Roadside carnage

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 22 May 2007 17:07:03 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Per [email protected]:
>>Odd spring-suspension seats were common back then because the roads
>>were so rough. (Keep reading and you'll come to a detailed picture.)
>>
>>To get from New York to California, Lenz often rode on the railroad
>>tracks--not beside them, but over the wooden railroad ties.
>
>It's always wondered me that today, when bikes are mainly
>playthings, sprung saddles seem tb the ultimate in un-cool.
>
>OTOH back when bicycles were really used day-in and day-out it
>seems like *everybody* rode on sprung saddles.

Dear Pete,

From Berto's "Dancing Chain," here's my candidate for the undisputed
world champion of sprung saddles (and the first safety bike, too,
despite young nephew John Starley's reputation):

http://i7.tinypic.com/6b0p1xw.jpg

Only a tandem could offer more spring to a saddle.

Note that low-spoke-count wheels were cool back then.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

 

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 22 May 2007 22:33:26 GMT, Jay Hill <[email protected]>
wrote:

>[email protected] wrote:
>> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
>
>Thanks for taking & posting them.
>
>> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was...
>
>I'm surprised it let you get so close. How did it behave as you
>approached?

Dear Jay,

About like a hungry customer behaves after the waiter says, "Enjoy
your meal!" It noticed me, but didn't really care.

I pedalled past it on the far side of the road, dropped my bike, and
started taking pictures back down the slope and across the road.

Here's the first one, #952 in the sequence:

http://i18.tinypic.com/4uubf46.jpg

The hawk just kept ripping chunks off its dinner.

I sat down and used the handlebars as a rest for a few pictures--you
can see a pedal here in #958:

http://i13.tinypic.com/4zyodco.jpg

The hawk ignored me.

I turned my face away, sidled along the road to some thick wooden
barrier posts along the top of the dam, sat down, and took more
pictures across the road using a barrier as a post--#971 was taken
across the road from the hawk and from high enough that you can see
the shadow of a traffic sign on the road:

http://i18.tinypic.com/67iqpmw.jpg

Pretty soon I was looking directly across the road:

http://i16.tinypic.com/4xpei4h.jpg

The hawk kept eating.

Two cars came up the dam road, ignoring everything on both sides of
the road, a third went by downhill towing a boat, with its driver
glaring at me, and finally a fellow on a touring bike pedalled
downhill, completely oblivious to the hawk, but waving at me.

I walked downhill in a gentle arc, crossing the road, and took some
more pictures looking back uphill toward the bluffs that I pedal
toward every day. This is #981:

http://i18.tinypic.com/67dsoaq.jpg

The hawk just kept stuffing itself.

I walked slowly past the hawk in the grass on its side of the road and
took a few pictures. This is #984:

http://i14.tinypic.com/4mciwm0.jpg

The hawk looked up, but didn't mind.

A little past the hawk, I sat down, facing away, turned, and took a
few pictures looking up from about twenty feet away. This is the last,
#992, and shows how big the hawk's feet are:

http://i18.tinypic.com/66jacmp.jpg

The hawk finally had enough, either of the snake or my bad table
manners, and flew off. From #952 to #992 took just under nine minutes
for 41 pictures.

Here's an old picture of the sign and the wooden barrier at the same
spot:

http://i17.tinypic.com/4uymw00.jpg

The hawk would be to the right. The zoom foreshortens things
considerably--the truck is half a mile away, the trees a mile, and the
bluff top close to three miles.

The trick is to work with a hawk that's used to hunting along roads,
keep your face turned away while you move, walk in curves around your
quarry instead of toward it, pick a hawk that's awfully hungry--and
then get lucky.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

 

[Michael Press]

In article <[email protected]>,
"G.T." <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ted Bennett wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] wrote:
> >
> >> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
> >>
> >> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road on
> >> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
> >>
> >> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
> >>
> >> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
> >> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the scene.
> >>
> >> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was--yes,
> >> those are ribs.
> >>
> >> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
> >>
> >> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
> >
> > Last time I watched an eagle kill and eat a snake was near the Rogue
> > River in a somewhat wild part of Oregon.
> >
> > I'm going to begin carrying my camera with me more often, but I do wish
> > there was an easy way to combine bicycling and 8 x 10 format plates, not
> > to mention the bellows, sufficiently sturdy tripod, etc.
>
> I once saw redtailed hawk fly over with a garter snake in it's talons
> with a baby hawk flying wing.

