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Richard Meek '65

Good mornin' to all you Waltripians., Steve, that is a great picture of Roy Rogers. It does bring back great memories. I had forgotten what a beautiful animal Trigger was.Thanks for posting it. Jimmie Lee I was one of those lucky kids that got to shake hands with Roy at the rail of the arena. One of my grand dads always took me to the rodeo. After Roy shook my hand I rushed back to tell  him (this was told to me years later) that in addition to shaking his hand Roy knew my name. I was in heaven because he knew me. Roy had greeted me with "Howdy Red". Never entered my young brain that Red was a pretty likely nick name for every red headed kid! The innocence of youth. I liked the Rodeo and stock show when they were smaller. I remember the featured cowboys were around after the show so people could get pictures and shake hands. I remember getting to meet the Cisco Kid and Pancho as well as the Range Rider and Jim. It was better when it wasn't so huge.

Beau, I can get a mental image of you competing in the Olympics in the lawnmower toss. I think there is potential there to develop a Homeowners Olympics. it is mind bogling.

Keep on dancing,

Rich LH

Dance Like no one is watching!

Robert Derrick

Steve, ditto. Great photo. Jimmie Lee, we must find a way to post your video. I would love to slow motion it and look for myself. I think I made almost all those rodeos back then. (Jackie, any chance?)

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Robert, the rodeo home movies are now on DVD.  My brother had every one of the reels copied and I'm amazed at the quality.  I have no idea how we'd get it on The Forum, but if there's any possibility, I'll be glad to share them.

Teddie Jordan

One year a guy in my dad's Army reserve unit who worked at the colosseum during rodeo let our family come down and watch Roy Rogers and Dale Evans rehearse their show the night before they opened. We really enjoyed watching them as real people work through their rehearsal. They even argued a little a couple of times like a real married couple will do, and of course that really humanized them. We talked about that for years in our family. They were really good people.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Been so long ago, hard to tell what was real and imagined. I saw Roy and Trigger and Dale and Buttermilk, and Gene Autry and Annie Oakley and I think George "Gabby" Hayes was at one of the Rodeos. Oh, and Pat Butram with his jeep Nellie Bell was at the one with Roy and Dale. At least in my mind, I THINK thats how I remember it. I'm pretty sure I remember Pat buttram driving Nellie Belle on the floor of the arena and it backfiring, you know how it did in the movies...

Yup, the Colliseum was the best venue for the rodeo and fat stock show, in my humble opinion. I rode the rides at the carnival one year, and got sickern a dog. My sisters and cousins, It pains me to say, could ride any ride and not get sickness...not moi...guess I hadnt reached my "manly manhood" status back then. Well who did at 9 or 10 years old.

Cant conjure up any images of any of the other stars when it was at the coliseum, but when it moved to the Astro dome, saw Elvis one year, and Johnny Cash and June carter Cash. Didnt matter the magnitude of the star, the rodeo and fat stock show, was never the same again once it moved to the Atrodome, at least for me.

OH, I think the Lone Ranger (clayton Moore) was at one of the rodeos at the coliseum...and Tonto (Jay Silverheels)...I know yall remember the LRs horse...SILVER, but did you know that in the beginning, he called him "Dusty", that is until a new sponsor took over the show...SILVERCUP BREAD...And Tontos horse was "Scout", and also "White Feller" and "Paint"...

And we all know RR and DE horses were Trigger and Buttermilk respectively...and Gene Autrys horse was "Champion"...Most all the TV/Movie cowboys and girls lived in the San Fernando Valley, until land prices got so redicuously high, you had to be a fool not to cash in on the market. Gene Autry sold all of his holdings, exceopt for about 6 acres, so his horse Champion could live out his life in familiar surroundings.  Just somemore useless trivia that my brain conjures up for no apparent reason. I cant remember which teacher we had that said, "if you cant dazzle em with brilliance, snow em with BS" ...I think it was one of our teachers...coulda been a martian I suppose...

