New Snake

Well, yesterday was the reptile show. We were a little worried about the turnout this year. It seems that since breeders have discovered all the ball python mutations, they have taken over the show. Its hard to see anything else there.


The expo was bigger than we expected, which was good. It was still ~70% ball python mutations, and probably ~15% corn snake mutations.


I was keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect Western Hognose. I wanted one that was at least a year old, male, and that the breeder could gaurentee a diet of mice on.


Hognose snakes in the wild eat toads, and it can be very difficult to get them to eat mice. Most breeders, to switch them over, keep pinkies in a container with toads, until they smell like the amphibians.


Finally, I found the perfect one, and one of the more pretty ones, with a beautiful orangy coloration.


The breeder was willing to hold him whilst I collected other various things.


He now has a happy home in my room and has been dubbed Smaug.

Smaug's Introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqttSlGgvs

Smaug's First Feed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15MfuK0OAk

For more info on Smaug see his journal/blog at: http://smaugthesnake.blogspot.com/

Rant-ish

I guess this could be seen as another rant. Whatever. There's actually less cussing involved in this one, probably because I'm tired, and annoyed and on my period. Plus I haven't eaten today, so that just makes me want to pout and sleep. >.<

I was happy. I found a freakin Fender Stratocaster, and I bloody wanted it. I really REALLY wanted it. And it was/is a good price too.

I've wanted a black electric guitar for AGES. Or at least ~6 years. Dad said "Where will you get the money?" I informed him I'd sell my games. Hell, I'd even sell my Nintendo DS I secretly bought last year for christmas. I wanted that guitar.

So, me, being the naive fucking child that I am, I went to GameStop, thinking they were AMAZING and with ~7 games worth $20 bucks new and a DS worth $120 new I'd easily have enough to buy my guitar.

How fucking WRONG I was.

They wanted to give me $21 for all 7 games (~$3 per game, and they aren't even that used. Some were only played once or twice). And then they only wanted to give me $20 for my DS. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

So of course, I decided not to sell them to GameStop. But then that left me with a problem. How to get my guitar money?

Well, my darling father suggested Ebay. So I made my PayPal account, and my Ebay account and spent the rest of the afternoon listing games to sell.

The shitty part is, I don't know how long the guitar's going to be available. Which means by the time I finally get the money, the guitar will be gone.

>.<

Sometimes I really hate life. I mean, sure, it's just a guitar. But its something I've wanted for a LONG time.

And now its right in front of me, and I can't have it.

How cruel.

Twitch

P.S. - if anyone is interested, my Ebay account name is blacknightwolfen. Feel free to check it out. I haven't listed the DS yet cause I dont want to sell it unless I have to. Which is most likely going to happen anyway. >.<

New Blog

It's late and I'm tired, so this wont be long.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally made that wildlife blog. Feel free to bookmark it, I'm sure there will be constant updates.

http://wildlifebytwitch.blogspot.com/

Lemme know what you think of the picture (title) for there and here. I made them both myself. I also shot the wolf photo on the wildlife blog.

Twitch

Warning, Rant and Foul Content Below

Okay, so I decided to go to the zoo. I even got up early because at 10 they were having a cougar show. I got up at 8, showered, did my hair, and left.

When I got there I discovered that even with a $1 coupon the entrance fee was $18. That’s fucking unheard of unless you’re like, the San Diego or Australia zoo. Most zoo’s aren’t good enough to charge that much.

So, I get there, and look around on my way to the cougar show. They only had one white tiger, and he was so far back you could barely see him.

The cougars were unimpressive. A guy just stood there and talked about them, telling me nothing new. The cats took meat off a stick through the fence. Really anti-climatic after you’ve been licked and nipped by one.

I walked around and was very unimpressed by the animals. It was hotter than Hades and I was in a navy shirt, but I wanted to see the animals. Little did I know they had a piss poor collection. They didn’t even have a reptile exibit. The only way to see then was a show later on.

The shows were relatively boring and the keepers didn’t seem to want to talk much. The girl with the tigers told me they are wild animals and are not tame. They WILL kill you if you go in with them. I’m sorry, but if I ever run a zoo, you will go in with your animal. Yes there is danger, but the benefits outweigh the costs. For example, if a vet needs to give a shot, the keeper can assist and the animal may not have to be tranquilized. Which means less stress on the animal, and less health risks.

And the worst part is, the AZA tells people DON’T GO TO PLACES NOT SPONSERED BY US CAUSE THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT WILDLIFE. HOWEVER, the AZA does not support human-animal contact. Well you know what? FUCK THEM. I dont NEED them. I'll start my own zoo/park and it'll be the best fucking zoo around. The equivalent of the Australia Zoo. Steve loved his animals. I dunno how many clips I've seen of him playing with the dingoes, or running with the camels. That's why my zoo will be like. Its not about the people, its about the animals, and zoos these days just dont seem to get that. But back to Naples...

