...also known as "compression socks", "anti DVT socks".

Or diabetic socks. My podiatrist suggested I wear them due to my legs also getting to be like the various descriptions above. I just bought a pair last week, but I haven't taken them out of the package yet. Maybe today...

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Sue, is this one of your indoor raccoons?

No, darn it.

---

~Sue~

I hate traffic......

I avoid rush hours and expressways. ~There's nothing express about them. ;~)

Sure there is. You express your anger, your frustration, and
probably several other emotions.

Why did you think they were called expressways?

---

~Sue~

This is a sad, graphic post, so if you don't want sad
and graphic, you should probably skip this one. It
involves a cat and an opossum.

I learned a sad lesson or two over the weekend. As often
happens here (damn it), another feral cat was (most likely)
hit by a car and killed. I saw her in the street in front
of my house. (This was the female that is always pregnant,
so there's a very tiny ray of light. No more litters from
that one.) As I always do, I scooped her body up using a
trash bag, sealed it, and put it in the garbage can (bin)
for the trash collectors to pick up today. (Our garbage is
picked up on Tuesdays and Fridays.)

That was the only thing in the trash can until Monday night,
when I took the household garbage out for Tuesday's pick-up.
When I looked into the can, something wasn't "right." When
I finally realized what I was looking at, it was a very sad
thing. There was a dead opossum in the can with the cat, and
the trash bag had been ripped open.

The only think I can guess that happened is that the opossum
was attracted by the scent of a dead animal and climbed into
the trash can. Whatever happened in there, I don't know. The
cat still looked whole. But I guess the opossum couldn't climb
back out and either the heat of the day or the lack of water,
or both, caused its death. This must have happened on Saturday
night. I put the cat in the trash on Saturday, and found the
opossum dead on Monday.

I really didn't know what to do other than to leave them there
for the trash men to pick up. And how sorry I am that they had
to see and smell that. I imagine they see a lot of nasty stuff
like that doing their job. Poor guys.

Anyway, I learned that opossums are (must be) attracted to
the smell of rotting flesh, and that they will climb into
something to get to it. I learned that, from now on when I
have to put a dead cat in my garbage can, I will do something
to ensure that either nothing can get in or that anything that
does manage to get in can also get out. I'll also check the
can several times until the garbage is picked up.

---

~Sue~

+1

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

This story made me smile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33748027

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I will never understand the desire to shoot at an animal outside of the intent of eating it... which I have come to grips with after seeing that in Northern Wisconsin people do genuinely use deer meat to supplement their diets.

Eric's youngest sister married a er... uh... "complicated" fellow who likes to go out into the Arizona desert with his buddies and shoot rattlesnakes. While I do not actually hope that my brother-in-law gets bitten (he is, after all, the father of three of our precious nieces and one of our precious nephews), I do sincerely hope that some glorious day a great big, really fast snake gives him a bad enough scare that he gives up that awful, horrible, terrible past time.

Rattlesnakes belong in the desert. They are not hurting anybody there. They are beautiful animals and part of the natural order of things. Eric and I simply cannot understand why anybody would want to shoot them!!!

Same goes for armadillos.

I will never understand the desire to shoot at an animal outside of the intent of eating it... which I have come to grips with after seeing that in Northern Wisconsin people do genuinely use deer meat to supplement their diets.

Eric's youngest sister married a er... uh... "complicated" fellow who likes to go out into the Arizona desert with his buddies and shoot rattlesnakes. While I do not actually hope that my brother-in-law gets bitten (he is, after all, the father of three of our precious nieces and one of our precious nephews), I do sincerely hope that some glorious day a great big, really fast snake gives him a bad enough scare that he gives up that awful, horrible, terrible past time.

Rattlesnakes belong in the desert. They are not hurting anybody there. They are beautiful animals and part of the natural order of things. Eric and I simply cannot understand why anybody would want to shoot them!!!

Same goes for armadillos.

We have Mojave Greens out here Angela, some of the worst snakes to get bitten by, Me I'd pass..

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I remember a few years back. A business man wanted to make game hunting easy. He wanted to have people do it over the Internet. You just controlled a remote robot with a rifle to shoot your animal from the comfort of your home. I do remember the stink that raised with the public.

