Free Association Thread 5

[Tio_Narratore]

I would think if you have a problem with tarantulas in the house, the solution would be something a little more drastic than a pet roadrunner.

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Tarantulas aren't particularly aggressive, but you might try using a Tarantula Wasp. They can be pretty inspiring, as in my story, A Desert Tale

If you have a rattlesnake problem, roadrunners might be an entertaining solution (though not for the rattlesnakes).

 

[Hypoxia]

And don't forget that roadrunners do not eat bird seed; they're carnivores. Mostly lizards, but they have been known to gang up on rattlesnakes.

True story.

I once lived in a flat-roofed cinderblock shack surrounded by cacti, across the road from HQ of Joshua Tree Nat'l Monument (now Park) and its 29 Palms Oasis of Mara (little water).

Summer nights were too hot indoors so I slept on the roof.

Every morning at dawn a roadrunner dashed from the Oasis, ran across Utah Trail, through my cacti, up onto my roof, right across me in my sleeping bag, then down off the roof and out across open desert.

Yes, that roadrunner was my reliable alarm clock.

I would think if you have a problem with tarantulas in the house, the solution would be something a little more drastic than a pet roadrunner.

Tarantula migrations across the Mohave Desert are awesome.

 

[Handley_Page]

Tarantulas aren't particularly aggressive, but you might try using a Tarantula Wasp. They can be pretty inspiring, as in my story, A Desert Tale

If you have a rattlesnake problem, roadrunners might be an entertaining solution (though not for the rattlesnakes).

A good tale it is, too.
I bloody hate spiders.

 

[JKendallDane]

A good tale it is, too.
I bloody hate spiders.

Just look at spiders as roommates that pay their share of the rent by eating all the other nasty creepy crawlers around the house.

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[Tio_Narratore]

A good tale it is, too.
I bloody hate spiders.

Thanks about the tale. I'm afraid I'm rather fond of spiders, HP. (See below)

Just look at spiders as roommates that pay their share of the rent by eating all the other nasty creepy crawlers around the house.

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For native North Americans, she is "Grandmother Spider." She mercifully enshrouds the dead and empties them so they won't have any painful memories of those left behind when they go to the village of the dead. And if a spider surprises you, you thank the Grandmother, for she's bringing you good luck.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Factoid: Roadrunners max out at 26 MPH while coyotes can easily hit 40 MPH.

Our childhoods were just one lie after another.

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Heretic!

Next you'll be tell me that roadrunners don't go "meep meep" and give the raspberry.

And, clearly the Coyote subscribes to the IBM Pollyanna Prnciple: "Machines should work, Men (Coyotes) should think". Clearly he's trying to find a better way for all Coyotes everywhere. A better Roadrunner trap for all Coyote-kind. Using anvils. Actually, the constant requirement to use an anvil, makes it sound like a first year Engineering project. All that's missing is an egg... Maybe the Roadrunner could provide one?

Is he a female? Er she?

 

[Hypoxia]

Is he a female? Er she?

They're ethnic. Roadrunner is French. Coyote is German.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

They're ethnic. Roadrunner is French. Coyote is German.

Si, signore. Le coureur du chemin. Der Kojot.

 

[Handley_Page]

How do I get Hieroglyph fount on here ?

 

[Tio_Narratore]

How do I get Hieroglyph fount on here ?

You have to set your keyboard preference to "cartouche."

 

[JKendallDane]

You have to set your keyboard preference to "cartouche."

I wish my cats had a little less preference for walking across the keyboard.

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[Handley_Page]

You have to set your keyboard preference to "cartouche."

Oh Drat; and the file is missing. . .
<mutter, mutter, mumble. . .>

I wish my cats had a little less preference for walking across the keyboard.

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Mine used to do that, too. He was most put out when
I had a keyboard drawer constructed.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Oh Drat; and the file is missing. . .
<mutter, mutter, mumble. . .>





Mine used to do that, too. He was most put out when
I had a keyboard drawer constructed.

Mine climbs on my shoulder when I'm at the keyboard, then begins to fall asleep, gradually working her way down until she's stretched across the keyboard. At that point, I pick her up and deposit her on a bed.

 

[SamScribble]

Mine climbs on my shoulder when I'm at the keyboard, then begins to fall asleep, gradually working her way down until she's stretched across the keyboard. At that point, I pick her up and deposit her on a bed.

I had a girlfriend like that. It was a long time ago of course.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I had a girlfriend like that. It was a long time ago of course.

Ah The sweet distractions of youth...

 

[JKendallDane]

Ah The sweet distractions of youth...

That would include all those wonderful things we knew nothing about until our parents said: "Don't ever let me catch you doing..."

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[Tio_Narratore]

That would include all those wonderful things we knew nothing about until our parents said: "Don't ever let me catch you doing..."

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That's why Genesis doesn't tell us about the first two people, the ones made of clay as equals. They don't want to put ideas into young peoples' (particularly young women's) heads.

I used to illustrate the principal to my students simply by announcing: "Don't think about elephants!"

 

[Hypoxia]

I wish my cats had a little less preference for walking across the keyboard.

Ours didn't walk on keyboards after we built our HeathKit system. But they tried to help us whilst we were soldering. Sitting on a hot soldering iron cured them mighty fast. No trouble.