I live in an area with houses cheek-by-jowl. And yet we have an
occasional Cooper's hawk take station near our bird feeder.
They even catch the occasional sparrow and dine al fresco.

--
Michael Press

Heh! Heh! bird feeder, get it?

 

[* * Chas]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
>
> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road on
> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
>
> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
>
> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the scene.
>
> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was--yes,
> those are ribs.
>
> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
>
> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
>
> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
>
> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
>
> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
>
> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
>
> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carl Fogel

So which one is the immigrant from Jamaica" and I've never seen a pink
snake in the wild. What kind is it?

When I lived in NM the neighbor kids used to go 'falconing" with a red
tailed hawk. From time to time it would take a little prairie rattler. It
would hit the snake in a full dive and both critters would roll over for
about 3 feet.

If the snake was still alert after being hit the hawk would do a dance
with one wing stretched open in front of the snake. The snake would strike
at the feathers then all of a sudden the hawk would catch the snake by the
neck with a super fast foot, one bite to the head and it was lunch time
for the hawk.

Chas.

 

[* * Chas]

"catzz66" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> dvt wrote:
> > catzz66 wrote:
> >
> >> [email protected] wrote:
> >>
> >>> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
> >
> >
> > Nice Photos, Carl!
> >
> >> Where were these taken? Do you know?
> >
> >
> > Near Pueblo, CO. Your question is an invitation for a really long
> > answer.
> >
>
> Heh. Looks like where I grew up, though, Land of Enchantment (NM).

NE NM is much prettier than SE CO, especially south and west of Raton.

Chas.

 

[* * Chas]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 22 May 2007 22:33:26 GMT, Jay Hill <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >[email protected] wrote:
> >> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
> >
> >Thanks for taking & posting them.
> >
> >> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was...
> >
> >I'm surprised it let you get so close. How did it behave as you
> >approached?
>
> Dear Jay,
>
> About like a hungry customer behaves after the waiter says, "Enjoy
> your meal!" It noticed me, but didn't really care.
>
> I pedalled past it on the far side of the road, dropped my bike, and
> started taking pictures back down the slope and across the road.
>
> Here's the first one, #952 in the sequence:
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/4uubf46.jpg
>
> The hawk just kept ripping chunks off its dinner.
>
> I sat down and used the handlebars as a rest for a few pictures--you
> can see a pedal here in #958:
>
> http://i13.tinypic.com/4zyodco.jpg
>
> The hawk ignored me.
>
> I turned my face away, sidled along the road to some thick wooden
> barrier posts along the top of the dam, sat down, and took more
> pictures across the road using a barrier as a post--#971 was taken
> across the road from the hawk and from high enough that you can see
> the shadow of a traffic sign on the road:
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/67iqpmw.jpg
>
> Pretty soon I was looking directly across the road:
>
> http://i16.tinypic.com/4xpei4h.jpg
>
> The hawk kept eating.
>
> Two cars came up the dam road, ignoring everything on both sides of
> the road, a third went by downhill towing a boat, with its driver
> glaring at me, and finally a fellow on a touring bike pedalled
> downhill, completely oblivious to the hawk, but waving at me.
>
> I walked downhill in a gentle arc, crossing the road, and took some
> more pictures looking back uphill toward the bluffs that I pedal
> toward every day. This is #981:
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/67dsoaq.jpg
>
> The hawk just kept stuffing itself.
>
> I walked slowly past the hawk in the grass on its side of the road and
> took a few pictures. This is #984:
>
> http://i14.tinypic.com/4mciwm0.jpg
>
> The hawk looked up, but didn't mind.
>
> A little past the hawk, I sat down, facing away, turned, and took a
> few pictures looking up from about twenty feet away. This is the last,
> #992, and shows how big the hawk's feet are:
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/66jacmp.jpg
>
> The hawk finally had enough, either of the snake or my bad table
> manners, and flew off. From #952 to #992 took just under nine minutes
> for 41 pictures.
>
> Here's an old picture of the sign and the wooden barrier at the same
> spot:
>
> http://i17.tinypic.com/4uymw00.jpg
>
> The hawk would be to the right. The zoom foreshortens things
> considerably--the truck is half a mile away, the trees a mile, and the
> bluff top close to three miles.
>
> The trick is to work with a hawk that's used to hunting along roads,
> keep your face turned away while you move, walk in curves around your
> quarry instead of toward it, pick a hawk that's awfully hungry--and
> then get lucky.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carl Fogel

I have some doves that hang around my house. I went out to my car one day
and saw a small hawk or falcon in the middle of the street chowing down on
a bird it had just taken.

