My Side Of The Moon

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:41 pm

Weird landscape, yes?

I took these this morning on my way out of my neighborhood.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:44 pm

A few blocks from me. We've had a ton of rain.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:45 pm

Local landscape. Looking east

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:49 pm

Hard to believe, huh?

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:11 pm

It almost looks prehistoric, wonder what could be lurking in underneath all that green.........it is exotic looking though.......beautiful. Went back for another look at them and it almost looks like people......."Nightmare on Vine Street".....lol Check it again and see if any of them have moved!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:35 pm

Yes I thought a bit *haunting* as well!

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:00 pm

I agree, Pam, it looks like dinosaurs should be in the background, wow, that is really something. Is there a water source nearby, like a pond or stream? Could there be gators in there?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:06 am

Yes, and nearby is a retention pond that I've been told by an alligator hunter has a gator- but that is up that street and around the corner on the other side.
This is a very dense area of lowland, unbuildable-on. It's rather extensive and eventually does lead to a creek and a lake which leads to a bigger lake.
That is Kudzu. You know about that stuff, Susan.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:18 am

You guys have inspired me...

Smudgeman · Post by **Smudgeman** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:35 am

Those are great pictures Kat. Consider yourself lucky to be getting all that rain. We are desperate for some rain here. I can't remember the last time it rained, I think it was in April. We are in an extreme drought. The fires from southern Georgia cause the air to be smokey at times here, it is awful. My backyard which is usually lush and green is now brown and crunchy when you walk on it. We have watering restrictions, so I have pretty much given up on my lawn. I have made sure to water my flowering plants though. They are saying the drought will continue and no rain in sight for now.

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:09 am

Kat @ Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:18 pm wrote:You guys have inspired me...

Yep! It looks right at home there!!

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:13 am

Smudgeman @ Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:35 am wrote:Those are great pictures Kat. Consider yourself lucky to be getting all that rain. We are desperate for some rain here. I can't remember the last time it rained, I think it was in April. We are in an extreme drought. The fires from southern Georgia cause the air to be smokey at times here, it is awful. My backyard which is usually lush and green is now brown and crunchy when you walk on it. We have watering restrictions, so I have pretty much given up on my lawn. I have made sure to water my flowering plants though. They are saying the drought will continue and no rain in sight for now.

Oh that's terrible! We could use some rain here, but not nearly as bad as you do! Sending a prayer your way for some rain!!!

kfactor · Post by **kfactor** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:14 am

Hmmmmm. That landscape looks like someplace the Florida Skunk Ape might hang out. Kat, any sightings?

http://www.floridaskunkape.com/

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:19 pm

I think I see the Skunk Ape now over on the right. Quick, before he runs away!

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:39 pm

THOSE ARE REALLY FUNNY GUYS ! How did I miss him the first time Harry.........

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:14 pm

Those pics are fun, Kat and Harry. That dinosaur really looks like it belongs there, though I have to wonder if Kudzu is a prehistoric survivor or not? So, there is a gator in there somewhere, it totally looks like a place that they would lie in wait for an unsuspecting animal to come by and chomp!

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:38 am

Kat, if you thought the lizards were a pain, now you have to worry about giant frogs! Ribbit!

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/06/1 ... 0614111500

kfactor · Post by **kfactor** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:28 pm

Digital Photo tweaking skills and a sense of humor... Warms my heart.

My kind of people!!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:45 pm

I can't even look at a frog Harry!
I just was taking out the garbage and found a big giant spider running around my bathroom. I had to grab a roll of paper towels- the closest thing- and beat him to death softly with a roll of Bounty!
Then I opened my front door to take the trash out to the curb and just at that second a big giant palmetto bug ran right in my front door! I threw the bag at him and looked for a shoe. He stayed under that until I returned and lifted the bag but then he ran under the door into the living room. So I threw the bag aside and chased him and I got him!
Whew!
Bad timing tonight!

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:18 pm

That top photo, Kat, looks like a family of green "bigfeet" coming for you. Have you ever seen "The Legend of Bogey Creek?" You gotta see it. The original, not the sequel.

Have you identified that big black spider, Kat? Click on Tracy's "Brown Recluse" link in your "Only in Florida" thread and click on the "Florida spiders..." link at the bottom of the page that comes up. There are several photos of Florida spiders.

Everything looks so green in Florida. Any idea what kind of plants those are?

-1bigsteve (o:

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:50 pm

A friend of mine told us that she was going to work in Virginia the other day and saw a dead mountain lion on the side of the road. She couldn't quite believe it, so she double checked on the way back home. They say there aren't mountain lions around here, but she's found a website that has a lot of people reporting sightings around here.That gives me the shivers.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:58 pm

I'm not going to any spider sites, thank you anyway.

If anyone wants to know what kind of spiders they were- they were Dead Spiders.

I've seen Legend of Boggy Creek. And that is kudzu.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:45 pm

I have not been keeping you'all up-to-date on the critters around here.
I've been swimming every day and there happens to be 2 big water spiders at the pool about every other day. I've had to kill them all with my flip-flop. They tend to float right up to me and who knows what their intent is- suspicious to say the least. So my tally this summer so far might be in the range of 20. I would think they would move on to sweeter surroundings!
(No photo of that. Just imagine a big dead spider x 2.)

Then there is this randy frog. After every other rain, it has been spewing it's eggs into the pool! I've had to skim the surface with a screen to remove them. If I don't, within 2 days there are tadpoles! It's hard work! Especially in the 90 degree heat and before I can even swim!

