On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:14:44 CST, "Gareee©"
wrote:

I was lucky today, and our "Bob" just happened to be far enough away out of
the pond for me to drop him into a large plastic trash can,. and dump him in
the nearest large lake.

While his head was pinky sized, I'd say his length was 16 inches or so.

So now the wife (and any fry) can breathe a sigh of relief, until the next
Bob shows up.

I haven't seen my Bob in over a month. The pond, or rather what's
left of it, (we still have had no rain to speak of -- less than 1/10
of an inch this month) seems to be a happier place, with carefree
frogs lounging about and tadpoles swimming around as though they
hadn't a care in the world. If Bob shows up again he may be "invited"
to leave.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

"Galen Hekhuis" wrote in message

I haven't seen my Bob in over a month. The pond, or rather what's
left of it, (we still have had no rain to speak of -- less than 1/10
of an inch this month) seems to be a happier place, with carefree
frogs lounging about and tadpoles swimming around as though they
hadn't a care in the world. If Bob shows up again he may be "invited"
to leave.

We've still had very little rain here as well.. had a nice shower yesterday
for about 4 hours, to that helped. After the harsh last cold snap did a lot
of damage to plants and trees around (killing off my damned Japanese maple!)
the lack of rain is still effecting everything.. my hostas are easily 1/2
the size they were last year, and my raspberries are barely clinging onto
life.

I'd say a lot of plant grow is 3-4 week behind their usual timetable,
because of this.

I've yet to get a tomato from the garden yet.. just strawberries, asparagus,
and snap peas.

I don't think there are even any baby pumpkins growing yet either. And I've
seen no oyster mushrooms at all, because of the drought.

--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:16:58 CST, "Gareee©"
wrote:

We've still had very little rain here as well.. had a nice shower yesterday
for about 4 hours, to that helped. After the harsh last cold snap did a lot
of damage to plants and trees around (killing off my damned Japanese maple!)
the lack of rain is still effecting everything.. my hostas are easily 1/2
the size they were last year, and my raspberries are barely clinging onto
life.

I moved north from the west side of Florida (about 90 mi north of
Tampa) up to where I am now by the intersection of I-75 and I-10, in
beautiful, historic, northern Florida. I moved from a scrub oak kind
of arid geography into a much wetter area by the Suwannee River, but
it sure hasn't been wetter this year at all. I watch the radar, and
even what little rain there is seems to consistently miss our little
corner of the county.

I'd say a lot of plant grow is 3-4 week behind their usual timetable,
because of this.

I've yet to get a tomato from the garden yet.. just strawberries, asparagus,
and snap peas.

There's a tomato farm I pass on the way to town that they just gave up
on.

I don't think there are even any baby pumpkins growing yet either. And I've
seen no oyster mushrooms at all, because of the drought.

Galen Hekhuis wrote:

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:16:58 CST, "Gareee©"
wrote:

We've still had very little rain here as well.. had a nice shower
yesterday for about 4 hours, to that helped. After the harsh last cold
snap did a lot of damage to plants and trees around (killing off my damned
Japanese maple!)

How cold was that? They survive our winters in Nova Scotia.

I moved north from the west side of Florida (about 90 mi north of
Tampa) up to where I am now by the intersection of I-75 and I-10, in
beautiful, historic, northern Florida. I moved from a scrub oak kind
of arid geography into a much wetter area by the Suwannee River, but
it sure hasn't been wetter this year at all. I watch the radar, and
even what little rain there is seems to consistently miss our little
corner of the county.

You can have some of ours. I live off-grid, and had to start up the
generator again tonight. I need sun!!!!

I'd say a lot of plant grow is 3-4 week behind their usual timetable,
because of this.

I've yet to get a tomato from the garden yet.. just strawberries,
asparagus, and snap peas.

Hear that sound?? It's thousands of tiny little violins :-) (well, it might
actually be the locusts...). Up here, even with the greenhouse, it's
August before we get tomatoes. My asparagus has just finished (though
that's because we went away for a week and it bolted - if we'd kept up with
it, it would still be pickable).
--
derek
- Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated
moderators.

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
We've still had very little rain here as well.. had a nice shower
yesterday for about 4 hours, to that helped. After the harsh last cold
snap did a lot of damage to plants and trees around (killing off my
damned
Japanese maple!)