Someone mentioned The Cisco Kid, (Duncan Renaldo), and Pancho, (Leo Carillo)...remember their horses names???? Ciscos horse was "Diablo", and Panchos horse was "Loco"...
Zorros Horse???? "Tornado"...Robert E Lees horse??? "Traveler"...Andy Jacksons horse was "Truxton"...Ulesseys S Grants horse was, "Cincinnati"...And the only survivor of the Little Big Horn massacre was "Commanche", and for many years was said to be Custers horse, but it belonged to and was ridden on that day by Captain Miles W. Keough...Custor rode a horse named "Vic", which was slain at the Little Big Horn...General William Tecumseh Shermans horse was "Winchester"

Buffalo Bill, the real Buffalo Bill had two horse he favored, one that he road for show appearances, was a white horse named "Isham"...He used another horse as his hunting horse, "Old Charlie" ..."Old Charlie" died on the boat trip back from one of BB s european appearances, and was buried at sea in the atlantic...

Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) horse was "Toppper"...Here's an easy one, what was the horses name "National Velvet"???? Go ahead, think, I'll wait...time passes...yes, you are all correct, "PIE" was his name.
Here's a harder one...what was Kevin Costners Horses name in Dances With Wolves???
WOW, ok, you all got it right again, "Cisco"...Man, you guys are good...

Lots O useless and worthless trivia crowdin and cloudin up my mind...

I remember the rodeo parades mostly...one year it would be 30 degrees, and the next year 90 degrees...
One year my sisters High school marching band marched in the parade, and it was "blue cold" bout 30 degrees and wind was just a whippin down main street...Seems my sister was the only one that could make the bass clarinet sound like anything other than a frog, so she got selected to play it in the parade. The girls wore skirts...seems the powers to be, idiots mostly, wouldnt let the girls wear long pants, no matter how bad the weather was..."wasnt lady like"  ...OH BULLSHOOT...Sometimes peoples stupid gets in the way of common sense...I remember in our highschool days, didnt it have to be below 0 before they would let the girls wear pants????

Oh, well, I liked the parades back then, dont much care for em now though. All they do is clog up the streets, and make bad traffic even worse, and leave horse poo on the road...But, the little kids like em...those folks below 60 years of age...

I've either made your day, or bored you silly with my trivia, so I think I will sign off...Tile folks are about half through...gonna go check on Huckleberry Hound and his sidekick Goofus...
Happy Trails mine friens
Your frien and brother

Beaucephus DOD, and his horse "Big Oliver"

Posr Script: Here's another bit of trivia, (I just cant quit can I) Sgt Preston of the Yukons horse was "Rex and "Blackie" and of course his wonder dog "King"...

Jim Taylor

 "You betchum, Red Ryder!"

Beau Wann, Jr.

Red Ryder you say???? The actor Don "Red" Berry played him in the early 1940s...horses name? Thunder, Cyclone...
Jim Bannon played Red Ryder 1949-1950...horses name??? Thunder...

yippee kiyaa...and yeeha...

Ane then there's "Little Beaver", played by several children, most notabbly Robert Blake, who had a TV series about a detective, whose name escapes me at this very moment...dang, almost had it...dont you just hate that, got a name on the end of your tongue, but cant quite come up with it...I think it was an eyetalian name like...Fuddruckers...he had a cockatiel named...????

oh well, one of youse youtes will know who and what I am talking about...someone should, cause I dont...Blake was on trial for allegedly killing his wife...but was acquitted...Bronson???? no....bronchitis???? no... give it up man, you aint gonna think of it till midnight when nobody cares...they dont care now, so give it up...ok, fine...gonna go chunk stuff in the cement pond...

Happy Trails to ya...DOD

I GOT IT...BARETTA...TA DA...

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Ah, yes the rodeo at Coliseum!  Fond times and also brings back a lot of memories of the year Guard girls ushered.  What an experience, remember girls?

Jimmie Lee, would love to see your DVD - do you have anyone that can load it to YouTube?

