Spiders and Snakes

[Laurel Godley]

Oh you poor silly boys...

Seriously though, I used to pooh, pooh the idea of electronic leases (cell 
phones) but since taking up this hobby, I've decided that they are a swell 
thing(sorry Mark, no pun intended).  I hadn't given much thought to spider, 
wasp, or even scorpion bites.  I did see a rattler right here in silicon 
valley (really there are still 1 or 2 green spots left in the valley)last 
year though...

It got me thinking about the whole thing.  I figure I'm more than likely to 
twist an ankle or fall down a ravine (well the chalcedona does like some 
pretty rough terrain!)  So do you think I have to worry about stalkers here, 
now, in my most innocent and relaxing of hobbies?  What a pity.  Can't a gal 
just get away from it all, worry included.  Sad, truely, truely sad.  Good 
thing I'm all paid up on my phone bill.

On a happier note, the wonderous spring rains are keeping the pollen count 
low.  I might actually make it through Acacia season without having to 
re-invest in the pharmacetical companies.  Looking forward to the spring 
leps, the true heralds of spring in my book.

Cheers and good health!
Laurel


>From: Stelenes at aol.com
>Reply-To: Stelenes at aol.com
>To: MWalker at gensym.com, leps-l at lists.yale.edu
>Subject: Re: Spiders and Snakes
>Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 22:46:56 EST
>
>Mark Walker wrote:
>
> >I've shared many of the hazards associated with butterflying in remote
> >locations before, perhaps in an attempt to offset the image of the wimpy
> >butterfly collector.  When I think of what it took to travel to some of
> >these locations back in the second and third decades of last century, it
> >truly amazes me.
>
>
>
>Mark, a note of caution...
>
>I just read your homage to "wimpy butterfly collectors" who were really
>venerated explorers in disguise and snickered a bit when you mentioned your
>inspiration for this thread was partly the half-pint of a spider that stung
>you.  (Hope you still have the finger, you never said which one it was you
>waved at the motorists.)
>
>One thing to add to that romanticized image of the "'last' (20th) century":
>While I agree that getting there was typically quite a feat for those lucky
>few early Lepidopterists who chanced upon this nascent Shangri-La of
>entomology, it is hard to overlook that today's challenges can be greater,
>though not accompanied by a theme of virgin adventure.  I had an experience
>on Sunday which sadly is relevant to the difference betwixt now and yore.
>
>I worked all weekend on mundane projects as the rain continued.  A couple
>hours before sunset on Sunday, the light had potential.
>
>It was late Sunday afternoon and I was in the foothills of the California
>Coastal Mountain range.  The moon was at least a gibbous one, but the short
>spurt of sunlight the late afternoon offered quickly was swallowed by the
>darkness when a thick cloud cover enveloped everything.  The only sounds 
>were
>the squashing and suction crackle from my boots on the muddy path; then the
>trickling roar of the river 1000 feet below in the canyon.  Alone, an hour
>away from my vehicle.  A place a mind could get the wrong idea about 
>knurled
>stumps and my vision was about as good as a planarian's (or should I say a
>faded monochrome monitor eking out gray scale).  It was refreshingly
>frightening, imagining that somewhere around here might be a bear like on 
>the
>California State flag; the Grizzlies wherever they lived were long ago
>banished to the Unhappy Hunting Grounds where all the beauty still resides.
>
>I reflected, none of God's creations could spoil the wonderful tranquility
>and the frightful emotions of darkness, controlled, were quite pleasurable.
>Was there ever such a creature which when understood and respected could be 
>a
>menace?
>
>The digital altimeter dial was no longer visible, except half way down, I
>imagined that the leading one had vanished.  But how splendid it all was, 
>one
>could always run like the dickens to confound any spoilspirits in evil
>pursuit.
>
>AS I APPROACHED THE RIVER AT 500 FEET, AND NEARED THE TRIBUTARY OF A DIRT
>ROAD WHERE I HAD UNOBTRUSIVELY CACHED MY VEHICLE ALONG THE OLD HIGHWAY,
>UNQUESTIONABLY, FEAR PULSATED THROUGHOUT THE PEACEFUL REQUIEM.  WHY?  THE
>DANGERS OF THE HUMAN RABBLE ONE MIGHT MEET, AND THE PLEASURE WAS GONE.
>
>FAR WORSE THAN MUTATED GIGANTIC ARACHNID RUNNING AMOK, SUPPOSE SOME EVIL 
>MAN
>HAD STAKED A VIGIL OF MY VEHICLE, MAKING THE SMALL CLEARING WHERE IT LAY
>DORMANT HIS PARLOR?
>
>I was lucky once again, with my modern defense of a remote key and sprint
>into the vehicle.  Though, the cakes of mud on the floor remain as a 
>tribute
>to this sad source of danger.  Sometimes I think one would have better fate
>if captured by cannibals rather than modern day lurkers.
>
>Best wishes.
>
>Doug Dawn
>Woodland, CA
>Monterrey, Mexico
>
>

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