solotripper Posted on: Oct 20th, 2019 at 6:18pm
Grit magazine just ran a story about how possums may be a benefit to the spreading Lyme disease problem. Apparently much of their regular diet consists of ticks.
Anything that eats ticks is okay by me. I can handle the flying/biting insects but one that burrows into your skin just make's me cringe.
Posted by: MossBack Posted on: Oct 20th, 2019 at 3:55pm
No possums or any other living creature was harmed in the telling of this "Tongue In Cheek" tale. Well, OK, maybe the ex's cooking ability might have taken a small hit.
I have possums on my front porch every night cleaning up what the lazy overfed cats leave behind. I watched one get bigger and bigger, until one night I saw the new brood all hanging on her back.
Grit magazine just ran a story about how possums may be a benefit to the spreading Lyme disease problem. Apparently much of their regular diet consists of ticks.
Regards,
MB
Posted by: solotripper Posted on: Oct 20th, 2019 at 3:29pm
When I was about 8-9 I used my paper route money to buy a WHAMMO SLINGSHOT. Dad was a heavy equipment mechanic and that meant I had an unlimited supply of steel ball bearings for ammo.
We had all kinds of pets, some wild ones too. My parents let me have that slingshot with the agreement I wouldn't shoot anything but cans/targets in the backyard. Dad made me a shooting gallery rack.
Well, I got pretty good and one day I lookup in one of the tall Oaks in our backyard and see a big old Blue Jay sitting there.
I don't know why but I pulled back and took a shot. I didn't really think I would hit it but I did and it fell dead at my feet!
I was so distraught and started bawling. That got my little sister's attention and she came out and started crying too. I knew she'd tell my parents, so I put the Blue Jay in a shoebox and when Dad came home I fessed up to my evil deed.
He could see how upset I was so he didn't yell at me or spank me like I thought he would.
He told me that I had learned a valuable lesson the hard way. You NEVER point a weapon of any kind at a living animal or person unless your WILLING to kill them.
He made me get a shovel and we buried the Blue Jay in the pet cemetery we had in the corner of the backyard.
I still like to hunt/fish, but I don't hunt for trophies, I only hunt to eat what I kill/catch.
I'm like you with wild critters, I put them outside or trap in non-kill critter trap and re-locate to a wooded area. Only exceptions have been a few raccoons that were obviously sick/aggressive and I had to put down for safety reasons.
I read stories about people abusing/killing animals just for fun it makes my blood boil. They better never do that around me. I don't have that many years left and I can think of far worse things to be locked up for.
Posted by: TomT Posted on: Oct 20th, 2019 at 2:56pm
Possums are a favorite of mine. When I was a teenager I was a typical "kill every wild animal you can" kind of douchebag. Me and my friends had pellet guns and would inflict unnecessary terrorism on the bird, rabbit and squirrel population. Well one night on a sleepover in a tent we walked the neighborhoods after curfue dodging cop cars only to find a possum crossing the street. So we grabbed sticks and beat it to death.
That was a turning point for me. It wasn't long after that I sold my pellet gun and gravitated myself away from those "friends". My love for all creatures now is to the point where I'm letting spiders roam free in the house or putting them outside. Yes, people CAN change their ways.
Posted by: MossBack Posted on: Oct 20th, 2019 at 1:05pm