Unusual pets....like Percy the Gull!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Canny Lass,and Vic and Doreen,it looks gorgeous owa theor,but a bet it's bliddy caad!!

We had a little flurry o' snaa t'otha day and it caased havoc in some places!!....gud job we dinna hae yor winter conditions owa heor...we'd cum ti a standstill in ten minutes!

Cum ti think on't,if we had the 1947 winter again,that wud stop us an aal!,the parapet walls of the Willow Bridge were level wi snaa that winter,but we still got wa milk and grosseries......it teks sum stopping horses and carts!!

Doon thi pit,a used ti be plowing through swaallies of stinking black waata,nearly level wi thi top of the horses' back,trailing heavy machinery bits and girders etc,across bare rough ground,[nae rails in the maingates],and although it was self-made on management's part,wilful neglect,the fact of the matter was,the horses just battled through it aal,as we lads at Choppington High Pit just had ti dae....nae options!

Where ye are,both of you's,looks like a haven for an amateur photographer!!

Vic,dae yi get brown bears smooching aroond as weel,when it gets really rough?....or wolves?

[Brian Cross]

On the news the other night a prisoner in a southern jail was found to be keeping a snake as a pet nothing unusual bout that but on closer inspection the snake was found to be a Eastern Brown snake rated the 2nd most toxic snake in the world

He been keeping for 2 years or so.

[Brian Cross]

On the news the other night a prisoner in a southern jail was found to be keeping a snake as a pet nothing unusual bout that but on closer inspection the snake was found to be a Eastern Brown snake rated the 2nd most toxic snake in the world

He had been keeping for 2 years or so.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Brian Cross

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Brian!

He looks gorgeous...!

Hoo did a prisoner get away wi that so lang?

He musta been askin' for seconds at every mealtime and tekkin a doggy-bag  back ti he's cell!!

 

[Vic Patterson]

On 2016-01-28 at 16:42, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Canny Lass,and Vic and Doreen,it looks gorgeous owa theor,but a bet it's bliddy caad!!

We had a little flurry o' snaa t'otha day and it caased havoc in some places!!....gud job we dinna hae yor winter conditions owa heor...we'd cum ti a standstill in ten minutes!

Cum ti think on't,if we had the 1947 winter again,that wud stop us an aal!,the parapet walls of the Willow Bridge were level wi snaa that winter,but we still got wa milk and grosseries......it teks sum stopping horses and carts!!

Doon thi pit,a used ti be plowing through swaallies of stinking black waata,nearly level wi thi top of the horses' back,trailing heavy machinery bits and girders etc,across bare rough ground,[nae rails in the maingates],and although it was self-made on management's part,wilful neglect,the fact of the matter was,the horses just battled through it aal,as we lads at Choppington High Pit just had ti dae....nae options!

Where ye are,both of you's,looks like a haven for an amateur photographer!!

Vic,dae yi get brown bears smooching aroond as weel,when it gets really rough?....or wolves?

Caad! I’ll say its caad, but that's what the thermostat is for! –5c-10c just right, –25c not so funny but okay, –50c quite an experience, –15c about average but its only from October until April/May. Usually lots of snow but not a lot this year, even sent a bit over for you guys to shovel.

The bears usually hibernate but often wake up during mild spells, brown Bears are also known as black bears they come in several colours, black, brown, cinnamon even white, Grizzlies are the mean ones, up to 800lb, they also often wake up for a snack during warmer spells.

Yes we have wolves also coyotes, cougars, wolverine (they are probably the meanest or them all) fox, lynx, they sometimes come into town and snack on the odd kitty or dog even the the odd deer (that we shouldn’t encourage into town). Years ago there was a bear nicknamed Patches used wander into the shopping mall even the bar! when we first came here it was our only entertainment to go to the garbage dump to watch the bears. We came home one night to find a bear sitting on our deck looking through our window.

A paradise for the photographer, outdoorsman, hunters, fishermen, lots of birds, animals and scenery, a disaster for the shopper! lots on Google!

[Canny lass]

Do you also have moose, Vic?