Passing cars had to drive around him. I was feeling a little sad because I
thought he had one of the doves. I slowly approached to about 5 feet away
and saw that he had a pigeon not a dove - Bon Appétit....

Chas.

 

[G.T.]

"* * Chas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I have some doves that hang around my house. I went out to my car one day
> and saw a small hawk or falcon in the middle of the street chowing down on
> a bird it had just taken.
>
> Passing cars had to drive around him. I was feeling a little sad because I
> thought he had one of the doves. I slowly approached to about 5 feet away
> and saw that he had a pigeon not a dove - Bon Appétit....
>

All the same Columbidae to me, you say tomato, I say tomato.

Greg
--
Ticketbastard tax tracker:
http://ticketmastersucks.org/tracker.html

Dethink to survive - Mclusky

 

[* * Chas]

"G.T." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "* * Chas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > I have some doves that hang around my house. I went out to my car one
day
> > and saw a small hawk or falcon in the middle of the street chowing
down on
> > a bird it had just taken.
> >
> > Passing cars had to drive around him. I was feeling a little sad
because I
> > thought he had one of the doves. I slowly approached to about 5 feet
away
> > and saw that he had a pigeon not a dove - Bon Appétit....
> >
>
> All the same Columbidae to me, you say tomato, I say tomato.
>
> Greg
> --

"Pigeons and doves are in the order Columbiformes and family Columbidae.
There are five subfamilies within Columbidae, 42 genera and 308 species.
They are easily recognizable and have a world-wide distribution (although
they are not found in Antarctica)."

NO winged rats in Antarctica!

In SF minced squab was a popular item on the menus at a lot of Asian
restaurants. Someone noticed a reduction in the number of pigeons in the
local city parks.....

Chas.

 

[[email protected]]

On Wed, 23 May 2007 13:41:41 -0700, "* * Chas"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
>>
>> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road on
>> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
>>
>> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
>>
>> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
>> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the scene.
>>
>> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was--yes,
>> those are ribs.
>>
>> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
>>
>> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
>>
>> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
>>
>> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
>>
>> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
>>
>> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
>>
>> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
>>
>> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Carl Fogel
>
>So which one is the immigrant from Jamaica" and I've never seen a pink
>snake in the wild. What kind is it?
>
>When I lived in NM the neighbor kids used to go 'falconing" with a red
>tailed hawk.

[snip]

Dear Chas,

A) Google your childhood bird's scientific name and its odd history.

Hawks along the front range of the Rockies can be maddeningly varied
in their plumage and difficult to identify in flight, but this one was
kind enough to pose, displaying the unbarred underside of its tail
feathers and near-spotless white leggings.

B) A racer, red.

In south-east Colorado, the normally black western coachwhip is a
beautiful dusty pink. Here's a relative of the deceased:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/msg/6b8da54e7bac1b65

Cheers,

Carolus L.

 

[* * Chas]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 23 May 2007 13:41:41 -0700, "* * Chas"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> ><[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
> >>
> >> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road on
> >> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
> >>
> >> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
> >>
> >> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
> >> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the scene.
> >>
> >> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was--yes,
> >> those are ribs.
> >>
> >> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
> >>
> >> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
> >>
> >> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> Carl Fogel
> >
> >So which one is the immigrant from Jamaica" and I've never seen a pink
> >snake in the wild. What kind is it?
> >
> >When I lived in NM the neighbor kids used to go 'falconing" with a red
> >tailed hawk.
>
> [snip]
>
> Dear Chas,
>
> A) Google your childhood bird's scientific name and its odd history.
>
> Hawks along the front range of the Rockies can be maddeningly varied
> in their plumage and difficult to identify in flight, but this one was
> kind enough to pose, displaying the unbarred underside of its tail
> feathers and near-spotless white leggings.
>
> B) A racer, red.
>
> In south-east Colorado, the normally black western coachwhip is a
> beautiful dusty pink. Here's a relative of the deceased:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/msg/6b8da54e7bac1b65
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carolus L.

The scientific name is Buteo jamaicensis but I couldn't find any link to
Jamaica.

Many years ago we were taking an early spring ride on NM Hwy 6 near Rio
Puerco. It was a warm day and the grass alongside the road was already
about a foot high. I was riding close to the edge of the road due to the
behavior of the local 4 wheeled varmints.

I ran over 2 prairie rattlers (Crotalus viridis) that were laying part way
out of the grass. They must have just come out of hibernation because I
found about 3 or 4 more on the road. I got off the bike and chased them
off of the road with my Silca pump (fully extended) so that they wouldn't
get run over by a car. NM prairie rattlers in that area only get about 20"
long and they are a dusty tan color. They keep the rodent population in
check.

Chas. Linus

 

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 24 May 2007 18:45:20 -0700, "* * Chas"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Wed, 23 May 2007 13:41:41 -0700, "* * Chas"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> ><[email protected]> wrote in message
>> >news:[email protected]...
>> >> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
>> >>
>> >> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road on
>> >> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
>> >>
>> >> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
>> >>
>> >> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
>> >> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the scene.
>> >>
>> >> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera was--yes,
>> >> those are ribs.
>> >>
>> >> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
>> >>
>> >> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
>> >>
>> >> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
>> >>
>> >> Cheers,
>> >>
>> >> Carl Fogel
>> >
>> >So which one is the immigrant from Jamaica" and I've never seen a pink
>> >snake in the wild. What kind is it?
>> >
>> >When I lived in NM the neighbor kids used to go 'falconing" with a red
>> >tailed hawk.
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>> Dear Chas,
>>
>> A) Google your childhood bird's scientific name and its odd history.
>>
>> Hawks along the front range of the Rockies can be maddeningly varied
>> in their plumage and difficult to identify in flight, but this one was
>> kind enough to pose, displaying the unbarred underside of its tail
>> feathers and near-spotless white leggings.
>>
>> B) A racer, red.
>>
>> In south-east Colorado, the normally black western coachwhip is a
>> beautiful dusty pink. Here's a relative of the deceased:
>>
>> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/msg/6b8da54e7bac1b65
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Carolus L.
>
>The scientific name is Buteo jamaicensis but I couldn't find any link to
>Jamaica.

[snip]

>Chas. Linus

Dear Chas,

The hawk was first described where people who described such things in
latin were thick on the ground. Here's a typical explanation:

"What is the scientific name?"

"Buteo jamaicensis Pronounced BEW-tee-oh jah-may-ih-SEN-sis"

"What does it mean?"

"'Jamaican hawk.' Buteo is Latin for 'falcon' or hawk. 'Jamaicensis'
is the Latinized version of Jamaica, an island in the West Indies. The
first specimens of red-tailed hawk to be classified came from
Jamaica."

http://home.sou.edu/~rible/wildlife/redtail.html

Later, naturalists reached the interior of the less hospitable lands
north of the Gulf of Mexico and discovered that Buteo j. was no more
limited to Jamaica than the Norway rat was limited to western
Scandinavia.

See Carl Hiaasen's "Strip Tease" for more Jamaican predators turning
up in the Rockies, dumping a geek drowned in a Florida bath tub into a
Montana trout river.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

 