Beau, I feel your exhaustion from remodeling.  Not an easy project - there are things I need done at my house, but keep putting off exactly for that reason!

Okay I'm trying again to download the rest of Fuddrucker July 10 pictures - wish me luck!

We're having another Clay gathering on Saturday, October 20 thanks to Johnny.  Mark you calendars and I will send out reminders and post on website.

Hugs,

J

Jim Taylor

Teddie Jordan

Good for Johnny and good for us all on another Clay's get together. It will be much cooler and more pleasant then.

Thank you Jackie for all of your time and efforts spent creating and maintaining this website, managing the pictures and all.

Burge, the picture you posted of the little girl and the awesome sea creature is truly one of wonderment, in both directions through the glass. I keep going back and enjoying it. I have seen that awesome creature before but please refresh my memory, what is it called?

And Beaucephus, you remembered Beretta, even if is is spelled slightly different, because they make some pretty nice shotguns too.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Teddie, yes, they make fine sporting equipment for the marksman, lawr enforcement,  hunter and clay pigeon enthusiast...never could get one of them clay doves tenderized enough to eat...and if memory serves me correctly, the creature in question is a MANATEE...Just happened to see a show on them on the aminal planet or a facsimile thereof...I was thinkink about gettin one for the cement pond...that or an alligator...

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Jackie, regarding the DVD on Youtube, the portions of it with Roy & Dale & Gene Autry are amongst many "Smith Family Memories" that I seriously doubt anyone else would be interested in.  If someone can figure out how to get just those portions off those DVDs  and copied onto another one, I assume we could post it.  I know my son posts videos on Facebook all the time, so I'll ask him.  In case you want to see the happiest 4-month old baby girl in the world being entertained by her 11-year old cousin, catch it on my Facebook page - hilarious!

Teddie Jordan

Beau you're right, you can't eat those clay birds. My middle grandson Will, who is 11, loves to hunt and fish like his old grandad, and he has also fallen in love with shooting clay birds. And he is quickly becoming a better shot than me. Earlier this week we were down in Freer and I pulled trap for him and he went through a box of clay targets and several boxes of shotgun shells in no time. But it was fun for both of us. Here is a picture of him on his first real dove hunt last September, and Gus at the ready to do the retrieving. Will did all of the shooting that afternoon and we had enough birds for a good meal that night, each stuffed with a banana pepper and a hunk of cheese and wrapped in a slice of bacon and grilled on a hot bed of coals. Good stuff.

But just to be clear, for any bunny huggers we may have out there, we're not talking about those cute little doves that come to all of our backyard bird feeders everyday here in Houston. No siree Bob, we're talking about those man eating doves that are a threat and a menace to the women and children and upstanding citizens of south Texas.

On a different subject, Fran and I went and saw the newly released movie Hope Springs yesterday, and we would definitely recommend it. The movie stars Meryl Streep and Tommie Lee Jones as an old married couple in a rut, and Steve Carell as their marriage counselor. A lot of laughs and good acting by all three.

Richard Meek '65

Ted that Gus is a great looking dog. Your grandson is ok too. Good to see he's got his snake leggings on since there are one or two of those creepy crawlers down where you hunt. Heck if I wanted tostart harvesting doves here in the city I wouldn't need a gun. I could just scoop them up with a crab net. The whitewings that nest around my house are so tame you can walk up within a couple of feet of them. When did they start migrating up here.?You used to have to go way south to find them.

It's after 4:00 on Friday afternoon. it's about time for me to go hunting. No, not for doves. I'm talking about a good glass of wine! Paige will be blowing into town here soon. If you're comin inbound on Hwy 290 and you see a tan Ford Expedition in your rearview mirror, give way. That girl doesn't let any grass grow under her tires. I've got a bottle of Prosecco chilled at home. It's gotten to be a Friday tradition to get the weekend started started with a glass of Prosecco. For you beer drinkers, Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine. Give it a try sometime. It's a softer than champagne. It's a mighty fine wine.