We have elk, deer, fox and wild boar on a Daily basis, though I haven't seen a boar since we put up the Electric fencing last year. The elk just step over it and the deer leap over without any problem. Lynx I've only seen twice in 30 years but they are enormously shy and not easy to spot. We know they are there because we see their tracks in the Winter.  Wolves are beginning to increase in number and the odd one has been seen here. A couple of years ago a bear was spotted by a few neighbours. However, bears are not native to this area. He was successfully captured a few weeks later and returned to a forest further North.

[Maggie/915]

Great reading

[Vic Patterson]

Yes Canny Lass we have moose, lots of them, only problem with them is on the highways, there are lots of deer, elk and caribou which cause lots of accidents / road kill but the moose being so tall and top heavy ride over the hood of the vehicles and wipe out the cab causing major injuries, but they are favourites for the hunters, so much meat.

We don't get boars at all, mountain goats and big horn sheep. In order to protect the caribou heard they are culling the wolves, against everyone's wishes. On the outskirts of town are horse stables, that’s were the lynx and cougar usually hang out, just being aware of where we are and respecting the animals habits and needs is all one needs to remember, only the odd macho hunter gets into trouble.

[Brian Cross]

Canny lass i am not sure about how did he keep it for so long but the point is these snakes are so dangerous and aggressive i wonder why it didn't kill him.Vic it must be great to see all of those animals in the area. have a mate who lives in Ontario he tells me about all the animals he encounters he told me about a bear that chased him inside his house i think i will stick with the killer koalas ta.   

[Vic Patterson]

Brian, Having just spent 25 years with inmates sorry offenders! It doesn't surprise me, but I'm sure the snake didn't mind. 

Looks like the one I nearly stepped on at Port Douglas beach, that would spoil a vacation.

[Symptoms]

We all know how that convict smuggled the hissed into jail and kept it hidden for two years ... concealed where all jailbirds hide stuff so it can't be found, yep, up the "old tan track'.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

On 27/01/2016 at 21:04, mercuryg said:

Lizzie (she was named when I was given her!) is a Bearded Dragon, a species native to Australia. She's currently about a foot long, including tail, and is surprisingly friendly. Likes to sit in my shoulder when I'm watching TV!

"Dragon's den" her favourite then?!![mind a dinna waatch telly but aav hord folk on aboot it....a dinna even knaa wat it is!....just thowt it fitted the thread!!]

Lizards and reptiles generally,are the most fascinating creatures aren't they?....snakes intrigued me hoo they moved and climbed wi nae legs,until a few years back,[afore computers came alang!!], a  read aal aboot them,and its even mair fascinating hoo they have evolved!

I once saw a film short at the pictures many years ago,[a natural history film],and it was a fight for survival between a Snake and a Mongoose,in the jungle,and most of it was just a blur..the movements were so fast.

So hoo big will Lizzie grow once she reaches adulthood,Merc..?

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

On 01/02/2016 at 17:35, Vic Patterson said:

Yes Canny Lass we have moose, lots of them, only problem with them is on the highways, there are lots of deer, elk and caribou which cause lots of accidents / road kill but the moose being so tall and top heavy ride over the hood of the vehicles and wipe out the cab causing major injuries, but they are favourites for the hunters, so much meat.

We don't get boars at all, mountain goats and big horn sheep. In order to protect the caribou heard they are culling the wolves, against everyone's wishes. On the outskirts of town are horse stables, that’s were the lynx and cougar usually hang out, just being aware of where we are and respecting the animals habits and needs is all one needs to remember, only the odd macho hunter gets into trouble.

Great stuff! from you ,Vic,and also Canny Lass , and Brian!

Vic,talking about culling the Wolves,reminds of a documentary I saw on telly [probably in the black and white days,cos I haven't watched telly for years...],and it was how they were starting to cull the Wolves,cos they were decimating the Moose population,somewhere in the U.S..

After a few years the Moose population exploded,and forests were being decimated by the Moose,as they feed on Lichens,which grow on the bark,so the bark was removed inadvertently,and the trees died off.

