I drove to my mom and dad's house Saturday and spent the night. All the way there, and all the way back, I sang songs from the Mama's and the Papa's Greatest Hits CD. My all time favorite M's & P's song is "Monday, Monday". I especially love the part where the music picks up in tempo and they start singin' "Every other day, every other day, every other day of the week is FINE yah. But when ever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin all of the time" I sang it over and over until I was hoarse, because I am a big dork.
Kiri and Ken got into a hellacious fight this weekend while I was gone. I won't go into detail, but needless to say both Kiri and Ken were saying some pretty mean things to each other. I am at the end of my rope, and have seriously considered leaving Ken. Though I can sort of see his point, as Kiri is very disrespectful of him. But I expect him to act like the adult, instead of reacting like a child. That's all I am going to say at this time, but I feel like crying.
Tomorrow is the day I am going to start exercising on a regular basis again. I have to start hiking for the season soon, and I am woefully out of shape. I have gained 10 lbs. this winter, and it is time to do something about it. I plan on walking around 3 miles/day to start, and then slowly increasing it until I top out at about 5 miles. After that, I'll throw in 5 minutes of running, then 5 minutes of walking. That is how I lost 20 lbs three years ago. It will also get me out of the house before I strangle my husband.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Kodi's Wild Kingdom
I was reading animal attack files on the internet, and started thinking about close calls I have had while hiking, recreating in the wilderness. Animal attacks fascinate me, probably because I spend so much time in remote areas, that I want to be informed so I may avoid the dangers out there as much as I can, which really is only to a certain extent. Dangerous animal encounters can be a combination of hiking and camping practices (not storing food properly, not recognizing danger signs like recent cougar kills, elk rutting season, invading an animals space or territory) as well as plain luck. Most snake bites occur because the idiot was trying to pick up the venomous snake (dur...bite me please, I like intense pain) or kill the snake. Legitimate bites (where the person was not harassing the animal) usually occur because the person was not paying attention to where he/she was placing their hands or their feet. I learned this the hard way.
Usually when I hike in rattlesnake habitat, I am very careful about putting my hands in places I can't see very well. I would never just reach under a log willy nilly without looking first. But one hike, I let my guard down. It had rained buckets all night and as I hit the trail, I knew it was going to be a struggle. I got into the flats of hop valley, and huge ravines had been cut across the trail from water runoff, forcing me to scramble up ridges and wallow through deep mud. I was alone, but I had my Park radio, so wasn't really worried. At one point I sank to my thighs in mud, and couldn't pull my self out. I had to take off my backpack, throw it on stable ground and practically swim out of the mud. In the process, I immersed my radio in mud and ruined it. With really no choice but to soldier on, I continued on my way.
At the 6 mile point, I started down some steep switchbacks into a separate canyon, and was starting to feel pretty tired from scrambling and pulling myself through mud for the last 3 hours. The rain had washed big rocks in the trail, and I would often use a tree or a boulder for balance as I navigated my way down. About halfway down the switchbacks, I put my hand on the lip of a boulder as I slid around a rock, and heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake vibrating his tail. I jumped 20 feet straight in the air on instinct alone (I may be exaggerating slightly). When I calmed down I checked my hand to make sure I hadn't been bitten (I hadn't). Then I got curious and peeked under the lip of this ragged boulder to see the snake. He was still there, rattling like crazy. I had literally put my hand about a half an inch away from the snakes head.
I must say, in defense of the snake, he did not bite me when he easily could have, and it was my fault entirely. If I had been alert, I wouldn't have rested my hand on the lip of the boulder when I couldn't see what was underneath. I have hiked in the desert all my life, and I can truthfully say, if you are paying attention to where you are stepping, sitting, or placing your hands, and if you don't mess with snakes in general, your chances of being bitten is almost 0.
A funny side note, once I got to my campsite I had to throw rocks at a pesky squirrel to keep him from running up my leg and stealing the potato chips I was trying to eat. And, a mountain lion walked through my campsite that night as well, but paid absolutely no attention to me at all. He could have cared less that I was there.
Any one else have any close calls with wildlife?
P.S. I was trying to upload a picture I drew on Paint of me, the boulder, and the snake, but it wouldn't load. Stupid computer
Usually when I hike in rattlesnake habitat, I am very careful about putting my hands in places I can't see very well. I would never just reach under a log willy nilly without looking first. But one hike, I let my guard down. It had rained buckets all night and as I hit the trail, I knew it was going to be a struggle. I got into the flats of hop valley, and huge ravines had been cut across the trail from water runoff, forcing me to scramble up ridges and wallow through deep mud. I was alone, but I had my Park radio, so wasn't really worried. At one point I sank to my thighs in mud, and couldn't pull my self out. I had to take off my backpack, throw it on stable ground and practically swim out of the mud. In the process, I immersed my radio in mud and ruined it. With really no choice but to soldier on, I continued on my way.
At the 6 mile point, I started down some steep switchbacks into a separate canyon, and was starting to feel pretty tired from scrambling and pulling myself through mud for the last 3 hours. The rain had washed big rocks in the trail, and I would often use a tree or a boulder for balance as I navigated my way down. About halfway down the switchbacks, I put my hand on the lip of a boulder as I slid around a rock, and heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake vibrating his tail. I jumped 20 feet straight in the air on instinct alone (I may be exaggerating slightly). When I calmed down I checked my hand to make sure I hadn't been bitten (I hadn't). Then I got curious and peeked under the lip of this ragged boulder to see the snake. He was still there, rattling like crazy. I had literally put my hand about a half an inch away from the snakes head.
I must say, in defense of the snake, he did not bite me when he easily could have, and it was my fault entirely. If I had been alert, I wouldn't have rested my hand on the lip of the boulder when I couldn't see what was underneath. I have hiked in the desert all my life, and I can truthfully say, if you are paying attention to where you are stepping, sitting, or placing your hands, and if you don't mess with snakes in general, your chances of being bitten is almost 0.
A funny side note, once I got to my campsite I had to throw rocks at a pesky squirrel to keep him from running up my leg and stealing the potato chips I was trying to eat. And, a mountain lion walked through my campsite that night as well, but paid absolutely no attention to me at all. He could have cared less that I was there.
Any one else have any close calls with wildlife?
P.S. I was trying to upload a picture I drew on Paint of me, the boulder, and the snake, but it wouldn't load. Stupid computer
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