How cold was that? They survive our winters in Nova Scotia.

I forget honestly, bu tit was late april, and many plants were already
trying to take off. We see dead branches on a lot of local trees and stuff
in our yard that were doing great the year before.. and it wasn;t one
freeze, it was two, about 2 weeks apart in april. The first one killed off
all the leaves that were budding off a lot of trees, and then they tried to
come back, with 2 weeks of 70 degree weather, and then the second freeze
nailed all that new regrowth.

Hear that sound?? It's thousands of tiny little violins :-) (well, it
might
actually be the locusts...). Up here, even with the greenhouse, it's
August before we get tomatoes. My asparagus has just finished (though
that's because we went away for a week and it bolted - if we'd kept up
with
it, it would still be pickable).

I read if you keep cutting back asparagus, that you'l keep getting edible
shoots all season long.

It's been working on our 1 3 year plant here, but we have a bunch of 1 year
plants that are still too young to harvest from.

--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

Hi all..

I was lucky today, and our "Bob" just happened to be far
enough away out of the pond for me to drop him into a
large plastic trash can,. and dump him in the nearest
large lake.
I haven't seen my Bob in over a month.

Sorry but what's exactly a Bob..?

Thanks..!
--
cu
Marco, capable of learning..

On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 11:04:19 CST, Marco Schwarz
wrote:

Hi all..

I was lucky today, and our "Bob" just happened to be far
enough away out of the pond for me to drop him into a
large plastic trash can,. and dump him in the nearest
large lake.
I haven't seen my Bob in over a month.

Sorry but what's exactly a Bob..?

Thanks..!

My Bob was a 4 1/2 foot Florida water snake.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Hell hath no fury like a bird in the hand

Hi..

My Bob was a 4 1/2 foot Florida water snake.

Thanks Galen..!
--
cu
Marco

Galen Hekhuis wrote:
Sorry but what's exactly a Bob..?

Thanks..!

My Bob was a 4 1/2 foot Florida water snake.


Ok, I have to know this: was this groups' habit of naming snakes "Bob"
going on before I joined the group? Or is it something I started (my
wife and kids have been naming all snakes "Bob" for about 3 years now,
the first being a 6' eastern coachwhip).


--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

"Chris Barnes" wrote

Ok, I have to know this: was this groups' habit of naming snakes "Bob"
going on before I joined the group? Or is it something I started (my
wife and kids have been naming all snakes "Bob" for about 3 years now, the
first being a 6' eastern coachwhip).

It your post was earlier this year, then yeah it's your fault. I adopted it,
since all the regulars knew what I was talking about.

Now you are the stuff of legends.....


--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:35:52 CST, Chris Barnes
wrote:

Ok, I have to know this: was this groups' habit of naming snakes "Bob"
going on before I joined the group? Or is it something I started (my
wife and kids have been naming all snakes "Bob" for about 3 years now,
the first being a 6' eastern coachwhip).

I named my snake "Bob" because I asked the group what I should name
it. I got several suggestions, but "Bob" was short, easy to spell,
and happens to be a word I can say. So Bob it was, but like I've
said, I haven't seen the snake around for a long time. When Bob was
around the whole pond was quiet, but wound up tight like a coiled
spring. Now frogs are sitting around on lily pads, tadpoles are
swimming, bugs are buzzing, the whole place seems much happier and
more relaxed. The whole place seems less tense.

Anyway, if and when Bob returns he might find an entirely different
"welcome" from what he experienced before. I haven't decided exactly
what I'll do, I'm just kind of hoping that I won't have to deal with
such a situation. I live out in the boonies in northern Florida, a
good ten minutes drive from the nearest "town," which, although it is
the county seat, isn't exactly big. I live where most folks would
relocate their snakes *to*. In any event, there would be another
"Bob" to replace the one I relocated, if I were to do so. Netting is
out of the question, the pond is much to large for that. Any
suggestions?
--
Galen Hekhuis
We'll cross that bridge when it rears its ugly head

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:20:40 CST, Galen Hekhuis
wrote:

When Bob was around the whole pond was quiet, but wound up tight like a coiled
spring. Now frogs are sitting around on lily pads, tadpoles are
swimming, bugs are buzzing, the whole place seems much happier and
more relaxed. The whole place seems less tense.