SO!,they had to re-introduce the Wolves back again,to control the Moose!

Noo,does that mek sense?

They did the same thing recently on the Shetland Islands,introducing hedgehogs,for a reason which I forget,then having to cull them cos they were decimating the ground-nesting birds population,by stealing the eggs from the nests.

Meks ye wonder whaats atween these folks lugs,ti interfere wi Nature,doesn't it?

[Vic Patterson]

So true HPW, we have sent lots of wolves down to the U.S.A. Where the farmers were waiting with their semi automatic elephant guns! 

The argument here is to protect the "endangered" woodland carabou herd, the wolves and coyotes usually keep the heards healthy, the old and sick are their super! So now we will have larger sick herds. 

They shoot the wolves from helicopters, so how many are only wounded? They also poison them and I know one person who lost his hounds to the poison which only supposed to kill the animal that digests it, hmmm! I wonder if they told the Eagles and other carrion birds!

Wildlife management is a great important department but sometimes they appear to make some real blunders.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Great stuff! from you ,Vic,and also Canny Lass , and Brian!

Vic,talking about culling the Wolves,reminds of a documentary I saw on telly [probably in the black and white days,cos I haven't watched telly for years...],and it was how they were starting to cull the Wolves,cos they were decimating the Moose population,somewhere in the U.S..

After a few years the Moose population exploded,and forests were being decimated by the Moose,as they feed on Lichens,which grow on the bark,so the bark was removed inadvertently,and the trees died off.

SO!,they had to re-introduce the Wolves back again,to control the Moose!

Noo,does that mek sense?

They did the same thing recently on the Shetland Islands,introducing hedgehogs,for a reason which I forget,then having to cull them cos they were decimating the ground-nesting birds population,by stealing the eggs from the nests.

Meks ye wonder whaats atween these folks lugs,ti interfere wi Nature,doesn't it?

I know, before lang rather than let the harsh winters assist nature, and force culling,  people will start leaving food out for wild animals and some will start creating shelters for them, probably called kennels or hooses! 

Quote from  http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/brc/mammalsurvey.htm - "As the ice receded following the last ice-age, some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, Shetland was left isolated without any link to the Scottish mainland. As a consequence man has been responsible for introducing all Shetland’s terrestrial mammals to the islands, either deliberately or accidentally - even the Otter is likely to have been introduced, perhaps by the Vikings who may have realised the value of the pelts for clothing."

So if that's the case on Shetland then surely if all the terrestrial animals were culled, and the land returned to how nature created it, then there would be no complaints.

[Vic Patterson]

Good point Eggy. Is this our answer to the problem of too many old and infirm seniors! We could set them out on the door step, bring in the survivors, until the next storm. Why should we protect those that can't look after themselves, we are just too soft.

[Canny lass]

18 hours ago, Vic Patterson said:

Good point Eggy. Is this our answer to the problem of too many old and infirm seniors! We could set them out on the door step, bring in the survivors, until the next storm. Why should we protect those that can't look after themselves, we are just too soft.

I can't Believe I've just read that! You can't be serious! Those old and infirm you talk about as they they were the dregs of the Earth, could be someone's parents, Brothers, sisters, wives, husbands Children - maybe yours! Can you honestly tell me that you could put them outside to freeze to death just because they've become too old or too weak to look after themselves? Could you even allow someone else to do that to them? These are human beings you are talking about. These old and infirm are also members of the human race, a race distinguished from most of the animal kingdom by its ability to experience empathy -  simply speaking the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a while.

Empathy is the ability to understand how somebody is feeling, understand the situation they are in. Empathy is what people like HPW experience every time they help a loved one with something they no longer can do for themselves or even when they take care of a bird like Percy. Empathy is what people like Malcolm Robinson experience every time they raise there butt from an armchair and leave the Comfort of their home to attend a meeting and fight for better facilities for their Community. Empathy is what people like Mercuryg's mother experience when they fight for their child's right to the best possible education. There's nothing "soft" about being empathetic and empathy should be second nature to us all!