Got a couple more emails to send. Then I'm headed for the house. Liz will be waiting for Paige's arrival. She reconizes the sound of Paige's engine. Those two have really bonded but I'm not supposed to tell you that. Paige brings her presents . I'm not supposed to tell you that either. So just keep it to yourselves.

Have a grand weekend,

Rich

Keep on dancing

John Burgess Webb

hey teddie ,beau is correct on the manatee;at first i thought walrus but at further examination saw that it is a manatee;a gentle creature that loves the mangrove forest of florida where they can hide and feed.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Teddie, WHAT A CLASSIC PICTURE...a boy hunting with a fine hunting dog...and we know his grandpa was there...they dont make too many better days than that...your grandchildren are gonna remember their time growing up, hunting with you, as the best memories of their lives...and well they should, look at who their grandpa is...

Gus is looking goooood. My hunting dogs, Huckleberry Hound and Deputy Dawg, are always huntin...for something to eat and a place to lay down...Hey burge hows your pups??? You get to go to the "Two States" Cafe and have breakfast???? ah, days of me youte...

Wayne Lake

Burge,

I too liked your manatee pix. A few years ago, one of those mermaids of the Everglades took a right turn out of Tampa Bay and headed West down the Inter-Coastal Waterway Canal. Later, I heard it was seen around Port O’Conner and eventually found its way to Port Mansfield where it made a home base. I was fishing there about 4-5 years ago and noticed a water fountain of sorts in the harbor whereby someone had used a garden hose to refresh the animal as they require fresh water, I guess, Then one day, I was backing my boat trailer down the ramp, looking in the rear view mirror (like my ol’ man taught me) and I saw this huge head sticking up looking at my tail lights.  I had sort of forgotten about the manatee being there and I thought I was seeing a sea monster (“images may appear to be larger than actual”). Well it was the subject manatee and not a sea monster at all but I think it died shortly thereafter, maybe due to the hyper-saline Lower Laguna Madre.          

From Lake Wobegone, the land of Paul Buyan, the famous lumberjack with current lows around 60 and highs around 80F,

I hope to see you all at Clay’s in October,

wtl, the snarkey one

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey WTL of lake woebegone...I wonder, (oh no, he's a wonderin again), no seriously, I wonder, since Paul Bunyion was such a GREAT BIG OL GUY,  did he have bunions???? Or know Damon Runyion, or maybe eat onions...??? A mind is a terrible think to wit...

Got a mess here at swamp okeefenokee, other wise known as the black lagoon, cement pond...well, nothing wrong with it...yet again, but the floor people installed all the tile, and were gonna grout Saturday...then I noticed a WRONG patteren in the tile...it is supposed to be like sand, but we discovered in at least 120 of the buggers, that a rather obscene symbol has reared it's ugly head on 120 suppose to be sand tiles...I shall go no further in my discription...had the floor people out, and they said, "oh, thats not good"....guess we better get a rep from the tile people out...my question to anyone out there with too much time on their hands thats reading this, is what do we do now?????????????????

My son the Contractor came over, and said "oh, thats not good"...(damn, everyone is so perceptive)...he said that the tile people might offer a refund of maybe one third, maybe...Ok, I could live with that I suppose...but what if they dont?????? Then what???? What is our recourse now???? BBB???? Court??? We have only paid half, and that was suppose to cover supplies, tile, thinset, membrane, leveler...

It's always something isnt it...The rep from the people that put it in said, "I wish you would have caught it earlier"...OH YEAH???? WELL HELLS BELLS, ME TOO...what about the installers? shouldnt they have caught it...well ok, thats a dumb question, they speak no english and dont give a rats ass what kind of tile they are putting in...

Meanwhile, house is torn up, cats and dogs are running amok and askew...we have been sleeping upstairs on our grandaughters bed, a 200 year old iron antique double wedding ring bed, that I am gonna have to say, was probably crafted by at least 3 or 4 of the 7 dwarfs, or maybe druids or trolls...couldnt a been made for normal size people...woke up yesterday morning, with both feet sticking through the bars at the foot, and one arm and my head through the bars at the head...I woulda hollared for help, cept big Oliver was sitting next to me just watching to see what I'd do...and I didnt want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me hollar for help...