That's why Genesis doesn't tell us about the first two people, the ones made of clay as equals. They don't want to put ideas into young peoples' (particularly young women's) heads.

Genesis contains at least three contradictory creation myths. They're fun.

Meanwhile, lunch of fried shrimp, Asian salad, and fresh pineapple cocktails, ground-up PA's with much tequila and coconut milk added, succeeded. Yow.

Wait, it's blurt time. I don't know whether to blurt about music or books or construction or medications or cats or Native American arts or what the fuck. All the fans in the house are blowing so outside must be too warm. Bears and pumas are probably hiding. Taking out trash tomorrow should be safe. I like safe. Most of the time. I don't sleep in the middle of the road like some folks I've known, even on slow roads.

 

[JKendallDane]

Bears and pumas are probably hiding. Taking out trash tomorrow should be safe. I like safe. Most of the time. I don't sleep in the middle of the road like some folks I've known, even on slow roads.

The Long and Winding Road

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[Tio_Narratore]

Bears and pumas are probably hiding. Taking out trash tomorrow should be safe. I like safe. Most of the time. I don't sleep in the middle of the road like some folks I've known, even on slow roads.

The Long and Winding Road

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When I was in Waterton Lakes a few years ago, come evening every lawn except one had a mule deer on it. The odd one had a pair of Rocky Mountain sheep on it. The mountain lions used to lurk on peoples' roofs waiting for a meal to settle down on the lawn. The town brought in a pack of dogs and solved the lion half of the problem.

Lions and Tigers and Bears along the Yellow Brick Road

 

[Handley_Page]

When I was in Waterton Lakes a few years ago, come evening every lawn except one had a mule deer on it. The odd one had a pair of Rocky Mountain sheep on it. The mountain lions used to lurk on peoples' roofs waiting for a meal to settle down on the lawn. The town brought in a pack of dogs and solved the lion half of the problem.

Lions and Tigers and Bears along the Yellow Brick Road

You know, I never liked that film.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

You know, I never liked that film.

That's likely because it's an American allegory.

 

[Hypoxia]

Early morning in Ecotopia. Trash-can haul-out time soon. No bears. No bears. No bears. Some coffee first, sure. But no bears.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Early morning in Ecotopia. Trash-can haul-out time soon. No bears. No bears. No bears. Some coffee first, sure. But no bears.

Any roadrunners? The first one I met was in Arizona nearly forty years ago. I wanted a picture, but I only had my wide-angle lens with me, mostly shooting landscapes of the Sonora Desert. I tried to get closer, but all my stalking skills were for naught: the damn bird kept the same distance. I continued, and was led in a spiral up a rocky crag. The bird disappeared at the summit, and I stood there, at a loss. Then, up pops a roadrunner head from behind a rock about five meters in front of me. It held that pose until I focused and took one shot. Then it was gone. Very clever and interesting bird.

29 Palms, you say? Was there about ten years ago on a Sonora/Mojave road trip/research project. Nice little town; loved the outdoor murals. We stopped at the Joshua tree visitor center, of course, and I took a good look at the mural inside depicting the Park's environment. A Ranger was there, and I asked her why there were no Datura among the plants in the mural. "There's no Datura here," she said definitively. We had just driven through from the south: "but I saw lots of Datura on our drive," I protested. "You couldn't have. There's no Datura in this Park." "Then you'd better get your consulting botanist out there, because you have stands of something that looks like Datura, smells like Datura, and tastes like Datura. And it isn't in your mural." "Couldn't be. There's nothing like that here."

Quite a contrast from Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque where the Ranger was quite pleased to have lush growths of Datura to keep him company at night.

 

[Hypoxia]

Any roadrunners?

Not up here in the central Sierra Nevada range.

29 Palms, you say? Was there about ten years ago on a Sonora/Mojave road trip/research project. Nice little town; loved the outdoor murals. We stopped at the Joshua tree visitor center, of course, and I took a good look at the mural inside depicting the Park's environment. A Ranger was there, and I asked her why there were no Datura among the plants in the mural. "There's no Datura here," she said definitively. We had just driven through from the south: "but I saw lots of Datura on our drive," I protested. "You couldn't have. There's no Datura in this Park." "Then you'd better get your consulting botanist out there, because you have stands of something that looks like Datura, smells like Datura, and tastes like Datura. And it isn't in your mural." "Couldn't be. There's nothing like that here."

My cinderblock shack, since demolished, was cat-corner from that JTNP visitor center, under 100 yards away. Toloache (Datura) and Indian Tobacco grew around my shack. Datura lined the roads around there. We campered at Indian Cove CG in JTNP last year. Datura abounded. Look up Daryll Shade. He'll tell you about the datura there.

Quite a contrast from Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque where the Ranger was quite pleased to have lush growths of Datura to keep him company at night.

'Lush' isn't exactly how I would describe Datura Meteloides. 'Ominous' is more like it. Finger the leaves and sniff: fermented peanut butter. Now wash your fingers and try to forget that smell. Yes, those big brilliant white-purple trumpet flowers are magnificent. Avoid cutting and putting in a vase. Wouldn't be prudent.

You want flower power? Datura is THE power flower. Poppies come close.