I'd be the first to advocate the right to a natural Death but to hasten it's advent, especially in that manner, is just barbaric. Of course, having empathy for the old and infirm isn't synonymous with giving help to the old and infirm but it is a first step in doing something compassionate - even if that's just not making worse the situation they already find themselves in.

[Vic Patterson]

Sorry canny lass that my attempted sarcasm that was directed at Eggy offended you, I agree with you 100% I wasn't being serious. Just annoyed. 

 

[Canny lass]

Phew! Thank ....................................... (insert deity of your choice) for that!

[webtrekker]

Yes indeed CL. Thank Santa for that!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

17 hours ago, Vic Patterson said:

Sorry canny lass that my attempted sarcasm that was directed at Eggy offended you, I agree with you 100% I wasn't being serious. Just annoyed. 

 

Yep, I took it as sarcasm.

Oh to be sitting in a pub, relaxing over liquid and enjoyng company. Company where you can see, normally, from their mannerisms, how honest, truthful, funny and sarcastic they are and where they get the opportunity to fully explain, one their beliefs; two regardless of their beliefs what they think is reality and three what they do regardless of their believes and reality.

 My comment on HPW's comment "Meks ye wonder whaats atween these folks lugs,ti interfere wi Nature,doesn't it?" was also sarcasm as HPW had replied to me questioning why people feed wild animals (and house dogs) and then as the thread of the subject continues that comment was contradicted (in my mind) with ......interfere wi Nature, doesn't it.

There are many time I really hate the English language. There are too many words and most of the time ones words are interpreted differently to the meaning one was trying to give. I much prefer correctly worded questions where the answer is either YES or NO and until that simple answer is given the subsequent question has to wait it's turn.

 

My attempt at my simple explanation within what has sprung up is this topic is :-

Nature looks after it's animals.

Humans look after themselves and other humans.

I care about the world. I help humans. I even help animals BUT I don't have animals in my house.

Only animals that appeal to humans are give help by humans. There is a current animal that I would assume all humans would like wiped out, the mosquito spreading the Zika virus. Would humans feed the an injured mosquito?

Oh to be sitting in a pub! 

 

[mercuryg]

To HPW, Lizzie in the wild would grow to in excess of two feet, but in a four foot tank will probably reach 18inch, a quarter of that being tail. Big enough!

[mercuryg]

To eggy, I respect your stance, yet I couldn't imagine a home without animals within. I have two cats and the lizard, and my cats are there for me to come home to. Without them the house would be soulless.

[Symptoms]

Whilst we should always protect the old wizened and wrinkled I think we'd be better off leaving the fatties outside during the winter storms.  I can see some benefits in this approach ... we could stack them up to create windbreaks against the Arctic storms and they wouldn't be absorbing all the warmth from the central heating system so reducing the heating bills.

I agree with merc ... a house isn't a home without a woof (or mog) on the fireside rug.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Symptoms

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh!!!

Whey yi bugga!

Canny Lass,you said it in a nutshell,and thanks a lot for your kind reference to me ,as I'm sure the other's will appreciate your wise words!

The minute I read Vic's remarks,I laughed heartily,he's a man after me aan heart,is Vic,he wadn't want ti offend anybody seriously,just a little bit o' skit,doesn't harm ti press a point!!

Merc,they must be like fish,only grow to the size of their environment....?

I agree with Sym and Merc,ye get a better greeting from ya pets,[sometimes] than yi dae off some fowk!!

Eggy,a agree wi ye that in a perfect world,answers would be yes or no.......nae pussy-footin' aboot!

A also re-inforce me philosophy that it wud be a queer world if we aal agreed on ivrything......thi mind boggles at thi thowts of it!!

It's like religion yi knaa,caases mair bother in thi world than owt else,noo,if ivry bugga just left ivry bugga else ti believe [or Not believe....],in whaativva they waant ti,

ivry bugga wud get on just fine!!....but thaas aalwis sum bugga waantin ti preach ti them that duzzn't waant any bugga preaching ti thim...!!![aam a mekkin' sense heor noo?!!]

Beg ti differ eh!! [nuff sed!]