I have a similar story. When we started up the new filter on the lily pond,
many of the tadpoles slipped thru the bottom drain into the pre-filter. I
figured this was good, they were safe there. They could climb out when the
time came, can't get sucked into pump, and most of all, away from the fish
I was putting in the pond.

Several days after I put in 3 fantails and 4 wakins, my son informs me that
one of the fantails is in the pre-filter. I net him out and find only 1 or
2 tadpoles. :-( Next day, a few more tadpoles show up so I figure the fish
didn't get them all. Later that same day, fantail is again in the
prefilter, no tadpoles to be seen. So back to the stock tank, no more
chasing tadpoles. The next morning I check the pre-filter to make sure no
one else has taken the ride, and tons of tadpoles and little froglets,
swimming and hanging out. So I think they must have hidden in the muck at
the bottom while that fantail was in there... tense!

I can't find a single taddie in the pond, unless I disturb some of the
thicker SA I was hoping to remove. Guess I'll wait on that. So far the fish
are happy, and no one had turned up missing by flight. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Galen Hekhuis wrote:
Anyway, if and when Bob returns he might find an entirely different
"welcome" from what he experienced before. I haven't decided exactly
what I'll do, I'm just kind of hoping that I won't have to deal with
such a situation. I live out in the boonies in northern Florida, a
good ten minutes drive from the nearest "town," which, although it is
the county seat, isn't exactly big. I live where most folks would
relocate their snakes *to*. In any event, there would be another
"Bob" to replace the one I relocated, if I were to do so. Netting is
out of the question, the pond is much to large for that. Any
suggestions?


Generally speaking, I like having Bobs around. They are certainly
preferable to the other things that would be around if they weren't
(mice, rats, vols, even rabbits & skunks in my garden). But seeing as
how it was a water snake (which tend to eat more fish than rodents), I
can see why you would want it relocated.

If your pond is too large for a net, your only real alternative option
is a BB/pellet gun (an option I personally wouldn't like, but then
again, I like snakes).

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:32:05 CST, Chris Barnes wrote:

water snakes
If your pond is too large for a net, your only real alternative option
is a BB/pellet gun (an option I personally wouldn't like, but then
again, I like snakes).

Let's add, and be a really skilled shot, else your liner could suffer more
damage than any snake. ;-) ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:32:05 CST, Chris Barnes
wrote:

Generally speaking, I like having Bobs around.

And therein lies the problem, I kinda like snakes too. In my youth, I
used to keep a few around, at least until my mother and father found
out, I was a trying child. I've fed snakes, I've handled snakes, I've
spent some time identifying them and such.

They are certainly
preferable to the other things that would be around if they weren't
(mice, rats, vols, even rabbits & skunks in my garden). But seeing as
how it was a water snake (which tend to eat more fish than rodents), I
can see why you would want it relocated.

I have all of those anyway, except the voles.

If your pond is too large for a net, your only real alternative option
is a BB/pellet gun (an option I personally wouldn't like, but then
again, I like snakes).

I've not run across a BB gun yet that has either the power nor the
accuracy to dispatch much of anything. A BB gun might just anger the
snake, which, in the case of a venomous one, is not a particularly
smart thing to do. Besides, unless you pay attention, you are most
likely to end up with copper-clad BBs, and I'm not sure I'd want to
introduce copper into the pond. With pellet guns you can easily
achieve the power and accuracy needed. I have a supply of non-lead
pellets in .177 and .22. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the snake)
I am extremely reluctant to go that route.

The hassle is that the pond is so much more "laid back" now that the
snake isn't there. I can't really put my finger on it, but it seems
like the whole pond has breathed a sigh of relief. I got sort of a
perverse pleasure out of having a snake in my pond while it was there,
but while it hung around virtually nothing moved, and those critters
that did made quick, fearful movements.

In days past I'd have just waded into the pond, grabbed the snake, and
stuck it in one of the other ponds, but that is a bit beyond my
capabilities now. I've had some experience with the Hav-A-Hart type
traps but fail to see how that might be useful with a 4 1/2 footer. Is
it possible to trap such a snake?