Got my head and arm untangled, but mangled somewhat, and went to work on my feet...Oh lordy...finally got them unhooked and kinda fell out of the 18th century torture chamber...bout the only thing worse, would be stuck in such a contraption, and forced to watch the Beverly Hillbillies, or Gilligans Island...

Grabed the ol lady, and ran, not walked, to MATTRESS MACS EMPIRE ON 45, BETWEEN TIDWEL AND PARKER..."solid wood furniture knock knock knock, solid wood furniture, sleep tonight in comfort, in your new solid wood bed, you buy it today we deliver it tonight, and we really will save you money...", well, you know the drill...
Onliest (east texas for only) reason we went to Macs, was because all theother places take a week to two weeks to deliver, AND I NEEDED IT NOW...so we bought a REAL bed and had it delivered same day, yesterday...Bed costs 8 dollars, but the accessories, such as head board and foot board, and side rails and mattress and delivery and tax and "just because" charge, ran it up to about 1500 dollars...How exactly did Mac save us money again????

Have yalll ever BEEN to Mattress Macs???? It is a circus, they got tropical birds, monkeys, and probably a manatee or efelant or brontasaurus or three...they have free ice cream cones, and free fresh baked choc chip cookies,free water,  and I dont know what all...they were out of coffee though, and thats a black mark agin em for sure...parking lot was packed, and inside looked like  the astrodome full of people...My question, how does someone start out with a couple of bucks 30 years ago, selling furniture, grow this big???? I guess plenty of gimmicks...

I was like a kid on Christmas Morn, waiting to open my presnents, waiting on our new 8 dollar bed plus 1.5K...I was pacing up and down, back and forth, to and fro, peering from winder to winder (east texas for window)...just waiting, anticipating....our wonderful new bed...

but wait, what if they lose their way, and cant find us?? what if they call and say they cant be here till tomorrow, or next week???? I HAVE ALREADY TORN DOWN THE DRUID/TROLL BED AND STUCK IT IN THE ANTIQUE SHOP FOR SALE...

But wait, I hear a truck, I see a truck....oh joy, it says GALLERY FURNITURE on the side...what if its not for us? what if they brought a dining room set by mistake...I can sleep on a table a lot better than I can under a troll bridge...Ok, here the y come to the dooor...I look at my wife as they ring the door bell..."answer the door" she says with just a slight hint of disbelief in her voice....wait, what if its a trick? what if it's Russkis??? Spys??? Mormons??? Girl scouts????Democrats???? Oh my goodness...bout that time, my wife brushes by me and opens the door....I reach for my shootin arn, just in case it's a trick...you just never know about delivery people and furniture movers...

"Uh ma'am, we have a delivery for a Mr. Wann..."says a supicious voice..."oh" says my wife, "thats him hiding behind the dead plant at the end of the foyer, but I'll sign for it"....I straighten up, and go "ahem, I am not hiding, I am checking this plant for aaphids!!!! To which my wife added, "that plant has been dead for a month"..."Well" says I, "you cant be too careful about them rogue aaphids"....why, when aaphids runamok, no tellin what will happen, global warming, brown patch, you name it...

"You have my bed"???? says I...."yes sir" says the delivery guy..."where do you want us to set it up" ...???
I race upstairs and hang over the balcony, challenging them..."up here, if you can, if you dare" says I defiantly..."Sure, no problem" says he..."Ohl yeah, come on with your bad self" says I...
took em about 30 minutes to get er all set up, with mine and Big Olivers supervision of course...