I think she is empty now tho- we went thru 2 rains over 3 days and no eggs! Yay!

Today I was looking out the kitchen window at my house and noticed this ungainly movement in the cedar bush! It looked like a snake had fallen into the bush. I also noticed the lizards were running for cover. I parked myself at the window and watched, and sure enough there was a 3' black snake in the bush, partly on the branch, and partly on the water spigot, deciding where it was going to go. I opened the window and took a picture- because it's the first time I wasn't hurrying off in the other direction- nor the snake hurrying away from me!

I watched for a while, but it's pretty boring after a while.
I will say this: that not 2 days before I had reached, without looking- into that very bush to break off several branches that were growing too tall near my eaves!

It's not a great picture. My "close-up" feature on my camera may not be working properly. Look at the bush and look at the gold-colored wall. There is a spigot there, but no hose attached! That is the snake. It's head is pointing toward me. The rest of his body is along the limb of the bush.

This bush is about 20' away from my kitchen window.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:08 pm

Yesterday the local news showed this 13ft., 900 lb. alligator after it was killed.
It was by the side of the road US 17-92, in Sanford, which is the road I take going toward the beach. I don't go as far as Lake Monroe tho, the area this monster was caught. I turn north and east just before this area.

I collected some slides because there's not a link to the pictures. If you go to the link I give, look on the right side for WFTV.com "Slideshows" and this show is listed 3rd from the bottom.
http://www.wftv.com/caughtintheact/index.html

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:12 pm

The biggest these guys had ever caught

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:14 pm

The news guys said it might be at least 50 years old

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:16 pm

Wow!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:19 pm

It's funny- but the same day, a gigantic female Manatee that had been rescued a while ago was released back into the wild.

Who decides these things?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:12 am

Did you guys see this???

It's like a dinosaur!

I really put this up for William. He loves alligator stories from Florida!
Hi Bill!

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:19 pm

How'd they kill it? Couldn't just have caught it and put it back where it wouldn't cause any harm?

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:46 pm

Naaaaaa! that would take away from the trill of the kill.

I always found it strange behavior to kill a dumb animal then stand by it with pride giving the thumbs up.......usually dressed in camouflage.

Look both left and right before going out your back door Kat.

william · Post by **william** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:13 pm

Thanks Kat. That's a really, really big one. I'm afraid I am a softy. It's a pity he had to get killed to have his picture taken.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:39 am

I agree. They said this one was dangerous- which means he was where he wasn't supposed to be and with no fear.

There are so many alligators they don't bother re-locating them.
At 50 tho, you'd think he'd get some respect!

They killed him with a slam stick- I'm not sure of the name of this weapon- but it was up close and personal. It's a stick that fires a bullet when you slam it against the hide. They said the first bullet bounced off. It took several. That's while the guy is right next to it- I'm sure it was a fearful thing to do. He's actually touching it with this stick thing while it's trying to get away.

But still: release a 900 lb manatee, kill a 900 lb gator, on the same day- that just doesn't make any sense to me. The manatee has a better PR guy I guess.

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:37 pm

I just hate to see anything killed, especially one that has survived for so long. If he was just where he wasn't supposed to be, I think they should have put him somewhere where he couldn't cause any harm. Apparently he'd spent 50 years quietly, minding his own bussiness. Oh well, the deed is done.

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:35 pm

Thank you, thank you, for not showing any spider pictures. The worse was when I was in the shower & picked up my shampoo bottle & there IT was, needless to say my husband came running in when he heard me banging the bottle on the tub. He thought something happened. I told him that's what happens when they scare me. Inside is mine, outside is theirs.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm

Kat @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:39 pm wrote:I agree. They said this one was dangerous- which means he was where he wasn't supposed to be and with no fear.

There are so many alligators they don't bother re-locating them.
At 50 tho, you'd think he'd get some respect!

They killed him with a slam stick- I'm not sure of the name of this weapon- but it was up close and personal. It's a stick that fires a bullet when you slam it against the hide. They said the first bullet bounced off. It took several. That's while the guy is right next to it- I'm sure it was a fearful thing to do. He's actually touching it with this stick thing while it's trying to get away.

But still: release a 900 lb manatee, kill a 900 lb gator, on the same day- that just doesn't make any sense to me. The manatee has a better PR guy I guess.

That is to bad that they had to kill the big guy instead of just moving him elsewhere. Hmmm, I'd rather have a run-in with the 900 lb. manatee while swimming than that gator any old day. At least the manatee won't eat you!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:36 am

I've turned the A/C on here!

And there's a bear loose in the area near where Stefani lives!

Happy Thanksgivng y'all!

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:15 am

Kat @ Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:36 pm wrote:I've turned the A/C on here!

And there's a bear loose in the area near where Stefani lives!

Happy Thanksgivng y'all!

Yuoo sgues ahanv g nised mdey amdrg emjuy rhs weacjnd...

Oh, I'm sorry, I had turkey in my mouth and couldn't talk. I just wanted to say you guys enjoy the day and have a nice weekend. And don't eat too much pumpkin pie. Save some for me.

A/C in the fall in Florida, Kat! What's the summers like?!

I agree with you Susan on the animals. It's a shame any animal is killed. I would much rather swim with a manatee than have a run in with a gator or a shark swimming up river. All animals have a place in nature.

-1bigsteve (o: