Comments on: Honorary Boy Scouts http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/ Trip with me... Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:16:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: The Reader Travels Vagabond Edition » Blog Archive » Couchsurfing UWP http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-634 The Reader Travels Vagabond Edition » Blog Archive » Couchsurfing UWP Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:08:07 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-634 [...] 70s in the small town of Bogalusa, Louisiana, and once in the early 80s near Galveston, Texas. My father worked for the Boy Scouts of America, so we were always getting into adventures like [...] […] 70s in the small town of Bogalusa, Louisiana, and once in the early 80s near Galveston, Texas. My father worked for the Boy Scouts of America, so we were always getting into adventures like […]

]]> By: Nell http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-205 Nell Tue, 12 May 2009 12:51:39 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-205 From my diary during the 1940's: Went to Merlene's today. About 10 of us kids went to the woods. Killed 3 snakes. Many years later another young kid of my acquaintance used to hunt snakes in his grandfather's woods. From my diary during the 1940’s: Went to Merlene’s today. About 10 of us kids went to the woods. Killed 3 snakes.

Many years later another young kid of my acquaintance used to hunt snakes in his grandfather’s woods.

]]> By: Liz Nations Stone http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-200 Liz Nations Stone Mon, 11 May 2009 02:01:20 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-200 I love these stories. Having recently returned to Texas after being away for 19 years, I am rediscovering all the wildlife that central Texas has to offer. (snakes, scorpions, Tarantulas, fire ants, possums) I arrived home late last night and was getting ready for bed. I was spooked by this loud metal thud on my back porch. I cautiously made it to my back kitchen window. I flipped the light on with hopes of scaring whatever it was invading my back patio. I through open the door and found myself staring in the eyes of a rather LARGE possum. He looked calm at me as if he were saying Hello. He turned and slowly made his way to the first tree. Up and away he went. At least it wasn't a snake. I love these stories. Having recently returned to Texas after being away for 19 years, I am rediscovering all the wildlife that central Texas has to offer. (snakes, scorpions, Tarantulas, fire ants, possums) I arrived home late last night and was getting ready for bed. I was spooked by this loud metal thud on my back porch. I cautiously made it to my back kitchen window. I flipped the light on with hopes of scaring whatever it was invading my back patio. I through open the door and found myself staring in the eyes of a rather LARGE possum. He looked calm at me as if he were saying Hello. He turned and slowly made his way to the first tree. Up and away he went. At least it wasn’t a snake.

]]> By: Ann http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-199 Ann Sat, 09 May 2009 22:49:28 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-199 Thanks for the story, Rob. I do recall the two-headed snake in the jar, kinda creepy. And I can remember walking through the trails out of that place with you leading the way, telling us all about your snake adventures and teaching us about the coral snakes. Thanks for the story, Rob. I do recall the two-headed snake in the jar, kinda creepy. And I can remember walking through the trails out of that place with you leading the way, telling us all about your snake adventures and teaching us about the coral snakes.

]]> By: Robert Sparkman http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-197 Robert Sparkman Sat, 09 May 2009 04:37:54 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-197 Nature's Lessons - Reply to "Honorary Boy Scouts" Great Story! As you may recall, my adventure started earlier. I went with Dad ahead of the rest of the family to stake out the new territory. The first week I spent with a troop of boy scouts (none of whom I had met previously) at summer camp. While it was a wonderful learning experience, it was a somewhat lonely experience. I didn't know anyone and have never had an easy time making new friends. However, I did get up close and personal with several of natures creatures there in the piney woods at camp Karankawa. One night in particular, while trying to make my way to Dad's cabin from my campsite on the dark trail through the giant spider webs, (must have forgotten my flashlight like a good boy scout--always prepared) I came to the cement porch of the cabin. Suddenly I heard a rattling sound. I quickly opened the cabin door and jumped inside. Dad went out with a flashlight and looked around but found nothing. We imagined that it must have been a rattlesnake that was warming himself on the hot cement. We'll never know for sure, but I got a good scare anyway. Then, to make matters worse, Dad told me how baby rattlers are much more deadly than grown ones, something about their venom being more potent, but that their mouths were so small that they couldn't bite you unless you had your shoes off. (Same thing goes for coral snakes) Later in the week while running through a wooded trail (another thing I learned that isn't too smart) I stopped suddenly when I saw a coiled up copperhead in the middle of the trail. This one I saw for sure! I stopped a few feet short of the snake and slowly backed up until I was clear and then I high-tailed it back the other way to camp. Other memorable encounters were the garbage thieving raccoons, the two headed hognose snake in a jar at the visitors station, and the first time seeing a live armadillo. I'd seen plenty Texas road bumps before but never a live one. Nature gave me a pretty good education that summer. There are plenty more stories to tell from the few weeks that I spent alone with Dad but I'll save them for another time. Nature’s Lessons - Reply to “Honorary Boy Scouts”
Great Story! As you may recall, my adventure started earlier. I went with Dad ahead of the rest of the family to stake out the new territory. The first week I spent with a troop of boy scouts (none of whom I had met previously) at summer camp. While it was a wonderful learning experience, it was a somewhat lonely experience. I didn’t know anyone and have never had an easy time making new friends. However, I did get up close and personal with several of natures creatures there in the piney woods at camp Karankawa. One night in particular, while trying to make my way to Dad’s cabin from my campsite on the dark trail through the giant spider webs, (must have forgotten my flashlight like a good boy scout–always prepared) I came to the cement porch of the cabin. Suddenly I heard a rattling sound. I quickly opened the cabin door and jumped inside. Dad went out with a flashlight and looked around but found nothing. We imagined that it must have been a rattlesnake that was warming himself on the hot cement. We’ll never know for sure, but I got a good scare anyway. Then, to make matters worse, Dad told me how baby rattlers are much more deadly than grown ones, something about their venom being more potent, but that their mouths were so small that they couldn’t bite you unless you had your shoes off. (Same thing goes for coral snakes) Later in the week while running through a wooded trail (another thing I learned that isn’t too smart) I stopped suddenly when I saw a coiled up copperhead in the middle of the trail. This one I saw for sure! I stopped a few feet short of the snake and slowly backed up until I was clear and then I high-tailed it back the other way to camp. Other memorable encounters were the garbage thieving raccoons, the two headed hognose snake in a jar at the visitors station, and the first time seeing a live armadillo. I’d seen plenty Texas road bumps before but never a live one. Nature gave me a pretty good education that summer. There are plenty more stories to tell from the few weeks that I spent alone with Dad but I’ll save them for another time.

]]> By: Nell http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-196 Nell Thu, 07 May 2009 14:38:34 +0000 http://www.readertravels.com/2009/05/honorary-boy-scouts/#comment-196 This brought me back to my childhood in a little log house on the farm. This brought me back to my childhood in a little log house on the farm.

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