All About Pocket Knives

Interesting and lovely.

Yesterday, I was waiting for my son after work at the little pullout beside Booth Creek. When I went to step back out onto the street, I found this little guy at my feet. It was just about dead. In fact, five of its legs where already curled and it just had the strength to reach out the it’s foreleg and briefly hook my finger when I picked it up. That was it.
I think it’s a Western Flying Adder, and a bit out of its territory here. They do occur down in Washington though, and I guess this one snuck over the border!
I hauled it home and mounted it in a clear plastic box. Lovely, isn’t it? I have a shelf with a number of dragonfly items, and up she goes!

Ann, that's pretty neat! We have wads of Dragon Flies here in the Florida Panhandle. When viewed close up in the sun they have some wonderful bright colors. A few times we've seen literally hundreds of them maybe 5 or 6 foot above a planted field. Surely they had to be feasting on some smaller insect for that many to be concentrated in one spot.
Treefarmer

Very cool, Ann! I like it!!

From my balcony last night...

Beautiful !!
Treefarmer

Great pic, Scott.
God's work never ceases to amaze me

Our Lord does His art work in etch a Sketch. Such amazing beauty, and then it's gone. For us His beauty is awesome. For Him it is 'usual', momentary, more just as awesome to follow. Thanks Scott, you captured it wonderfully.

Ann in Japan there are some large gardens planted to attract dragonflies. Dragonflies were often used as a decorative motif on Samurai swords and elsewhere in Japanese culture.

Do you know what is this, and more importantly can you use it?

I suppose the horseshoe looking thing could be a magnet but the rest of it looks like it was picked up out in the barnyard.

Neat snake doctor Ann and a real cool display .This ole boy was enjoying a ride out at the golf course yestiddy. nice shot Scott

Eustace wrote:Do you know what is this, and more importantly can you use it?

Eustace I don't know what it is or if I can use it, but if you want to sell it it'll have to be cheap.

bighomer wrote:

Eustace wrote:Do you know what is this, and more importantly can you use it?

Eustace I don't know what it is or if I can use it, but if you want to sell it it'll have to be cheap.

Not for sale. It's a memory from my father. And it can be extremely valuable in certain situations if you know how to use it.

Eustace, I was slow on the trigger, yes I did know that that was used for. Seen it done at a couple of demonstrations. Thanks for sharing.

Eustace that's great, cool that it was handed down from your dad , I have several things that belonged to my grandparents and parents, money means nothing when it comes to that.

Encountered this about an hour ago while I was walking across the pasture. Not as big as the one that’s been hanging around the shop. A couple of weeks ago before the hay was cut I’d never have seen it. Click to enlarge.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote:Encountered this about an hour ago while I was walking across the pasture. Not as big as the one that’s been hanging around the shop. A couple of weeks ago before the hay was cut I’d never have seen it. Click to enlarge.

Ken

What sort of snake is that? It's a biggun. We call snakes over here "Joe Blakes". Rhyming slang, a throw back to our English founders.

cudgee wrote:

Mumbleypeg wrote:Encountered this about an hour ago while I was walking across the pasture. Not as big as the one that’s been hanging around the shop. A couple of weeks ago before the hay was cut I’d never have seen it. Click to enlarge.

Ken

What sort of snake is that? It's a biggun. We call snakes over here "Joe Blakes". Rhyming slang, a throw back to our English founders.

That’s a Texas Rat Snake. Harmless. Beneficial, they eat a lot of mice and rats. Fairly common around here. This one was about average size, as Rat snakes go. They will sometimes strike at you if threatened, and can bite but they have no teeth or fangs and are not poisonous. Occasionally kept as “pets”.

I had a big one living in my shop for a while - we got used to each other and it would lie calmly on my workbench while I was working on stuff not more than a foot or two away. I guess it was watching me.

Ken

I had a pet rat snake, a leucistic one, which means it was white with dark eyes and not an albino. It was born in captivity. Milk was a very nice little guy, easy to handle and quite good tempered.
I’m always glad to hear of someone peacefully coexisting with the local snakes. Of course I quite understand if you make an exception for for rattlers, copperheads and their buddies!

Mumbleypeg wrote:

cudgee wrote:

Mumbleypeg wrote:Encountered this about an hour ago while I was walking across the pasture. Not as big as the one that’s been hanging around the shop. A couple of weeks ago before the hay was cut I’d never have seen it. Click to enlarge.

Ken

What sort of snake is that? It's a biggun. We call snakes over here "Joe Blakes". Rhyming slang, a throw back to our English founders.

That’s a Texas Rat Snake. Harmless. Beneficial, they eat a lot of mice and rats. Fairly common around here. This one was about average size, as Rat snakes go. They will sometimes strike at you if threatened, and can bite but they have no teeth or fangs and are not poisonous. Occasionally kept as “pets”.

I had a big one living in my shop for a while - we got used to each other and it would lie calmly on my workbench while I was working on stuff not more than a foot or two away. I guess it was watching me.

Ken

Thank you for your reply, very interesting. In the state where i live we have many types of snakes, but 3 main ones. All venomous, the red belly black snake is the most docile, will attack but only if it feels really threatened, can make you very ill, but rarely causes death. Most people leave them alone, as they keep mice and rats under control. You do not want them around if you have pets though. The tiger snake is very aggressive and venomous. Can kill you, but if you stay out of their way, would rather avoid you. But, the Eastern Brown, is very aggressive, venomous and will attack you. I have had one striking out at me while fishing. Always carried a 410 shot gun when in the bush, so dispatched it promptly. If they bite, depending on the amount of venom injected can cause death in 5-10 minutes. Snakes over here are a protected species, but if i'm threatened, i do not worry about that, it is either me or them is how i look at it. Really good to hear of other countries wild life and nature, that is another great thing about the forum. Keep up your pictures of your country, really enjoy them. Have a good weekend mate.

I am going to try to post a couple of pictures of brown snakes from the internet, this is new territory for me, so i hope i do not stuff it up. One is of a Eastern Brown, to show how big they get, the biggest i have seen is 61/2 feet. The other is of a Eastern Brown striking, which i have encountered which is scary. Hope they come through.