---

Celebrate and protect urban wildlife!!!

Mojave Green Rattlesnake

Hard-shelled possum?

I will never understand the desire to shoot at an animal outside of the intent of eating it... which I have come to grips with after seeing that in Northern Wisconsin people do genuinely use deer meat to supplement their diets.

Eric's youngest sister married a er... uh... "complicated" fellow who likes to go out into the Arizona desert with his buddies and shoot rattlesnakes. While I do not actually hope that my brother-in-law gets bitten (he is, after all, the father of three of our precious nieces and one of our precious nephews), I do sincerely hope that some glorious day a great big, really fast snake gives him a bad enough scare that he gives up that awful, horrible, terrible past time.

Rattlesnakes belong in the desert. They are not hurting anybody there. They are beautiful animals and part of the natural order of things. Eric and I simply cannot understand why anybody would want to shoot them!!!

Same goes for armadillos.

From June 1971 to July 1973, when I entered the Navy, I worked in an Italian family's restaurant. The owner had been a cattle rancher, and during the summers would host luncheons for his friends. I helped cook up quite a few "delicacies", including frog legs, venison, mountain oysters, and rattle snake. If memory serves, after they were skinned and deboned, we saute'd them in olive oil, smashed garlic, and a little white wine, them grilled them like steaks. Served over rice, with sauté'd eggplant, zucchini, onion and tomatoes on the side. Yes, all of us in the kitchen got a taste. Don't recall what it tasted like, but I didn't have trouble eating it.

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

There are two restaurants in Denver that serve wild game. The Fort and The Buckhorn Exchange(Buffalo Bill used to eat there, no kidding!) both have Elk, Venison, Quail, and Rattlesnake on a seasonal basis.

I know you've heard it before, but Rattlesnake really does taste like chicken. Tell your son-in-law to learn some recipes and quit wasting the resource....

Links to the menu and the history page of the restaurant.

http://buckhorn.com/appetizers.php

http://buckhorn.com/history.php

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

I discovered recently that my turtles like zucchini!

Yes, I have 4 turtles. ~Two adults(an Ornate and Eastern Box), and their babies I've raised since they hatched, about 10 years ago.

My blog for them is out of date, but here's a look from several years ago:

http://gordonsturtles.blogspot.com/

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I know you've heard it before, but Rattlesnake really does taste like chicken.

Thats true:) My GF have been to a wedding party in Sri Lanka where they ate snakes among other dishes.
Not Rattlesnake but perhaps Cobras:)

I think that we should take this time to lower
our heads in sadness for the plight of the famous
'Elsmere Island Double Fanged Snow Snake'.
Reports have reviled the terrible devastation
being inflected on these creatures due to 'Global
Warming'!
Donations can be sent to this address in any amounts
that you feel comfortable with giving!



edit:
When properly prepared they just melt in your mouth!

---

In memory of Wilbur, Babe and Porky.



Roast in peace.

There are two restaurants in Denver that serve wild game. The Fort and The Buckhorn Exchange(Buffalo Bill used to eat there, no kidding!) both have Elk, Venison, Quail, and Rattlesnake on a seasonal basis.

I know you've heard it before, but Rattlesnake really does taste like chicken. Tell your son-in-law to learn some recipes and quit wasting the resource....

Links to the menu and the history page of the restaurant.

http://buckhorn.com/appetizers.php

http://buckhorn.com/history.php

I have Shipmates in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas. Next time I'm passing through.........

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

@Rob

This story made me smile

Me too :) I'm ashamed to say this bit

In April a Georgia man injured his mother-in-law when a bullet ricocheted off an armadillo, "hit a fence, went through the back door of his mother-in-law's mobile home, through a recliner she was sitting in, and into her back,"

made me laugh :/ I'm still ashamed - honest. :)

I heartily agree with Angela about rattlesnakes - and all snakes for that matter... *sniff at celtooth* I'm not sure about the ellesmere snow one *elevate nose. rotate head 23.4 degrees... andblink* I looked it up you see... :))))

Same goes for armadillos.

+ Loads! Poor things get given leprosy by humans - and then get blamed for giving it back to us :(

@Suzie :( big hug. And good tip :)