Oh man, that bed is so fine...I slept like a baby last night...or really more like a tired old man, but when I awoke this fine morn, I wasnt tangled up in anything, ceptin the sheets and big Oliver sittin on me...but thats ok...

well, time to go take a nap on my GALLERY FURNITURE bed...Big Olivers already got a head start on me...
your frien and slightly insane brother...DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good morrow ! ! ! Another fun filled day on the construction site...no resolution about the defective tile...have been sleeping good on our new bed, thank you Mr Mattress Mac...They did have to come back to fix one of the drawers at the foot of the bed...but they came back the next day and fixed it...thats how you have a successful company, GREAT SERVICE...

tried to get on forum last night, and did, but the line feed would not work...probably hit some button and caused it to crater...

Went to our 3rd funeral in 3 weeks yesterday. OK, THATS ENOUGH OF THOSE! ! ! ! ! Wouldnt it be great, if you COULD do that??? Just say, stop it, and it would stop it!!!! I know, life doesnt work that way, but you can dream cant you?

The last of my aunts on my Dads side just passed away from alzheimers she has had for 12 years. She was 88. Her Daughter, my cousin, now has it and noticeably so. My aunts mom had it also, and died from it or complications thereof. It sure is a horrible disease. Kills the mind and seemingly the soul too.

Today is a great day to go to Fuddruckers, dontcha think?????? I hear tell, they have a fairly good menu! ! !
But all in all, lots of good folks attend, which produces lots of good conversation, which produces lots of good fellowship and commraderie...and begats renewed friendships...

One of the funerals I went to last week, was for the father of a friend of my wifes, a korean vet...we, the PGR rode and honored he and his service to our country...First unpleasant ride on Pegasus...guess I should back up eh!

A fortnight ago, however in the heck long a fortnight is, sounds good though, anyhoo, a fortnight ago, I was minding mine own bidness along side the cement pond, fetchin and totin, shuckin and jivin, movin stuff around...I was just about to turn off the pump to the okeefenokee, when some lattice work was in the way...so, instead of removing it with my hands, I decided to just kick it out of the way...I kicked, and got my foot stuck in one of the squares, so I really kicked and sure taught it a lesson for getting in the way...

Next think I knew, I was tangled up in the lawnmower handle flat on my bottox, looking up at the stars...Man, "what the heck happened" says I? Apparently I fell on my bottox, thats what happened..."oh the humanity"...

Well, as you might have guessed, it bruised my bottox and has been sore ever since then...When I rode my bike, it really was sore...once the funeral was over, I came straight home, trying ever so carefully to avoid any and all bemps, (inspector cluseaus pronunciation. remember him?) which for some reason was an impossibility. Oh man, I almost wrecked one time after hitting a bemp. Finally made it to the house and took an aleve and layed down for a long winters nap...It seems to be better now, mehopes. All I have to do to test that theory out, is to sit on my bike. I had a coworker once that fell and broke their tail bone...oh man, that has got to be agonizing to say the least! ! ! ! ! ! !

Hope to see some or "all yall" at Fudds tonight...Oh hey, on a good note, I found DARK CHOCOLATE MALTED MILK BALLS at Krogers in the candy section, of course. Shirley you remember the malted milk balls we got at the Garden Oaks Theater, and Milk Duds? Well, these Dark Chocolate ones are heavenly, and about 4 times the size of the original ones in the box. They are 7.29 a pound, a bargain at any price. Next time you are at Krogers, give em a try. I wouldnt steer you wrong about food, expecially dark chocolate.

Ok, times up...all this material will be on the final, and remember the final counts as one third of your grade, so study study study...If you need some help, just sing out...call Jenny Taylor, she will help you...she helped me study for my finals in our senior year. Without her help, I wouldnt have passed thats for sure. So see there, what happens when you reach out to your bretheren and sisteren...nothing but net ! ! ! ! ! So from my heart to your heart, Jenny, THANK YOU ! ! ! ! !    I allus did like Jenny...in fact, there wasnt anyone in Highschool I didnt like...well, cept me on more in one occasion...but, I gave myself a good talkin to, and moved on...

