# Early morning wake up call



## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

Soooooo, I'm out in the front yard watering plants this morning, and can't hear much over the water running and look down to see if the half whiskey barrle of Aloe Vera has enough water and about a foot from my toes was this surprise!

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, needless to say I moved pretty darn quick for an old fart to get out of her striking range and being as I have grandbabies going in and out of the front yard all day along with the babies from across the road, I killed it.


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## DKMD (Jun 24, 2012)

Looks like you can cancel your stress test… The old ticker is obviously good for another 10,000 miles!

I hate snakes!


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## Mike1950 (Jun 24, 2012)

Joe, I am always jealous of your weather in the winter- I envy your access to ironwood- but I will pass on your summer weather and I absolutely hate snakes- especially the poisonous ones............... I will stay here and visit in the winter.......... come home with trunk load of ironwood..........


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## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

Mike1950 said:


> Joe, I am always jealous of your weather in the winter- I envy your access to ironwood- but I will pass on your summer weather and I absolutely hate snakes- especially the poisonous ones............... I will stay here and visit in the winter.......... come home with trunk load of ironwood..........



Mike,

My oldest daughter lives in Lacy WA, so get together with her and come on down and I'll load you up! but remember that Ironwood weighs the same as concrete, almost 75# per cubic foot, maybe a little less 66-70# a foot, so 1/4 of a cord will weigh 2,240# and that's only 32 cubic ft and that's only a stack a little over 3'x3'x3', so don't bring 1/2 ton truck unless you want to kill it on the trip home!

COME ON DOWN !!!

Joe


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## jimmythewoodworker (Jun 24, 2012)

Joe

I am also in the "HATE SNAKES CLUB."  But I don't care if it's poisonous or not............I hate 'em all.  The skins do make good pen blanks though..........maybe you should put that on your "to do" list. As opposed to Mike I would love Arizona in the summertime. HOT HOT HOT Of course it's a dry heat


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## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

DKMD said:


> Looks like you can cancel your stress test… The old ticker is obviously good for another 10,000 miles!
> 
> I hate snakes!



No stress David, I hunt these things every chance I get, been doing that since I was 10 years old when my dad had a gift shop in old Mayer AZ for the turistas, I soft and dry tan them for folks that want to make boots and belts and pen blanks and the like, just another day.

Joe


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## Mike1950 (Jun 24, 2012)

Joe, Little different climate then Lacey here. We are the dry high mountain desert side of the state. 85-100 and 30% humidity in july Aug and sept. Great summer and fall. Jimmy temp in shop is the same all year- winter means outside honey do list gets a lot smaller.


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## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

jimmythewoodworker said:


> Joe
> 
> I am also in the "HATE SNAKES CLUB."  But I don't care if it's poisonous or not............I hate 'em all.  The skins do make good pen blanks though..........maybe you should put that on your "to do" list. As opposed to Mike I would love Arizona in the summertime. HOT HOT HOT Of course it's a dry heat



I don't care what they say, dry heat or not, when its 120 degrees it sucks the big one!!!!!!!


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## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

Mike1950 said:


> Joe, Little different climate then Lacey here. We are the dry high mountain desert side of the state. 85-100 and 30% humidity in july Aug and sept. Great summer and fall. Jimmy temp in shop is the same all year- winter means outside honey do list gets a lot smaller.



I understand the different climate boss, our home in the White Mountains of AZ where we raised all the kids is at 8,200' in elevation and so much snow that you can't get a 4x4 truck out sometimes so you sit in front of the fireplace and watch it snow, we have to be in this hot valley now because Linda has COPD and can't go home anymore because of the lack of O2 at that elevation. But you do what you have to do!


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## Gene Howe (Jun 24, 2012)

Here in Snowflake, the rattlers are less numerous than the Gopher snakes. But a small rattler has taken up residence in an out building about 100' or so from the house. We have a nodding acquaintanceship now. With both kinds around, we have fewer mice, that's for sure. When the rattlers get close to the house, they're dead, though! I leave the gophers alone.
When we lived in the desert outside of Florence, several would come to the dog's watering dish during the summer. He would always come tell us and we'd either remove them or get him another dish. 
Back in the early '60s, in Tucson, a friend and I would catch them and sell them to the UofA who were developing the first serum. Got anywhere from $.75 to $1.50 apiece. Kept us in beer.:no dice. more please:


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## shadetree_1 (Jun 24, 2012)

Gene Howe said:


> Here in Snowflake, the rattlers are less numerous than the Gopher snakes. But a small rattler has taken up residence in an out building about 100' or so from the house. We have a nodding acquaintanceship now. With both kinds around, we have fewer mice, that's for sure. When the rattlers get close to the house, they're dead, though! I leave the gophers alone.
> When we lived in the desert outside of Florence, several would come to the dog's watering dish during the summer. He would always come tell us and we'd either remove them or get him another dish.
> Back in the early '60s, in Tucson, a friend and I would catch them and sell them to the UofA who were developing the first serum. Got anywhere from $.75 to $1.50 apiece. Kept us in beer.:no dice. more please:



Hey Gene,

We only saw 2 in the whole time (30 years) that we lived at the foot of Escudilla Mountain and they were both Mojave Greens, I have never seen the Mojave at that altitude before and as you say they are few and far between up there, made a hat band of both of them.

We have a California King snake and a few Red Racers (Coachwhips) and alot of gopher snakes in the yard and the Ironwood woodpile but they eat rattlesnakes so we leave them alone.

I tan the Diamondbacks and they keep me in beer!


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## Gene Howe (Jun 24, 2012)

Sounds like Rattlers are good.....for beer at least!

[/quote]

Hey Gene,

We only saw 2 in the whole time (30 years) that we lived at the foot of Escudilla Mountain and they were both Mojave Greens, I have never seen the Mojave at that altitude before and as you say they are few and far between up there, made a hat band of both of them.

We have a California King snake and a few Red Racers (Coachwhips) and alot of gopher snakes in the yard and the Ironwood woodpile but they eat rattlesnakes so we leave them alone.

I tan the Diamondbacks and they keep me in beer!
[/quote]


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## LoneStar (Jun 24, 2012)

Looks like a pen blank size diamondback  About 10"-12" ?
I collected many hundreds of rattlers in West Texas for the venom labs, but the real beer money was the rest of the critters for pet stores. Milksnakes, Kingsnakes, Bulls, Gophers, tarantulas, scorpions, vinegaroons, whip scorpions. Those were good times


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## Brink (Jun 24, 2012)

Ick!


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## Kenbo (Jun 24, 2012)

I love snakes, but from a distance. I'm pretty sure that coming face to face with a diamond back would pretty much make me fill my shorts to say the least. Glad you weren't hurt. Thanks for sharing the picture. Pretty cool.


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