Wapsi Square Forum

lake_wrangler wrote:

Hansontoons wrote:Sarge-I hope you weren't too upset that I didn't drag my worthless rear end out your direction. I do want to return again, so there's potential that I'll yet darken your door!

Now, why would you go and vandalize his door, like that? What if he likes his door to be lightly colored? And are you going to darken it with paint, permanent marker, or a propane torch? That makes a difference, come cleanup time...

lake_wrangler wrote:Oh, by the way... nice photos. Seriously. Thanks for sharing.

(Living vicariously through other people's photos...)

And thanks. iFone 6 and Nikon D5000 used to record the images.

Besides, the hiking around at altitudes that were a little above seal level left this poor ol' flatlander a little short of breath at times.

For the most part, the Olympics aren't high enough that simply hiking around at altitudes the seals won't go to is an issue... the catch is that there's so much changing of altitude. (Also, it's virtually all wild forest - which means that when the ground itself isn't up-and-down, you're frequently clambering over logs. Unless you're on prepared trails.)

Warrl wrote:

Besides, the hiking around at altitudes that were a little above seal level left this poor ol' flatlander a little short of breath at times.

For the most part, the Olympics aren't high enough that simply hiking around at altitudes the seals won't go to is an issue... the catch is that there's so much changing of altitude. (Also, it's virtually all wild forest - which means that when the ground itself isn't up-and-down, you're frequently clambering over logs. Unless you're on prepared trails.)

I spent my time in the Hurricane Ridge area on good trails. I'm just not in shape to go tromping around at that elevation.

I was sort of on a schedule and burned too much time at HR so didn't take time in the rainforest areas, figured see them next time. The photos on the beach were a simple 15 minute stop at beach access #4 (if I recall correctly) on the west side of the park.

"Sarge-I hope you weren't too upset that I didn't drag my worthless rear end out your direction. I do want to return again, so there's potential that I'll yet darken your door!"

Whelp- I am disappointed, but I'll get over it. If you can make it my way next time 'round that'll be grand. We can flop you here should you need it.

Some of us, the problem is distance and time. Especially those of us who are a bit far from the beaten path.

I really liked that area the times I spent at Fort Lewis and Yakima. I couldn't even guess how much time I spent stomping around all over Mt. Rainier, or admiring the huge numbers of sand dollars on the beach at. . .Point Defiance, I think it was. There were also the legendary banana slugs, of course.

One of the times when I was at Mt. Rainier, there was a bit of fuss over some other hikers. One of them ended up getting a yeast infection and was all plugged up, and his friends decided that in order to get things free-flowing again they'd have him drink lots and lots of the beer that they'd brought along (I imagine that much of it had already been consumed by this point by all parties involved in the decision). Rather than unclogging him, it just made his bladder swell up to the point where it was in danger of rupturing. A helicopter was called in for him, but it was going to take a while to get there due to weather. So a park ranger or somebody such as that took a straw from drink pack and jabbed it through the guy's skin into his bladder to let the pressure off. Apparently it worked.

The lesson to be learned: always keep juice boxes with little pointy straws nearby when you're in Washington.

jwhouk wrote:Some of us, the problem is distance and time. Especially those of us who are a bit far from the beaten path.

Or devoid of time, as I understand it

A few nights ago at the park near Julie's new place.
(Sorry, I know phone camera + default settings + night time lit up by car headlights = crap quality)

The coyote that showed up the night before that ran away faster than I could snap a pic. FYI, this is in the city.

...are armadillos considered pests, or just critters? Or are they beneficial?

I hail from the frozen north, and have never actually even seen an armadillo with my own eyes. Not even in a zoo.

GlytchMeister wrote:...are armadillos considered pests, or just critters? Or are they beneficial?

They'll dig out lots of divots from your lawn and also tend to have issues with crossing roads in safety, but they're also one of the main predators of fire ants. So it depends on your priorities. Mostly they just shuffle around looking silly.

Catawampus wrote:

GlytchMeister wrote:...are armadillos considered pests, or just critters? Or are they beneficial?

They'll dig out lots of divots from your lawn and also tend to have issues with crossing roads in safety, but they're also one of the main predators of fire ants. So it depends on your priorities. Mostly they just shuffle around looking silly.

If I understand things correctly, armadillos sometimes carry leprosy. Avoid handling, REALLY avoid eating.

One of an armadillo's favorite defenses against predators is to jump straight up at the last moment, startling the predator away. However, this is not effective against motor vehicles (many of which could pass over the armadillo without touching it, if it just stayed down).

An iddy biddy spider seen on a walk this weekend.

Spiny orb weaver, common in my area.

I'd seen some like that, but I think the one I had seen was a different color. It was one of only two I had ever seen in person. The first I saw was when I was two or three, in Ft. Benning, GA, and the other was fairly recently in the woods next to my house.

That sort of spider is fairly common around here, though the local ones usually have red spikes.

...if that's a spider, all I see is an abdomen. I don't see the legs or the head...

GlytchMeister wrote:...if that's a spider, all I see is an abdomen. I don't see the legs or the head...

The view is from the top of the spider body. The legs are tucked under.

I'm curious now about the eyes etc, I'll try to remember to take a picture of the underside of the body when I see another one. I had two in my yard last week with webs strung through the azalea bushes, they're gone now though.

Of course Google is your friend if you look for Spiny Orb Weaver images. Work won't let me grab a good pic from the webz.

A bothersome local kept trying to steal my pancakes at breakfast this morning. Whatever happened to manners?

Catawampus wrote:A bothersome local kept trying to steal my pancakes at breakfast this morning. Whatever happened to manners?

I hope you slapped his paws real good, when he tried.

Camping breakfast pancakes are sacred!

Catawampus wrote:A bothersome local kept trying to steal my pancakes at breakfast this morning. Whatever happened to manners?

Yeah, but his tummy would have been soooo well stuffed... (Shh, Do you here that? It sounds like 'snoring...")