Walking amongst the snakes!

[Streakn1]

Recently we picked up a jet engine in Arizona at whats called "The Bone Yard". This is where jetliners go to die and become donors! Once all that can be salvaged is stripped off of the jet the rest is usually cut up, shredded and recycled.

We had been warned about what to expect out there in the desert, snakes, and lots of them! Rattlers mind you, big ones! They go in search of shade during the day and will slither under anything that provides it. Plus they don't care if you are between them and the shade. We were also warned that whatever you do, don't get caught out there after dark, it would not be a good thing!

Needless to say, the whole time we were quickly tarping the engine before loading it onto our deck, we constantly scanned the ground around us for incoming snakes. Every step we took was cautiously placed. Each time we went anywhere near the truck we had to make sure none of those lethal critters had planted themselves underneath waiting to bite us. Our contact informed us that just before we showed up they had to chase one of those bad boys out from under the engine.

Despite the snakes, it was a really cool place to load and see the hundreds of old retired jets of every kind. You can bet we keep a snake bite kit in the truck now and the snake boots are on order!!!

 

[Bruno]

Wow, That sounds like a cool place. All those snakes would get to me. Glad your doing great with the Jet engine thing.

 

[layoutshooter]

Lot's of very large diamond backs down in the Florida Everglades. When I was fighting fires down there we had to were metal leggings. They did not have the nice fiberglass or kevlar like they have now. We once ran over one that was streched across a two track. The head was outside the right front tire of the pick-up and the tail was outside the left tire. BIG snake. We had to be careful at night, sometimes they would try to get up on the firefighting equipment to stay warm on the engines. It is not very fun to find a snake trying to get in bed with you!!!!!!! Layoutshooter

 

[pjjjjj]

Sounds like an adventure! So nice to hear you sound so much happier now too! And always nice to have 'contacts' to warn you about this stuff!

 

[TeamCaffee]

I am from that area and get teased often as I am always watching the ground and listening. Once you have heard a rattlesnake give you warning to move away from him you will never forget that sound. There are also many more wonderful and nasty little creatures in the desert that would love to sting you.

 

[CharlesD]

It is not very fun to find a snake trying to get in bed with you!!!!!!! Layoutshooter

This might happen more often if you're married to a politician.

 

[ATeam]

Snake Stories:

1. One summer in the New York mountains, where rattlesnakes are also found, I worked at a camp there. We caught one, killed it, skinned it and ate it. It tasted like chicken but had lots and lots of bones.

2. This one I heard from someone else but I like the story better. A guy got a water jug off a water cooler (they were made of thick glass then). He caught a rattlesnake and put it in the jug. He brought the jug into a bar and bet anyone who wanted to try that they could not keep their hand against the outside of the glass when the snake tried to strike through the glass. He walked out with a lot of money.

 

[nightcreacher]

Snake Stories:


2. This one I heard from someone else but I like the story better. A guy got a water jug off a water cooler (they were made of thick glass then). He caught a rattlesnake and put it in the jug. He brought the jug into a bar and bet anyone who wanted to try that they could not keep their hand against the outside of the glass when the snake tried to strike through the glass. He walked out with a lot of money.

Phil, that was in a cowboy movie I watched the other night.No one held their hand on the jug

 

[Streakn1]

All they had to do is close thier eyes and go with "Blind Faith"! LOL Guess the game rules didn't allow that.

 

[always confused]

years ago i lived down around san antonio. one evening was outside messing around doing alot of nothing. a neighbor came by and i went out to the fence and we started jawing... after a short while i noticed something bothering my foot. looked down and found i was standing on the tail of a baby rattler.... who was busy pecking at the side of my boot. didn't penetrate but the leather was wet.

rattlesnakes have proven to me that man has the ability to levitate. i know from personal experience that if in low light conditions you step on something squishy about the same time that buzz sounds you have no problem levitating about six feet up... ....

 

[Suds43]

Snakes!?!? No thanks, I'm outta of there!!!

 

[bgoveia]

There is an island off Florida panhandle called St. George island, neat place to visit. During world war II the military practiced beach landings here, day and night. Reading some history of the area it was told that at that time the island was infested with large eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and many men were bitten, eastern diamondbacks don't always rattle and normallly are waiting in ambush near animal trails. Some of the men doing night landings would then belly crawl through the bush and would get hit in the face, number of them died before ever getting into combat. Eastern diamondbacks commonly get 6 to 8 ft. long and 4 inches in diameter with 1 inch fangs, scary. In Florida they like to crawl into gopher tortise holes during winter. Talking to a naturalist for St. Marks Wildlife Refuge about rattlesnakes, he said because people usually kill them when they encounter them there numbers are low. He was telling me about taking a camera that is the type to shove down into debri looking for earthquake victims he acquired and was poking it into gopher tortise holes looking for snakes and turtles and 12 ft. back in one was a alligator, surprise!

 

[MSinger]

I read the headline and thought somebody walked in on a dispatcher meeting.

 

[nightcreacher]

I lived in Scottsdale Az back in the 80's,you always had to be careful where you walked as the desert was my back yard.Not just snakes,scorpions too,but no gaters.I know the bone yard,its not for me.Reminds me of a joke,but it cant be told on EO be hard to clean it up,pardon the pun,had to do with the Lone Ranger and is buddy Tonto,and a snake bite.

 

[Jack_Berry]

the late mother of a friend lived on that finger tip of virginia south of maryland for a few years. she would tell stories of black snakes in the area. they would hang from trees, try to get in the house and of course the black slithering highway ahead of you in your headlights at night.

like suds43 says.....no thanks!

 

[LDB]

Well, since every snake on the planet, living or dead, is poisonous I'd be very cautious too.

 

[redytrk]

Nver encountered snakes, but once a Aligator came out of the run off pond at the NASA launch pad when we were delivering. We never got out of the cab until a safe distance away. Took me and Carol hours to clean our drawers.

 

[Streakn1]

Good news! No snakes today, just big birds flying overhead.

After a few days off getting some maintenance done of the tractor we have positioned ourselves at MIA (Miami Int Airport). The Customs lot that we, along with other Av Freight haulers wait in is at the end of the runways. I love sitting out on the deck in my chair watching and photograghing the jets as they come in. If one ever under shoots the runway, well I'll be right in the way!