Even the alligators weren’t impressive, though the keepers fed them by hand, they had large sticks in case the gator tried to come up to far on the bank. ooooh, gators. Come on! I fucking canoed with them, AT NIGHT!

Finally they had a snake show. This I went too, and it was nice to see some snakes. They had a ball python (OMG, REALLY?! *snorts*) a huge 5ft milk snake, a copperhead, a cottonmouth, and an eastern diamond back.

Of course, when an idiot (trust me, they were dummer than shit.) asks if the ball python bites, they answer his question, but when I ask something intelligent like “If you’re holding a copperhead or a cottonmouth by the tail do they have the ability to come back up over their own bodies and tag you” it doesn’t get answered. The keeper either didn’t have any idea what I was asking, or didn’t know the answer.

Then he gets quite rude and insulting when I ask if they have any of the big diamondbacks. You know, 8 footers or something. He insults my sources and tells me that there never has been a 9ft eastern db and the only 8 ft one died back in some date I don’t remember.

THE FUCKING GIFT SHOP HAD MORE ANIMALS THAN THE DUMBASS ZOO! And even the gift shop sucked. MY GOD, how has this zoo survived for 40 years? It fucking sucks. Gatorland was better. Montgomery, little old piss ass Montgomery zoo was better. They had tons of animals. I loved Montgomery. and the Sanford Zoo.

Biggest waste of my time and money ever. I should have just slept in this morning.

FUCK!

Hot Dogs and Love Bites

Well my friends, today marked a turning point, or at least a major landmark in my life. For the first time since my existance started 19 years ago, I have been granted the ability to do something I've always wanted to do. I got to touch and hug a wolf.

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary welcomed me with open arms and seemed to be very impressed with the fact that I came all the way down from the Sanford/Orlando Area and rented a hotel room for a week just to volunteer with them.

I was immediatly introduced to Charlene, who took me around and showed me the animals there. the first two I met were wolfdogs, and they were Shy and Shadow.


Shadow in the foreground, Shy in the background.


Me hugging Shy, who is anything but.

As we walked, she explained to me the history of the animals that had come to be there. The majority of the animals there have been taken in from homes that no longer want them, and over half of those came from abusive homes.

But I enjoyed getting to meet some of these wonderful animals. They were really something else.
Everyone was fairly hot and they immensly enjoyed hotdog treats. Oh, and I thought I should mention, these lucky critter get chicken, and all I have to do is cut the fat off. Much easier than rats and scissors. XD

Here are a few last pictures of the wolves:







After meeting our canine companions, I was introduced to a carnivore of slightly larger standing. The cougars. Now, for technicality, the only cougar known as a panther is the Florida panther, otherwise the name panther refers to leopards. Out west, cougars as known as pumas, but they are still the same species.

I got a few pictures, but not really any good ones, so here's a video of our introduction. The first cougar shown is a male, the only one at the sanctuary, the other two later in the film are both female, and though they are referred to as sisters, they are not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VThCPI7Kxls

And that was really it for the cougars. One of them did pinch me, and it hurt a bit, but we stopped her before she did anything else. When they pinch you, they come up to you and kinda bite/nibble you. One of the cougars also considered pouncing on me from a rather high perch, so its quite obvious they thought I'd be tasty.

And last but not least, I got to meet the smallest residents of Shy Wolf Sanctuary. The foxes. There was Dickens, an arctic fox. He's black because it's summer. In the winter he'll be white again. The others were two small fennic foxes, who were cute, but annoyed at having to be away during the day.

Fennic Fox (Ricochet or Joey, can't tell), sorry its blurry.

Dickens the arctic fox trying to steal a beer.



And once again, the oh so cute Dickens.

And now, at last, I leave you with one final video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0VeXAhmVww

And yes, they do this everytime they here sirens.

What the hell?

Well, many points to address in this post. I guess I'll start with my first thoughts/questions and go on from there.

I was contemplating the other day, the idea of destiny and fate. It was shortly after watching an episode of The Crocodile Hunter where Steve and Terri had discussed the first time they met. To them, it was love at first sight. And when you look at the circumstances of their meeting, it is hard to see it as anything other than fate.

Now, me, being a girl, I want a boyfriend. I'm always bitching about how I'm lonely and whatnot and really, sometimes there's comfort only a guy can give. However, the interesting part is, that no matter how desperate I am, I can't stomach the thought going out with a random guy. I want a boyfriend, but if I think about going out with someone I dont really know (even if they are good looking) I get kinda weirded out. So I'm wondering, am I just nuts? Or is there a possibility that there's some fate going on here? Maybe I'm supposed to be single for a reason?