[* * Chas]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 24 May 2007 18:45:20 -0700, "* * Chas"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> ><[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> On Wed, 23 May 2007 13:41:41 -0700, "* * Chas"
> >> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> ><[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> >news:[email protected]...
> >> >> Caution: increasingly gruesome pictures.
> >> >>
> >> >> I came upon this gory scene next to the no-shoulder two-lane road
on
> >> >> my daily ride and took pictures from different angles.
> >> >>
> >> >> The victim, a racer (red for speed) was not wearing a helmet.
> >> >>
> >> >> According to authorities, the assailant (it was obviously no
> >> >> accident)is a naturalized immigrant from Jamaica, who fled the
scene.
> >> >>
> >> >> The shadow in the last picture shows how close the camera
was--yes,
> >> >> those are ribs.
> >> >>
> >> >> Click on the lower right to view full size in Explorer.
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i3.tinypic.com/6hft9br.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/6g2lso8.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/61ju64l.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i13.tinypic.com/6f5kbr9.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i14.tinypic.com/4ub2qsi.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i18.tinypic.com/62fvi3r.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> http://i17.tinypic.com/52nx1ef.jpg
> >> >>
> >> >> Cheers,
> >> >>
> >> >> Carl Fogel
> >> >
> >> >So which one is the immigrant from Jamaica" and I've never seen a
pink
> >> >snake in the wild. What kind is it?
> >> >
> >> >When I lived in NM the neighbor kids used to go 'falconing" with a
red
> >> >tailed hawk.
> >>
> >> [snip]
> >>
> >> Dear Chas,
> >>
> >> A) Google your childhood bird's scientific name and its odd history.
> >>
> >> Hawks along the front range of the Rockies can be maddeningly varied
> >> in their plumage and difficult to identify in flight, but this one
was
> >> kind enough to pose, displaying the unbarred underside of its tail
> >> feathers and near-spotless white leggings.
> >>
> >> B) A racer, red.
> >>
> >> In south-east Colorado, the normally black western coachwhip is a
> >> beautiful dusty pink. Here's a relative of the deceased:
> >>
> >> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/msg/6b8da54e7bac1b65
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> Carolus L.
> >
> >The scientific name is Buteo jamaicensis but I couldn't find any link
to
> >Jamaica.
>
> [snip]
>
> >Chas. Linus
>
> Dear Chas,
>
> The hawk was first described where people who described such things in
> latin were thick on the ground. Here's a typical explanation:
>
> "What is the scientific name?"
>
> "Buteo jamaicensis Pronounced BEW-tee-oh jah-may-ih-SEN-sis"
>
> "What does it mean?"
>
> "'Jamaican hawk.' Buteo is Latin for 'falcon' or hawk. 'Jamaicensis'
> is the Latinized version of Jamaica, an island in the West Indies. The
> first specimens of red-tailed hawk to be classified came from
> Jamaica."
>
> http://home.sou.edu/~rible/wildlife/redtail.html
>
> Later, naturalists reached the interior of the less hospitable lands
> north of the Gulf of Mexico and discovered that Buteo j. was no more
> limited to Jamaica than the Norway rat was limited to western
> Scandinavia.
>
> See Carl Hiaasen's "Strip Tease" for more Jamaican predators turning
> up in the Rockies, dumping a geek drowned in a Florida bath tub into a
> Montana trout river.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carl Fogel

On a slightly different note, tumbleweed is not native to North America.
In the late 1800s immigrant farmers from the Ukraine settled in western
Canada.

Russian thistle - Salsola kali (tumbleweed) seeds were mixed in with the
flax seeds that they planted. In less than 100 years tumble weed spread
throughout North America. Have you ever been hit by a large tumbleweed
blowing across the road? It's enough to knock you off the bike.

Chas.

 

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 24 May 2007 23:56:24 -0700, "* * Chas"
<[email protected]> wrote:

[snip]

>Have you ever been hit by a large tumbleweed
>blowing across the road?

[snip]

Dear Chas,

http://i1.tinypic.com/2dir7t0.jpg

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

> See Carl Hiaasen's "Strip Tease" for more Jamaican predators turning
> up in the Rockies, dumping a geek drowned in a Florida bath tub into a
> Montana trout river.

Perhaps his best book of many good ones.
"Skinny Dip" is very enjoyable.

--
Michael Press

 

[rosco]

> Last time I watched an eagle kill and eat a snake was near the Rogue
> River in a somewhat wild part of Oregon.
>
> I'm going to begin carrying my camera with me more often, but I do wish
> there was an easy way to combine bicycling and 8 x 10 format plates, not
> to mention the bellows, sufficiently sturdy tripod, etc.
>
> --
> Ted Bennett


Haven't done 8x10, but easily have done 4x5 out of a BOB trailer. With
careful packing should be able to handle 8x10 as well. Used a bunch of
extra foam padding as I was a bit worried what all the bumps would do to all
the mechanical stuff that makes up LF gear.