I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY...

egg, your gopher reference reminded me of a time back over 40 years ago when I was employed on the railroad gang. We got stationed out on the bald prairie and with no lakes and streams to fish, we used our fishing rods and went fishing "gophers". We made a noose with the fishing line and placed it over the hole, let out a bunch of line, sit back and when they popped their head up we would "set the noose" and it was gopher on. Played a few that decided to run but lost the ones that went down the hole again. The game changed though when we all went to town and bought 22's.

Some cool stories. I've been trying to reduce my cat food bill by 80% via elimination of a whole family of coons that have found our back porch.

Thanks, EGG. I bought my house and shops from a builder customer of mine that had lived here for a couple of decades. When he built the office, he upgraded things to show off his work. It was a time capsule of "elegant 80's" design. Unlike the brass coach-house lighting and gold package bathroom fixtures, the floor is timeless.

I gave up on gopher traps. Just setting it was more likely to draw my blood than the gophers. I use pellets now.

Seen-it-all, that's a picturesque story. Time marches on does it not? lol. Woody, your thumbnail descriptions of things just tear me up. You are a very discerning fellow. I couldn't come up with a more economical way of describing that building aesthetic if my life depended on it.

As far as the gophers go, I cleaned and oiled and put away my six cinch traps after work today. Altogether I got four in about four days. There is no more apparent gopher action anywhere. I actually don't feel any compunction to kill every last one that sets foot on my property; I think they perform beneficial services to the biosphere and they have as much right to a good life as I do, but I can't abide it when they eviscerate my wife's flower beds or undermine the piers of my little storage buildings.

They are stout-hearted little souls. Hard-working, solitary, territorial. Quite like all of us, actually. I got three clean kills but the fourth one hurt me more than just a little. I went to pull the trap out and he was jammed in the runnel and gave out a high-pitched groan of agony. I grabbed a shovel and made as quick and painless work of it as I could. I hate killing things and it made me stop and think about my motives and how implacable I can get when I make my mind up about something.

I'll get the traps out again if I have to, but if they behave themselves, I am willing to live and let live.

For a moment there I was feeling a little bad about the 4 raccoon that have died at the edge of my back porch this week. They were all quite cute and seemingly innocent sitting in that live trap.

But in the circle of life, we have too many raccoon, the flies need to eat too, and the fish under the pole that holds the carcasses will be eating well for the next two weeks. (good thing fish can't smell, woooo weeee, it does get a little on the ranky side)

When we sit down to a meal of slab sided 2 lb. shellcrackers or jumbo yellow perch, we quietly give thanks for the coon, opossum and groundhogs whose flesh fed the maggots who fed the fish, and for the fact that we sit on the top side of the food chain.

Yeah, I guess something else I can't live without is the traps. They struck in another zone this morning and by tomorrow morning they will probably have come to regret it.

I enjoy the good fortune of our food chain location for sure but it occurs to me that it's also a little like that paper/scissors/rock thing. The really really really little guys can bring it all back around in a circle again.

egg: those gophers are like a some new hires. Stout hard working characters but get them around sidewalls, chimneys or skylights and they can do a lot of carnage in a short period of time. As long as they stay out in the "field" they do ok.

lol. Yeah. And if we can keep them out in the "field" all that loose dirt and granules collected in the bottom of their nail bags just blends in with the scenery. (The new-hires, that is.) But now that you mention it, gophers have pouches too. I realize now that's why they call them pocket gophers. And, lord, the connections just won't stop...we all started out as go-fers. I can see that language can get a little dangerous when we look closer. Which brings up another thing with this thread. Something else I don't believe I can live without is my nailbags. I think if I have to give those up it's game over for me. Maybe I can treat them like any other addiction and just try to cut down. Does that ever work?? "It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine that day, the score was four to six with but an inning left to play and so, when Cooney died at first and Burroughs did the same, a pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the game. A straggling few got up to go, leaving there the rest with that hope that springs eternal from within the human breast..."

This thread is never reconciled with the actual post date, after the date it was made.

ie: the topics page had it listed as last post by TRG on Friday June 13...

FWIW, maybe it's ploy to get people to read it???

Vickie the Boss Said: What is the one thing you use in your job that you cant live with out?

Tool or Equipment (for installation) or Gadget (for business).

Vickie,

Today it would be my computer. When I was a Pup I had a Pitch Book. When they came out with the Mini DVD players I was all in, matter of fact between those times Polaroid came out with an instant movie film maker and screen. Today, its the Pute. I can market with one and sell with one. I have a Cell Phone but don't talk on it because I can't hear but I can text and it gives me a live Hot Spot for WiFi anywhere.

You can buy the biggest building in the world, have the highest trained staff and applicators but NOTHING happens until someone sells something. :)

My experience, skill and willingness to work! ;)

Hi Well after all is said and done, I can't live without my health lol Just the simple basics breathing everything else one can make do lol B)

ARRRRRRR,WELL SHIVER ME TIMBERLINES THER WE SAYS FOR SHUR THER, WE DOES FOR SHUR,...AHOY THER YE BUNCH UV THA DO GOODIES...OLE JACK WOOD NEVER BE CAUGHT WITOUT ME 12 PACK, OR ME BUCKET UV BLACK...AN ME PIECE UV BROKEN SHINGLE PALLET TO SME.....ER...GRACEFULLY AN ARTISCALLY APPLY THA BLACK....ARRRR.

YO HO HO AN AH BUCKET AH BLACK....ARGH!!!

Say there ol' Jack, did Grammy Legge pass away whilst you were locked up for that 378th DUI?

I noticed you dropped the "MAMMY" from the BLACK.

AHOY THER MISSSSSSSSTER HICKS...WELL SHIVER ME TIMBERLINS THER, SAYSIES OLE JACK...THEM JAILIN BASEMENTS HAS AH WAY'AH MESSIN WIT THA BRAIN MATER THER, IT DOES FER SHURRRRRRE...OLE JACK MITE BE AH SUFFERIN FROM'AH CASE UV THA JAIL BASEMENT BLUES THER, HE MITE...WHICH DOES HAVE'AH TENDENDENACY UV MAKIN ME FERGIT ME BATTLE CRY THER, IT DOES. :side: :woohoo: BUT YE KAN BET YUR TAR STICK OLE JACK WILL BE MEMBERIN IT FRUM NOW ON THER,YOU CAN FER SHURE...WHILST WE ON THA TOPIC UV ME DEAR OLE GRAMMY LEGGE, OLE JACK DON'T KNOW HOWW HE WOOD'AH MADE IT FER THA PAST FEW MOONS IN THA HOLE WITOUT ME DEAR OLE GRAMMY AH'SNEEKIN IN THA CONTRABAND TO HER DEAREST

YO HO HO AN AH BUCKET'AH BLACK MAMMY...ARGH!!! :woohoo: