Florida Living
I live here.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007 by mschleisner | Discussion: Community
If I get another person who tells me we don't have Alligators or Crocs here in Florida I will pull my hair out, they say, you don't have swamps, you don't have Eagles, rattle snakes, you name it. Look folks if you don't live here and don't google it then please do not argue with me I have lived here over 25 years, had gators at my back door from the pond, big ones. We are tropical here, we have lizards, free flying parrots, and bigger bugs then you can guess. Algae covered trees and swamps. Forrests, beaches ofcouse, but more than most people know. Flamingos do fly free here. Monkeys are loose here too, Bobcats, foxes, wolves, bear, and racoons, possums, and armadillo. Killer bees too. Spiders that would send northerners back home, yes they are big. I have taken many pictures recently and had them questioned, two were in my computer that were in a download from key west, they turned out not to be mine. Didn't know who downloaded them or how they got in the folder, and we saw this same type of thing in near Key West while hiking in the woods, I have several others but will not post. I go through the woods at Hillborough State Park and now that one came into question so no more posts at this time. I will post on my own site outside wincustomize for now. One was reposted by someone else. I give up. my membership will just be for my own satisfaction and not those who know nothing about Florida and how we live, and what animals, bugs, birds live here. If this seems harsh it's not. I just don't think people know what is here and what isn't. I have seen other items taken off the net and posted here as someones photos, not everything here is a photo taken by the person who posted them, and no credit was given to the person who took the photo. Thanks for looking at my photos anyway.
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sydneysiders
Reply #22 Friday, June 29, 2007 11:53 PM
not the recommended way to change your handicap........
Reply #22 Friday, June 29, 2007 11:53 PM
and just yesterday a man got his arm about bitten off by an 11 foot alligator as he tried to pick his golf ball out of the water at a country club golf course pond...
not the recommended way to change your handicap........
starkers
Reply #23 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:05 AM
I 'ears thar wur pirates in Florider - n' tha blaggards wur bringin' non-native stuff in frum Cuba...n' of course, whar thar be pirates, thar'll be parrots.
Reply #23 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:05 AM
imports cause many things non-native.
I 'ears thar wur pirates in Florider - n' tha blaggards wur bringin' non-native stuff in frum Cuba...n' of course, whar thar be pirates, thar'll be parrots.
starkers
Reply #24 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:08 AM
Reply #24 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:08 AM
almost bitten off by a 11 foot alligator.....
In North Queensland here in Oz....a croc snatched a golfer and his cart from the 17 hole of a local golf course.
In North Queensland here in Oz....a croc snatched a golfer and his cart from the 17 hole of a local golf course.
Jafo
Reply #25 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:30 AM
Reply #25 Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:30 AM
In North Queensland here in Oz....a croc snatched a golfer and his cart from the 17 hole of a local golf course.
Had gone off American tourists....needed a change of diet?....
sydneysiders
Reply #26 Saturday, June 30, 2007 1:50 AM
Reply #26 Saturday, June 30, 2007 1:50 AM
Swimming instructors at Casuarina swimming club in Darwin, Australia, have a unique way to help teach their young students to swim faster - by having a crocodile chase them during speed trials! The instructors use a six-foot saltwater crocodile with its jaws taped shut, but even with all those precautions, students still find the experience a tad intimidating. Yet this new teaching method seems to be working - the students have found that it helps shave seconds off their swimming time!
Erk.
Reply #27 Saturday, June 30, 2007 5:56 AM
Reply #27 Saturday, June 30, 2007 5:56 AM
Had gone off American tourists....needed a change of diet?....
Nah ...wanted a lift to the 19th hole, but when the golfer refused [silly thing to do] ...the croc decided to drive itself.
Lantec
Reply #28 Saturday, June 30, 2007 7:55 AM
Did a lot of camping there out of canoes when I was a teen. You gotta go in Jan-March or the clouds of skeeters will drain you.
If I go that far south nowadays I'll usually take my boat down into the Thousand Islands area for some fishing. Last time there I pulled up a 200 lb Jew Fish. Protected species.......
Reply #28 Saturday, June 30, 2007 7:55 AM
Has anyone been thru the "Glades" on an airboat?
Did a lot of camping there out of canoes when I was a teen. You gotta go in Jan-March or the clouds of skeeters will drain you.
If I go that far south nowadays I'll usually take my boat down into the Thousand Islands area for some fishing. Last time there I pulled up a 200 lb Jew Fish. Protected species.......
NetBadger
Reply #29 Saturday, June 30, 2007 9:09 AM
Being native born to Daytona Beach, I'll enlighten the readers as to what the difference between a Yankee and Damn Yankee is. A Yankee comes down here and spends their money. A damn yankee comes down here and stays.
Reply #29 Saturday, June 30, 2007 9:09 AM
You covered most of what we've got but you missed a few of the invasive species......
we got snowbirds, tourists, furriners, yankees & damn yankees (gotta be a native to know the difference)
we got snowbirds, tourists, furriners, yankees & damn yankees (gotta be a native to know the difference)
Being native born to Daytona Beach, I'll enlighten the readers as to what the difference between a Yankee and Damn Yankee is. A Yankee comes down here and spends their money. A damn yankee comes down here and stays.
starkers
Reply #30 Saturday, June 30, 2007 2:02 PM
Apparently they're not such a delicacy since word got out that one gave a 28 ft salty one almighty belly ache
Oi, don't go giving our swim secrets away...next they'll be taking our gold medals at the next Olympics....there again, could always dispense with the tape.
Reply #30 Saturday, June 30, 2007 2:02 PM
Had gone off American tourists....needed a change of diet?.
Apparently they're not such a delicacy since word got out that one gave a 28 ft salty one almighty belly ache
Swimming instructors at Casuarina swimming club in Darwin, Australia, have a unique way to help teach their young students to swim faster - by having a crocodile chase them during speed trials!
Oi, don't go giving our swim secrets away...next they'll be taking our gold medals at the next Olympics....there again, could always dispense with the tape.
sydneysiders
Reply #31 Saturday, June 30, 2007 10:05 PM
we could export the tape along with the crocs.....(extra fast bio-degradable!).....
Reply #31 Saturday, June 30, 2007 10:05 PM
there again, could always dispense with the tape.
we could export the tape along with the crocs.....(extra fast bio-degradable!).....
starkers
Reply #32 Sunday, July 1, 2007 3:47 AM
Yep....some of that paper tape & a few 25 footers.
Reply #32 Sunday, July 1, 2007 3:47 AM
we could export the tape along with the crocs.....(extra fast bio-degradable!).....
Yep....some of that paper tape & a few 25 footers.
Alternate Setting
Reply #33 Sunday, July 1, 2007 4:49 AM
Reply #33 Sunday, July 1, 2007 4:49 AM
I revisited Florida last year and on 1st July, (our wedding anniversary), spent a fun night at Medieval Times. Kinda nice for our lass to have a knight ride up to her and throw a flower.
I'm not sure it'd work as well in England, it's by no means certain the knights here would bother to remove the plantpot first...
I'm not sure it'd work as well in England, it's by no means certain the knights here would bother to remove the plantpot first...
starkers
Reply #34 Sunday, July 1, 2007 11:18 AM
I'm not sure it'd work as well in England, it's by no means certain the knights here would bother to remove the plantpot first.
Probably not....the cold, damp English weather 'd have 'em too busy polishing their armour to prevent rust setting in.
Reply #34 Sunday, July 1, 2007 11:18 AM
I'm not sure it'd work as well in England, it's by no means certain the knights here would bother to remove the plantpot first.
Probably not....the cold, damp English weather 'd have 'em too busy polishing their armour to prevent rust setting in.
mschleisner
Reply #35 Sunday, July 1, 2007 12:34 PM
Reply #35 Sunday, July 1, 2007 12:34 PM
To all those who live here and love it, pay taxes, own a home and have been here a long time, do not let some people call you a "damn yankee" I have raised 2 kids here and grandchildren, my grandfather lived here most of his life and so did my uncle. My neice just moved here, always wanted to be here with me, not where she was. She LOVES the heat, hates cloudy days, rainy days. This young lady with a college education will only help here. The school system stinks and she took exams to get into college here and was flabbergasted at how easy it was compaired to other states. After over 25 years, and how I personally feel about Florida any "native" who gives me a hard time is someone who might be the reason it took florida until the "70s" to get rid of water coolers labelled "whites only", and don't want anyone to come here. I am proud to live here and pay for what I have. Yes it's nice and yes we have some things here that no one likes but I wouldn't live anywhere else. I have lived in N.Y. to Colo. and I think this is just the best state to live in.
mschleisner
Reply #36 Saturday, July 14, 2007 11:32 AM
Reply #36 Saturday, July 14, 2007 11:32 AM
Speaking of spiders, my friend just was bitten by a brown recluse (think thats how its spelled not sure) but had to have a large portion of his calf removed due to bite. We have little spiders to that will make you very sick too.
Mark
Reply #37 Saturday, July 14, 2007 1:46 PM
Reply #37 Saturday, July 14, 2007 1:46 PM
Them's some bad spiders. Their bite can take months to heal. And, as your friend found, it can cause some serious problems too.
Lantec
Reply #38 Saturday, July 14, 2007 2:34 PM
Reply #38 Saturday, July 14, 2007 2:34 PM
Brown Recluse spiders are NOT native to Florida but are in fact Damn Yankees.
starkers
Reply #39 Saturday, July 14, 2007 2:54 PM
I was bitten on the left calf by a 'white-tailed' spider here in Oz....took 2 & a half years to heal completely, and even 20 or so years later it still flares up from time to time. It wasn't so much the venom, but rather its digestive enzymes and the associated bacteria....within a few hours the flesh starts necrotising and rotting away. It took some intensive treatment and extremely strong drugs to halt the process....and during that period in the hospital I was almost begging them to take off my leg, so much was the pain.
Yep, there sure are some nasty bitey things in the world....and sometimes it feels like more than half of 'em are here in Oz....'tis winter, the mozzies should be gone now, but I still manage to get bitten more than thrice a day. 
I read somewhere that Florida is going through a drought and could be facing water restictions soon if it doesn't break. Know what that is like...we are on level five water restictions here in S.E. Queensland, and right now one wouldn't want to get caught with a garden hose in hand. It wouldn't only be because of the very stiff fines that apply, but more like the dozen or so neighbours suddenly pouncing on top of you.
At present we are supposed to take only 4 minute showers to conserve water...and I was not at all impressed with the fat joke of one radio announcer, who commented that some would surely struggle to get the acres clean under just a four minute shower.
Reply #39 Saturday, July 14, 2007 2:54 PM
Speaking of spiders, my friend just was bitten by a brown recluse (think thats how its spelled not sure) but had to have a large portion of his calf removed due to bite.
I was bitten on the left calf by a 'white-tailed' spider here in Oz....took 2 & a half years to heal completely, and even 20 or so years later it still flares up from time to time. It wasn't so much the venom, but rather its digestive enzymes and the associated bacteria....within a few hours the flesh starts necrotising and rotting away. It took some intensive treatment and extremely strong drugs to halt the process....and during that period in the hospital I was almost begging them to take off my leg, so much was the pain.
Yep, there sure are some nasty bitey things in the world....and sometimes it feels like more than half of 'em are here in Oz....'tis winter, the mozzies should be gone now, but I still manage to get bitten more than thrice a day.
I read somewhere that Florida is going through a drought and could be facing water restictions soon if it doesn't break. Know what that is like...we are on level five water restictions here in S.E. Queensland, and right now one wouldn't want to get caught with a garden hose in hand. It wouldn't only be because of the very stiff fines that apply, but more like the dozen or so neighbours suddenly pouncing on top of you.
At present we are supposed to take only 4 minute showers to conserve water...and I was not at all impressed with the fat joke of one radio announcer, who commented that some would surely struggle to get the acres clean under just a four minute shower.
sydneysiders
Reply #40 Sunday, July 15, 2007 6:08 AM
Reply #40 Sunday, July 15, 2007 6:08 AM
I stayed for awhile on a coffee plantation at Mt Hagen in the highlands of New Guinea in the early seventies. One day, walking happily through a group of trees, I was advised by people I was walking with to take an alternate route.....wondering why, they pointed upwards.......I was walking into a giant spiderweb that was like a hammock strung between two trees......with a spider in the middle that looked about the size of a dinnerplate.
The way the light was did not make it very visible, but early the next morning I returned and the web was covered with dew and looked like a massive sheet of diamonds......wish I’d had a decent camera then......
The size of the insects there was amazing.......millipedes were multimillepedes.
Spiders the size of our funnelwebs and just as attractive would walk across the tiled loungeroom floor and the native women would nonchalantly walk up to them with their bare feet and slowing squash & grind them with their big tows......I was a teenage arachnophobe......it wasn’t pretty.......
One morning I woke up with two bites on the outside of my leg just above the ankle.......they developed quickly into two large boils the size of small marbles and the boils persisted for weeks.....not particularly painful, just irritating. Many months later they healed somewhat, one has even faded, but what I presume was the first bite with the most venom, left a dark brown patch a little larger than these smilies.........and several times a year becomes insanely itchy and bleeds for weeks and then settles down again......this has persisted for well over 30 years. Lord only knows what bit me......I don’t even wanna know what was crawling around in my bed!!.....
The way the light was did not make it very visible, but early the next morning I returned and the web was covered with dew and looked like a massive sheet of diamonds......wish I’d had a decent camera then......
The size of the insects there was amazing.......millipedes were multimillepedes.
Spiders the size of our funnelwebs and just as attractive would walk across the tiled loungeroom floor and the native women would nonchalantly walk up to them with their bare feet and slowing squash & grind them with their big tows......I was a teenage arachnophobe......it wasn’t pretty.......
One morning I woke up with two bites on the outside of my leg just above the ankle.......they developed quickly into two large boils the size of small marbles and the boils persisted for weeks.....not particularly painful, just irritating. Many months later they healed somewhat, one has even faded, but what I presume was the first bite with the most venom, left a dark brown patch a little larger than these smilies.........and several times a year becomes insanely itchy and bleeds for weeks and then settles down again......this has persisted for well over 30 years. Lord only knows what bit me......I don’t even wanna know what was crawling around in my bed!!.....
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Reply #21 Friday, June 29, 2007 9:45 PM
Now THAT's what I'd like to do sometime!!