Or maybe I just have too much free time.

The other topic I'd like to bring into the open is communication with the dead. Yeah, I can hear the groans already. but I'm curious. After my mother died I started having dreams with her in them, and I dont know why, but I got a feeling that it was really her in those dreams, and not just my subconscious.

Now there's someone else in my dreams that's been coaching me and giving me instructions. Its almost creepy. If there's something I'm unsure about I'll discuss it with them in my dream and they will relay personal experiences. I also got a feeling from one of these dreams that I had to see a particular movie. I gleened enough that there was some kind of message that I needed to see in the movie. So I got the movie the next day, and low and behold, there was a fucking message in it, and one I needed to hear. Granted, it wasn't a blunt as "Hey, Lindsay" but somehow I knew there was some kind of communication going on.

Now, if you're following that, there's the influence. Lately, I've picked up the dreams/aspirations, goals and even most of the personality of this person that's been talking to me in my sleep. Even my sleep cycle is changing to fit theirs instead of mine. So what the hell is up with that? I even like different things now. Wishfull thinking? You tell me. If I didn't completely trust this person, I'd be freaked out. As it is, I'm honored.

Now that all that crap is out of the way, life is fine and boring. I've got set dates for volunteering at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary and I've sent in my application for the internship at the Central Florida Zoo. I've also been looking for jobs, and have very little luck. The little luck I have had got me an interview today with RadioShack. I'm going to be getting a call later for a secondary interview. Hopefully, it'll be a job. I need one. Or, my dad wants me to have one, so for my own health, I need to have one.

Fanfic writing has commenced full steam ahead. Hopefully I'll finish the stories I've started and begin some new ones along the way.

Otherwise, life is dull. I'll post more when something intersting happens.

The Road Goes On

Well things seem to be passing along as usual. Classes are going well, though I can't wait for them to end. The "alligator" video is almost complete, though I may not display it like I origninally planned to do. I must admit, I'm slightly embarrased by it, though I did it for conservational purposes and meant to show it from the start. Maybe I'll display it by request only. Regardless, it will probably still go up on youtube, mainly because not many friends follow me on there.

The most recent footage for the gator vid came from Blue Springs, which came from 3 straight hours of canoeing, 2 of which were against the wind. My hands didn't blister quite as bad as I figured (mainly because the blisters came, and then I wore them off) and the pain the next day was not quite as bad either. I did get to see some interesting wildlife, so it was well worth the frustrated tears that made an appearance everytime the wind blew my canoe backwards, or a boat speeded by me, leaving me to face its wake.

However, while I saw some awesome animals, I did not get the chance to see any alligators. Well, I saw one, in the water, and not very well. So, point in being, once my sun burn heals and the scabs are gone from my palms, I'll be back out again, looking to bring to you all the best gator footage I can get on my pathetic little camera. And if I have to get up close and personal, I will. They are not dangerous animals, and what better way to show that, then to put my own 'safety' at risk. Well, correction, they can be dangerous, but they are not considered dangerous to humans (unless your a drunk idiot that goes swimming at night with lots of thrashing). They are usually scared of humans, and swim or run away when given the chance.

In other news, the black racer that lives by my house has been uncovered, and showed agression and fear in being tailed. He actually bit me, which caused me to drop him in utter shock. I laughed later. There's a very tiny little dot or two on my thumb from his teeth. Its red, but its too small to bleed. :D I found it very humerous, mainly because he thinks he's a tough guy, and I'm determined to get him on film. I'm thinking on doing my next video on 'the wildlife around you'. The basis on it will be, you dont have to go far away to see neat animals, you can see some of the coolest things in your own backyard. There will definitley be some snakes, and I know a guy who has a cougar on his property, so I might try to film that as well. I'll let you know as the 'doco' progresses. There will of course, be gators in that as well.

Well, that's about everything for now. The internship deadline is next week, and the essay is all I've left to do. I'll keep updates going on that too, and of course pictures when I get it.

I'm also thinking of starting a new blog, with pictures and information on various wildlife I've seen. What I want to know, it what do you all think? Would it be boring? Interesting? Do you even give a shit? Wondering who I am? :D Let me know!

-Twitch

Barking up the Right Tree

Well my friends, it finally seems as if a good change of events is taking place. And I'm quite tickled about it. And no, it wasn't another random call from New York telling me I'm pregnant (that poor Lindsay somewhere).

There's a wolf sanctuary in FL that we've been planning on visiting since last summer. The only problem is, its in Naples, so Dad's been putting it off. Naples is a good 240 miles and a 4 hour drive from our house.

Now occasionally I visit their website and wish that I lived closer by so I could volunteer. During one of these moments, I was hit on the head with a meteor. Well, maybe it wasn't a flaming rock, but it was an Irwin.