Happy trails mine buckeroos...
your frien and bottox weary brethern...DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hello mine waltripians...just back from Fudds night...what a great time...probably about a dozen folks, one of the smaller crowds for sure, but still a wonderful time...I so look forward to 2nd tuesdays, like Christmas morn once a month...yessir, 12 times a year...this will be short...WHO ME, WRITE SOMETHING SHORT???? Yup, gonna hit the hay, got to get up early and get the little woman off to work earlier than normal...seems she has training classes everyday this week...woman been a teacher for 35 years, and an administrator for 3 and she needs training??? Well, ok, if they say so...

Remember how I said this was gonna be short??? Well, "goodnight John-boy"
"goodnight mary ellen...
"nite grandpa"

"YOUR BRATS SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP"

your frien and brethern...Beaucephuspa DOD

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

It was a wonderful night at Fudd's and I will be posting pictures shortly (of course on my lunch hour)!

Hope to see all of you that missed at our next Fudd's gathering - September 11.  I've posted on the homepage our next date for Clay's.  It will be Saturday, October 20  --

Hugs,

J

Teddie Jordan

Yes it was another fun night at ol' Fudd's. Good to see everyone and laugh.

WTL, aka the snarkster, I was starting to feel sorry for you back in June when you reported that your high temps up there in Minnesota were hotter than your home in League City. But now that you're saying you have highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's all bets are off. Hope to see you in October when you fly back down south with the ducks and geese.

Gus and I did something a little different on Sunday morning. We got up early and drove up to Brenham to friend Steve Bigger's kennel and attended a de-snaking clinic. That's the name they use for an event where hunting dogs get a chance to be exposed and learn to avoid live venomous snakes. Basically the handler leads the dog through a short course where they encounter live snakes, using an electonic collar at the exact moment the dog reaches to  smell and look at the snake to pulse the dog and teach it that they are to be avoided. Before you picture an electrocution, please know that it is instantaneous and more like the sensation you feel when you walk across the room on a winter morning and grab a door knob and get that shock. Definitely not something we enjoy, but also not painful in the real sense.

In this case they had two  very alive western diamondback rattlesnakes, one about 3 feet and one about 4, and a water moccasin about 18 inches. They use dog nail clippers and cut the fangs of the rattlers back about every two weeks, as they grow back fast, and also tape their mouths shut just for the two hours they are used.  They get fed pet store raised mice the five days a week between clinics and looked plenty healthy. The rattlers were usually coiled up, I think they had been used enough they knew the drill, and would rattle as the dog approached. I might note that this is unlike about 80 percent of the ones we encounter in the wild. If you think about it, natural selection and survival of the fittest being what it is, the ones that rattle much more often get  noticed and eliminated from the gene pool while the ones that don't frequently are never noticed. At least that's been my experience spending time in their habitat for the last 30 plus years. Mocassins are much more agressive and for that reason they had to keep that one in a cage, because they are fast and can easily escape. But almost all of the dogs could not resist the musky smell and would want to reach out to it, and almost every time the snake would strike at the dog against the cage. 

Waterfowl hunters in the rice belt east and west of Houston are much more likely to encounter the mocassins while dove and quail hunters heading south the larger rattlers. Gus and I do all of the above. There is a vaccine available for  dogs to help them handle the venom of the Western Diamondback, and we always get that booster in early September. Ironically there is no such vaccine available for humans, go figure.

Anyway, it was good experience for Gus and the other dogs and it was a good chance to catch up and visit with some old friends at a beautiful place on a nice morning.

I couldn't help thinking on the way home about all of the interesting ways different people make or suppplement their living. My friend Steve graduated from A&M and followed in his dad's footsteps working for Exxon, and hated every day of it. He eventually went full time into training hunting and field trial retrievers and outfitting guided duck and goose hunts during the season and has made a good living, and is now putting his two daughters through college. But the interesting ones are the snake handler and his assistant. The handler's weekday job is police officer, and his assistant and step son was home on leave from the Army and two tours of Afghanistan. For which service I sincerely and properly thanked him, twice. And as for me, when people ask me what I do, I always tell them I'm the head dog pooper scooper at 8114 Marshall Falls.

