A happier wildlife tale... [modified]
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... than one in particular seen here lately... subtitled: The Invasion of the Possums. First, a nearly irrelevant picture - Mitters the Cat and a Deer[^]. This was taken a few weeks ago from my living room. The connection is the reason for the deer's visit - he was looking for cat food. Next, background - we live in SE Wyoming at an elevation of about 7000 feet, in the foothills (such as they are) of the Laramie Range, between Cheyenne and Laramie. Very rural. Our neighbors across the street moved out - he was transferred (USAF) to Japan. They abandoned one of their cats. He's pretty feral (lives in their barns), but nonetheless I was trying to get to be friends before winter, when he's sure to freeze without someplace to go. So I was leaving the garage door cracked at night with a dish of food inside, and sure enough, he was coming in and getting it. I left the light off because there are a lot coyotes and larger predators roaming the area at night and I didn't want to make a target of him. So to make a long story short, we ended up with more than a cat - a female possum, complete with a pouch full of little ones. We got her out of the garage, and she moved into the wood shed. (I stopped leaving the garage open, instead leaving the cat food outside and in the daytime only. Which is where the deer found it. I can't win.) We seem to have gotten her out of there, too, but I found something pretty cool there tonight. Opossums don't hibernate. Cold winters pretty well define the northern limit of their range, and it gets pretty damned cold here, so you gotta figure it's tough on them. Well, I'd apparently driven her out of the shed, but she's still using it as her storage area for winter. I went in to clean out the mess they'd left behind and noticed the smell of fresh grass, or plants. Looked around a bit and found what must be her stash for the winter - she'd almost completely filled an empty 60 gallon (I think) plastic garbage barrel with harvested flowers and grass! Mostly black-eyed susans and some kind of wild grain. An incredible amount, all harvested in the last few weeks. Think about it. Possums are supposed to be pretty smart (IQ between that of a dog and a pig). This girl is working months in advance to prepare for winter, selecting the most nutritous stuff, and even storing it in a barrel. (
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I write software for them, yes. I also write sci-fi/fantasy novels. What does any of that have to do with this thread? Get back in your cage.
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
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Ian Shlasko wrote:
. I also write sci-fi/fantasy novels.
Lots of people write fiction, the important question is if you have sold any?
The latest nation. Procrastination.
Actually yes... I think about 20-30 copies so far, but my first novel has only been out for two months with almost no marketing, and available on Amazon/B&N/etc for a bit less. See the link in my sig.
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
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Actually yes... I think about 20-30 copies so far, but my first novel has only been out for two months with almost no marketing, and available on Amazon/B&N/etc for a bit less. See the link in my sig.
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
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Why not? Traditional publishing: I find a big company that will buy my manuscript and pay me royalties... They do the work, they own my story, I just collect microscopic royalties. Self-publishing: I find a small company that will publish and print it for me. I pay them to set it up, I get a larger piece of the pie, and most importantly I retain ownership and control. The bolded part is the reason I went this route :)
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
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Clearly the critter is too stupid to tell the difference between a hollow log, and a plastic barrel. :rolleyes:
The latest nation. Procrastination.
:laugh: I doubt these have ever seen a hollow log - it's pretty much open prairie in the immediate vicinity. Whatever the container they choose to store their stuff, it's still pretty neat, the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it. [edit] Besides, I swear I saw one of them checking out barrels in a Home Depot flier... ;) [/edit] I'm still trying to decide what to do about it. I don't want to cut them off from all the food they've stored, but I really don't want to have to deal with a pissed-off possum when I go to get wood in the middle of the winter. I mean you can be a total dink about it and poison them or something, or you can try to co-exist. Question is just how far you're willing to go to co-exist.
modified on Friday, September 11, 2009 5:59 PM
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Why not? Traditional publishing: I find a big company that will buy my manuscript and pay me royalties... They do the work, they own my story, I just collect microscopic royalties. Self-publishing: I find a small company that will publish and print it for me. I pay them to set it up, I get a larger piece of the pie, and most importantly I retain ownership and control. The bolded part is the reason I went this route :)
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
Is there any way that a company will publish your work without them charging you an upfront fee? I could write an excellent novel, but all I have is a penny.
