Dusty Devil Dale Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Drove out last night with my wife to see if we could see the Aurora from our Central Ca cowboy range. I stopped beside the road at around midnight, but there were still a lot of car headlights interfering with my cateracts. So we walked a ways along the road and onto a side road to try to find better darkness, but we still couldn't see anything worth the drive. We gave it up after a half-hour and climbed back into the pickup. When I switched the headlights on there was a 5' rattler stretched out on the road about 10 ft ahead of the truck, right where both of us had been walking around. He/she may have rattled, but neither of us can hear that frequency any more. At least we had some Saturday Night excitement. ( It doesn't take a lot to entertain us any more. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Too much light north of me. Have not seen the Milky Way in over 20 years, too much light everywhere. If the storm knocked out power on the continent, most people would be shocked by what the sky actually looks like. Some would remember it from childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 1 hour ago, Dusty Devil Dale said: Drove out last night with my wife to see if we could see the Aurora from our Central Ca cowboy range. I stopped beside the road at around midnight, but there were still a lot of car headlights interfering with my cateracts. So we walked a ways along the road and onto a side road to try to find better darkness, but we still couldn't see anything worth the drive. We gave it up after a half-hour and climbed back into the pickup. When I switched the headlights on there was a 5' rattler stretched out on the road about 10 ft ahead of the truck, right where both of us had been walking around. He/she may have rattled, but neither of us can hear that frequency any more. At least we had some Saturday Night excitement. ( It doesn't take a lot to entertain us any more. ) When I first moved to Montana, long ago, I learned that you occasionally shine a good flashlight ahead / around when you walk at night, Close one eye to keep some night vision. Came across one, light was not much. Lucky, and I was going to shoot it, Wife said it would upset the dogs. Next day it bit one of the Labs before I could get a clear line to shoot it. I did after. The dog lived, the vet bill was no fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 In our area, a 5' rattlesnake is a really big specimen. Most adult snakes around central CA are well under 4'. It was just laying there on the road warming up, and in a remote area, so I left it to its evening, rather than messing with it in dark. I've had some real surprises in the past trying to walk up and kill rattlers in the headlights with a shovel, even after they've been run over. They can move real fast when they need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 That's a right snakey road there, leading up to Fort Miller! 'Bout... oh... twelve years or so ago I took Ms Helen Brimstone up to show off the facility and regale her with tales of the KRR. As we began the drive back down the hill, I told her about Madera Dave's hat band - made from a rattler he ran over on that very road. Just as I said it, she pointed and said "you mean like that one?" Sure 'nuff, there was about a three-and-a-half footer moseying across the road. I made an instant decision - Sassparilla Kid had been wanting a new hat band for a while, and by golly, there 'twas, right in front of me! So I did the natural thing, and altered my course slightly with the intent of dispatching Mr No-Shoulders with a dose of Dodge. Well... he made a quick transition from mosey mode to "Duck!" mode. I missed. So I backed up, had Ms Brimstone disembark to give direction, and made another go at the critter. Now he was in scoot mode - and I foolishly attempted to match his maneuvering. Twice! I'm here to tell you, that dude was agile - and I finally found myself pretty much stuck, with the starboard drive wheel suspended over the drainage ditch, and one by now righteously pissed-off snake buzzing away under my truck. Well, with Helen "spotting" for me so I could avoid Jake, I alighted from the Dodge. I called the Kid as I started my climb back up to the range; he said he wanted the hatband and would arrive forthwith. When I reached the range I fortuitiously ran into Eagle Eye Joe. Joe was happy to drive down and pull the Dodge back into four-on-the-pavement position. And he was gracious enough to not laugh... too much. I can't say the same about Ms Brimstone. But the Kid got his snake; later that day I got a call from him: "Dad! Mind if I use your kitchen? Ma don't want no raddlesnakes cooked up in hers!" And by the way... I went out last night about midnight-ish and looked hard ~ nada to see but a crescent moon, an owl, and some bugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I fell asleep so I missed it but there were people that got some great pics from here in Northeast Ohio only one mile from Lake Erie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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