John Burgess Webb

i enjoy reading about the adventures that some of you are having.i more or less live vicariously these days;my mobility is down from wear and tear and surgeries of the last few years but i can still enjoy the dogs and read.i dont forget jenny and the ordeal she has to go through to see.i may not comment very often but those who have tribulations are in my thoughts too.

burge

Beau Wann, Jr.

And you, Burge, are in all our thoughts...wishing you nothing but the best of everything...glad you have your companions with you...makes the lonely, hurtin days just a tad tolerable...looking into the loving  eyes of a grateful pup or kitty...

But not a rattlesnake...I shudder to think what would happen if Cooper came face to face with one...probably try to make friends with it...sorta glad we dont have the ranch in that respect...we do have the antivenom, but still the painful recovery...knew of one guy got hit by a western diamondback, and he was out for a month...leg got all black and dont remember if he lost it or not...The southern pacific green rattler is even worse...folks usually dont survive that one at all...

I'll stick to my National Geographic pictures of a snake thank you...havent been to a hunting show lately, but they usually have the snake wranglers and plenty of snakes...I try to steer clear of those booths...

Wayne Lake

Snakes? You name a topic and I’ll have a story or two, even if I have to make em’ up.

It was April and I launched my kayak from the Colorado River Rd into East Matagorda Bay about 5 am stalking my favorite species, Red Drum from shallow water using a top water lure.  The moon was still up and I could see the glow of phosphorous in the water with every stroke from the friction of my paddle. It was pretty cool……….

I paddled about a mile or two to a spot I knew and began wading around some oyster beds, caught a couple of undersized reds (less than 20”) and had one 24” on my stringer when I decided I’d had enough as I remember.  I was about a ½ mile from my little boat, it was about 10 am, the sun was up and getting too hot to fish the shallows any more so I started back.  Wading in shallow water is a lot more difficult than walking on dry land with stingrays to avoid and soft mud to contend with so I moved up into the salt grass and as I’m wandering along I started thinking about snakes………... It’ getting hot, its early spring and I’m on the salt flats which is prime time and territory for rattlers looking for a meal! If I got hit out here, it’s at least an hour back to my vehicle and then another hour or so to Bay City – where was that hospital anyway? Who cares, I’d be dead by then or passed out for sure along the highway somewhere.

About that time, I saw one coiled, not moving and just sitting there waiting on a victim, I guess. I thought to myself, I had never heard one rattle or seen one strike out in the open before and out of pure stupidity and curiosity started teasing it with my rod tip until it made a rattle and strike as expected. About then, my pea brain finally kicked in – stupid is as stupid does. End of story, I went back out into the water to my yak and headed home without further incident.

That broke me of teasing snakes as I don’t much like snakes of any kind much and I’m really scared of rattlers.

One more stupid Wayne story: My ex-in-laws had a place on a heavily wooded cove at Walden on Lake Conroe. Cotton mouth water moccasins were everywhere in that cove. About 6 pm one summer evening, I put out a trot line with minnows in about waist deep water behind the house. Then, after the 10 pm news, I started outside to run my line. My ex-wife, the former Mrs.  Lake and mother of my boys told me in no uncertain terms that I was crazy and if I got snake bit, she would not even drive me to the ER since I was so stupid. What does she know anyway? She married me didn’t she?  

So I go wading out in the dark without much light so I had to feel my way along the line and I’m feeling something heavy, maybe a 4# catfish? So I take my time and I ease up on my catch so not to lose it. Well, when I raised it up enough to see what I had, it was a big ol’ fat black, cotton mouthed water moccasin about 2’ long and I was way too close for comfort.

It was dead (drowned) but at that point I did not confirm anything as I was running through the water so hard, I made a wake that almost swamped a pontoon boat tied up two doors down. End of story, no more trot lining at Lake Conroe for me since I don’t like snakes of any kind much and I’m really scared of water moccasins.

From Lake Wobegon,

wtl