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Is there any way that a company will publish your work without them charging you an upfront fee? I could write an excellent novel, but all I have is a penny.
Yes. A traditional publisher will not charge you anything. You send them your manuscript, and they either offer you a contract or they don't. Only self-publishers charge, because you're not giving up ownership of the work (In effect, you're hiring them).
Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in? Developer, Author (Guardians of Xen)
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:laugh: I doubt these have ever seen a hollow log - it's pretty much open prairie in the immediate vicinity. Whatever the container they choose to store their stuff, it's still pretty neat, the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it. [edit] Besides, I swear I saw one of them checking out barrels in a Home Depot flier... ;) [/edit] I'm still trying to decide what to do about it. I don't want to cut them off from all the food they've stored, but I really don't want to have to deal with a pissed-off possum when I go to get wood in the middle of the winter. I mean you can be a total dink about it and poison them or something, or you can try to co-exist. Question is just how far you're willing to go to co-exist.
modified on Friday, September 11, 2009 5:59 PM
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LunaticFringe wrote:
Question is just how far you're willing to go to co-exist.
You moved into their territory. Be a good neighbor.
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
Oh, for sure. I'm just trying to decide on the best option. I don't want to try to relocate her because it's getting too close to winter. I really don't mind if she's using the shed for storage, I just don't want her nesting there. (Their hygiene habits are pretty bad. Imagine something with the habits of a mouse, but a couple of orders of magnitude larger. X| ) There are a bunch of old rabbit burrows under and around the shed - I think she may have moved into those. It was no problem coaxing her out of the garage and the shed - they really don't want to have anything to do with people. We just went in and started banging around, and then left the door open day and night to sort of ruin her sense of security. Within a couple of days she was gone. Although not far, apparently.
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:laugh: I doubt these have ever seen a hollow log - it's pretty much open prairie in the immediate vicinity. Whatever the container they choose to store their stuff, it's still pretty neat, the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it. [edit] Besides, I swear I saw one of them checking out barrels in a Home Depot flier... ;) [/edit] I'm still trying to decide what to do about it. I don't want to cut them off from all the food they've stored, but I really don't want to have to deal with a pissed-off possum when I go to get wood in the middle of the winter. I mean you can be a total dink about it and poison them or something, or you can try to co-exist. Question is just how far you're willing to go to co-exist.
modified on Friday, September 11, 2009 5:59 PM
LunaticFringe wrote:
the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it.
Did she pay her carbon taxes?
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LunaticFringe wrote:
the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it.
Did she pay her carbon taxes?
Imagine that this forum is sometimes used for things other than your personal levels of retardation.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
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LunaticFringe wrote:
the amount of industry and foresight that goes into it.
Did she pay her carbon taxes?
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Oh, for sure. I'm just trying to decide on the best option. I don't want to try to relocate her because it's getting too close to winter. I really don't mind if she's using the shed for storage, I just don't want her nesting there. (Their hygiene habits are pretty bad. Imagine something with the habits of a mouse, but a couple of orders of magnitude larger. X| ) There are a bunch of old rabbit burrows under and around the shed - I think she may have moved into those. It was no problem coaxing her out of the garage and the shed - they really don't want to have anything to do with people. We just went in and started banging around, and then left the door open day and night to sort of ruin her sense of security. Within a couple of days she was gone. Although not far, apparently.
I remember what they're like. Once upon a time, I tried to make a pet of one. Unfortunately, he was too old to really tame when I got him. I didn't figure out if he just got excited or it was a defensive mechanism, but when we'd bring him into the house to try to work with, he'd lose all control of his bowels. (Kind of like CSS and reason, but that's a different story. :laugh: ) Even though I live in San Jose, I've had raccoons drop into the house in the middle of the night for a snack of catfood.
