Not a fan of reptiles either... how old is your daughter?

It was the youngest. She's 3 and only 40lbs. A full dose of venom would have been very bad.

I have 2 more; 11 y/o and a 5y/o. Plus I have 2 nieces staying for the summer, ages 8 and 10.

All of them need new boots except the oldest. This going to be a record setting bill at Cavender's

 

She's 3 and only 40lbs

Oh my God... no wonder you were so freaked out! ...

well, I'm glad that nothing worse than your dog getting (slightly) hurt happened... and it's good that you're taking preventive measures... God bless

 

There are increasingly fewer of them in existence and I know there have been several threads on the subject, but here is my small pictorial homage to the, once mighty, "Shack"


With real live mercury.


These were for their ultra-low price plotter. An actual 4-pen plotter for home use!


Never did get it hooked up, but I will, some day.


My first meter.


..and it STILL works! (well, after I cleaned out all the corrosion from the old battery that I left in there)

 

I remember the voice recognition chip. Always wanted one could not afford it. $10!

I still have their FET VOM.

 

I remember the voice recognition chip. Always wanted one could not afford it. $10!

I still have their FET VOM.

That's a nice meter and yep, $10 was a heck of a lot for a chip - but the thought of issuing *voice* commands was too compelling (but not so compelling that I ever followed up). So, I just now did a search for VCP200 and there is a bunch of material on this item! One even sold on the bay for $37 a couple of years ago. As if I didn't have enough distractions to keep me from doing umm "productive" stuff.

 

"Big" snakes I think are less often venomous. Like massive boa constrictors.

Yeah, well, I live in Florida. If you ever meet one, you better have a good knife or one of those really awful guns that have no purpose in a civilized society.
[s/off]

 

Yeah, well, I live in Florida. If you ever meet one, you better have a good knife or one of those really awful guns that have no purpose in a civilized society.
[s/off]

or a flame thrower...

 

"Big" snakes I think are less often venomous. Like massive boa constrictors. I think your "irrational" fear might be based on subconscious science.

Boa's as I understand are can get big. Very Dangerous, over 10' can rap the torso. They seem to be tricky, the bite hooks the prey 2 fangs non-venomous, they typically bite the head of the prey and rap, suffocating by constriction. You and I might be able to get free, small dogs or cats or children have little chance. I'm not sure if they have found refuge in the Texas area, but I understand they have found some in Florida. I wouldn't be surprised if Cotton Mouths are on the menu.

kv

Edit: Some small Alligators are on the menu.

 

Record-Breaking Burmese Python (17 feet, 7 inches, 87 eggs)
https://www.fort.usgs.gov/sites/gia...ch-challenge/giant-constrictor-snakes-florida

can grow to over 20 ft. long and more than 250 pounds,
https://www.windstar.org/uncategorized/giant-constrictor-snakes-invade-florida/

Other species — among them raccoons, deer, opossums and bobcats — are close to being wiped out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/us/the-burmese-python-snake-thats-eating-florida.html

They are up to eating deer, successfully.
I have seen photos of a man who was eaten by a constrictor and an alligator which burst the constrictor after it was killed and swallowed, but I didn't feel like doing those searches. Point is, if they can successfully eat a deer, they can successfully eat you or me. Man is not the top predator in the Everglades. Take a friend, take a knife, take a gun, or even a flame thrower if you want something more than luck to get you out alive.

 

Don't think Oz has boas in the wild, but every other life form there seems out to get you .
Here's a snap of something my son found in the driveway of the house he was renting :

It's a male Sydney funnel-web spider. About 4cm x 3cm.
One bite from that and you're a gonner if you don't get anti-venom within the hour!
It can kill humans and horses, but (like with Walter in post #550) just leaves cats and dogs woozy for a day or so.
This particular spider had been zombied with an anti-spider aerosol before posing for its picture. I wasn't taking any chances!

 

The Land of Oz also has Dingos. A pack of wild dogs can take down a human like ordering a pizza.
They also have some excellent snakes, a bird (Cassowary), and salt water crocodiles that can do the job alone.
Their underwater denizens are enough to rule out swimming. (cone snail, blue ringed octopus, box jelly fish)
Gosh, I feel safer with alligators in every freshwater pond and some 10 foot constrictors slowly moving north.
The bears, boars, and a few snakes that would rather avoid me don't seem to count for much.

 

I once had a travel guide about visiting Australia and two relevant points they made was that if you go for walk-about Carry a stick and Never put your hand/arm into a Hole of Any kind.
Max.

 

I once had a travel guide about visiting Australia and two relevant points they made was that if you go for walk-about Carry a stick and Never put your hand/arm into a Hole of Any kind.
Max.

Keep your stick out of foreign holes. Got it.

 

My son Pablo is traveling through Scandinavia for the summer... here's a picture of him conquering one of the mountains surrounding the Norwegian fjords:

​

 

My son Pablo is traveling through Scandinavia for the summer...

Considering his name I would have thought he may have paid a visit to the Iberian Peninsula?
Max.

 

Considering his name I would have thought he may have paid a visit to the Iberian Peninsula?
Max.

As a matter of fact, it's on his traveling plans. He's in norway visiting my brother's family. But they'll be heading off to Spain and Portugal in a few days.

 

According to my DNA test, I have 2% from Iberia. You never know about the long distant past!!!
Max.

 

My son Pablo is traveling through Scandinavia for the summer.

When he gets to Denmark, have him take a moment of silence to honor my great grandparents.

 

When he gets to Denmark, have him take a moment of silence to honor my great grandparents.

Why can't he (respectfully) honor them in a loud party?

 

Why can't he (respectfully) honor them in a loud party?

That will work. Just call it an Irish Funeral.