I've read Terri's book several times now and in fact own a copy, and one of the parts that really stuck with me was that when she was vacationing in Australia and met Steve, she ended up spending the rest of her trip helping out at the zoo. So she basically showed up out of the blue, and volunteered for a week. See where I'm going with this?

So I emailed down there the other day saying that I was a wildlife student and I wanted to specialize in wolves and blah-de-blah-de-blah. I informed them that I'd love to volunteer and learn more about working with wolves, but I lived 4 hours away, and therefore couldn't come down daily.

I did mention that I'd be able to rent a room in a hotel for several days leaning on a week, and would they have an issue if I volunteered for only a shot while.

I really didn't think they'd be able to say no. That's like being told you can't shadow to learn more about the profession you want to go into. Only ass holes say no to that.

And, I was right. In fact, they seemed more than happy to let me come down and get "down and dirty" with the wolves.

My dad found me a hotel tonight, and as soon as we find out their address, I'll be in contact letting them know the exact date. Don't worry, there will be lots of pictures. And they've more than just wolves; big cats, foxes, coyotes, and gopher tortoises too!

So, I'm beginning to think that between that, volunteering in sea turtles and education at the marine science center, auburn's raptor center, the few vet clinics, and the zoo internship (if I get it) I'm going to have one kick ass resume.

Now all I need to do is land an internship with WERC (and these folks pay, unlike the zoo) and I'll be the happiest person ever. Though that's not even a possibility until Summer 2011. And I graduate that december, so I could always go after college.

And eventually I'd like to go to grad school, but as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Ta,
Twitch

Links:

http://www.shywolfsanctuary.com/index.php
http://wolfcenter.org/default.asp

Busy as Bees, if Bees are Busy

Okay, well, every story needs a place to start, and this one no exception. First I must apologize, for have not updated this in almost a year (wow, has it really been that long since CWE?). Second, my excuse, is, frankly, a lame one. I've sat down numerous times to write, and come up with nothing to say.

Until now, that is, when I find that I've enough information and pictures to feed the hungry word eaters out there who seem to have some estranged intrest in what I write.

So, skipping out on much that would bore any sensible person, I shall blatently jump the the better and more memorable activities of mine.

Chewacla exploring was a fun task that I dearly miss now that I've been re-confined to my boring prison state of FL. It presented me with many animals, and sights to behold, some of which I will of course, share with you.

Water Moccasin

This is a picture of took of a baby water moccasin that I accidentally stumbled upon, thinking it was a harmless (as in, wont rot off your flesh and kill you) copperhead, I proceded to poke it with a stick. Of course, it continued to bother me that while everything about the copperhead fit this snake, there was no mention of the horizontal eyestripe, and his "bands" were not hour glass shaped. Later I realized the truth of what this snake was, and that I had tailed a very naughty little bugger. Luckily, the snake was calm and only gaped at me after removing himself from my poking stick was unsuccessful. I was a bundle of nerves, playing with an 'unknown' snake and I felt bad about the harassment, so I let him be on his way. What a beautiful snake. Too bad the cottonmouths down here are blackish, and lack his pretty colors.

I saw several other animals there, including a red fox and some beautiful very reddish white tailed deer. I'll upload their pictures later.

Since my journeys at Chewacla, I have since returned to the sunshine state of hell and taken up the job of turtle rescuer. And yes, its almost a full time postion. And no, I'm not getting paid.

It is now nesting season for the turtles, and for some reason, unknown to me and hundreds of other folk, these darn turtles seem to feel the desire to cross the road. And unlike the chicken, not all of them are making it to the other side.

Which left me to save their slow asses. :D Although I feel I should mention, they arent very slow. Most of them run quite fast.

I have pictures of some of the turtles, but there were two that I've saved that weren't photographed, mainly because I didn't have my camera with me. One was a very large river cooter, and the other was a very very large florida softshell.

Well here are the pictures, and in case anyone gets bent out of shape over the gopher tortoises (which are an endangered species that live in FL) I called FL Fish and Wildlife and got their okay for the emergency rescue. There were originally 3 tortoises on the road, but one was already dead when I got there.

Gopher Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise

Red-Earred Water Slider

And oddly enough, I've come to the end of my little rant/story. Sure there are lots of other things going on, classes, the futile search for a job, the horrific smothering heat--have I mentioned how hot it is down here?!?! Weather reports say its only 99 but it "feels like 106". What. The. Fuck. ?!?!

Otherwise, I'm also suffering through homework, and the occasional bordom, which is actually nice.

And speaking of homework...I should probably go do mine.

Oh and in case my public speaking class kills me, feel free to fight over my crap.

-Twitch