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
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I remember what they're like. Once upon a time, I tried to make a pet of one. Unfortunately, he was too old to really tame when I got him. I didn't figure out if he just got excited or it was a defensive mechanism, but when we'd bring him into the house to try to work with, he'd lose all control of his bowels. (Kind of like CSS and reason, but that's a different story. :laugh: ) Even though I live in San Jose, I've had raccoons drop into the house in the middle of the night for a snack of catfood.
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
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The wife used to have a house in Santa Clara, and she says she had an oppossum visit their koi pond on occasion. Me, my most vivid memories of wildlife in the Bay Area were the tarantulas crossing the road when I was riding Hicks. :wtf:
Growing up, my skunk was a much more successful pet but she was bottle raised. I've been here almost 24 years now and have never seen a tarantula. For which I'm truly thankful! :laugh:
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
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Growing up, my skunk was a much more successful pet but she was bottle raised. I've been here almost 24 years now and have never seen a tarantula. For which I'm truly thankful! :laugh:
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
Go south a few miles into the Almaden valley. Hicks goes over a ridge between the Almaden Reservoir and the Almaden-Quicksilver park. (I can't remember the name of the reservoir on the other side of hill...) Anyway, I think it's in the early summer when they go looking for mates. You see 'em crossing the road on hot afternoons. I've seen them there on a number of occasions. If you're into cycling, Hicks is one of the most brutal climbs in the valley.
modified on Saturday, September 12, 2009 9:09 PM
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Go south a few miles into the Almaden valley. Hicks goes over a ridge between the Almaden Reservoir and the Almaden-Quicksilver park. (I can't remember the name of the reservoir on the other side of hill...) Anyway, I think it's in the early summer when they go looking for mates. You see 'em crossing the road on hot afternoons. I've seen them there on a number of occasions. If you're into cycling, Hicks is one of the most brutal climbs in the valley.
modified on Saturday, September 12, 2009 9:09 PM
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LunaticFringe wrote:
If you're into cycling
Nope
LunaticFringe wrote:
brutal
Never self inflicted. :laugh:
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
You don't know what you're missing. It's the best way I've found for finding tarantulas. :laugh: Seriously, when I'd first moved to California, me and the wife spent a week cycling wineries in the Russian River valley. One afternoon we were humming down this one long descent, hauling ass, 45 mph or so. It was wooded, and difficult to see well because we were flashing from shadow to sunlight patches - dappled light coming through the trees - when something starts out from the side of the road, running in front of me. At first I thought it was a squirrel or something, but the shape and gait were wrong. We were closing fast and the wife was right on my wheel so I couldn't take any real evasive action. All I could do was hope it would stop or swerve... and it didn't. Just as it comes into sharp focus, just as it's going under my wheel, I see it clearly for the first time - this big friggin' tarantula! I start screaming and wave the wife off my wheel, slow down, bang a U and climb back up the hill... and just about yuke at the mess I'd made of it. I'd never seen a real tarantula outside of a pet store before. I reeeeeeelly don't like spiders, and this thing was straight out of a nightmare.
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You don't know what you're missing. It's the best way I've found for finding tarantulas. :laugh: Seriously, when I'd first moved to California, me and the wife spent a week cycling wineries in the Russian River valley. One afternoon we were humming down this one long descent, hauling ass, 45 mph or so. It was wooded, and difficult to see well because we were flashing from shadow to sunlight patches - dappled light coming through the trees - when something starts out from the side of the road, running in front of me. At first I thought it was a squirrel or something, but the shape and gait were wrong. We were closing fast and the wife was right on my wheel so I couldn't take any real evasive action. All I could do was hope it would stop or swerve... and it didn't. Just as it comes into sharp focus, just as it's going under my wheel, I see it clearly for the first time - this big friggin' tarantula! I start screaming and wave the wife off my wheel, slow down, bang a U and climb back up the hill... and just about yuke at the mess I'd made of it. I'd never seen a real tarantula outside of a pet store before. I reeeeeeelly don't like spiders, and this thing was straight out of a nightmare.
The Russian River Valley is good. I especially like River's End in Jenner although I haven't been there for a few years. Hard to handle 3 or 4 cases of wine on a bicycle though. :) Spiders aren't my favorites either and I thought the wolf spiders in Texas were bad.
You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
