Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

Everyone just keep asking questions I guess.

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

Hey Gandalf Parker wildlife management sounds interesting and very enjoyable. What do you do with that .

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">In the military they were great at finding out that you had a hobby, then "volunteering" you to help them out. It had its pros and cons. Nice to get some training and support in what was a hobby but rotten to turn a hobby into work.

Just about the time that my computer-hobby-turned-job was getting to me they offered to turn my animal-handling into work. There was a rabies scare and I was drafted to take care of a feral cat problem. In standard military fashion they widened it to I got called an anything that was alive and the security police didnt want http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I had a 95% live-capture/relocate rate which is pretty good considering some of it. Had some interesting pets for awhile. A "wolf" which turned out to be an over-energetic dog became one of the best pets Ive ever had. a 6-foot wingspan vulture we had for a short time. a 6 foot "rattlesnake" I got called on which turned out to be a bull snake but it was neat so we kept it for a few years. A "tarantula" was a fun story. About the size of my hand. The SecPol that called me said "I stomped it, it got up, I called you". Made a great pet also. There was the time I got called to "get the possum out of the skunk house" (the people had a pet skunk and a possum took over the skunks dog-house in the yard.

Of course there were also real rattlesnakes, and "giant rats" (usually oppossums), a bull, skunks, bats, an eagle, an escaped cockatoo, some pitbull calls, mmm thats all I can think of for now. The worst of all were the cats-gone-wild though. I lost 2 partners that were laid up for weeks from trying to handle them.

I also got to do Environmental Impact Reports, Endangered Species Surveys, and became the only "Park Ranger" on the 10 acre park we had with a 2acre pond.

Lots of fun and it was a nice switch from the computer room. After awhile they developed a big "computer problem" (trying to migrate projects from the huge mainframes to PCs) and I got flip-flopped back.

I havent done much with it since I got out of the military except back to training my own pets and impressing people. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Ive debated applying to the city to manage their park/pond (their fishing could really stand to be improved). I especially think of it everytime I notice what this computer life is doing to my waistline.

Did you know that Internet is fattening? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">LOL! Never thought about it, but yea, I can see your point. And all the people think about fat when they should reduce Internet... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

Animal handling. I saw some photos - from the Congo, I think - of these guys walking Hyenas.

They looked like the local equivilant of gang bangers, as they all had this "Im tougher than you" kind of look, and red rags tied around their biceps. I dont know if they fought the Hyenas like cocks or dogs, or if they just walked them for exercise, but they had them on some heavy chains - and *most* of them were muzzled.

A Hyena is no small animal, either. Giant muscle bound things that were more than waist heigh at its shoulder - and thats waist high on a big African that looked to be at least a head taller than me. And Im a good six feet.

Some other guy in the background of one of the photos had an ape (not a monkey, an ape that looked to be about 3-500 lbs) on a chain. None of the pedestrians seemed to pay any notice to any of it.

Inner city Africa has some whacky stuff. Anyone have first hand accounts?

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

its good to get out and about.

I do work for the historical society in my area.

Guess what that means.

Yep cutting grass and pulling weeds.

But hey it is outside and keeps you busy.

I think I am getting older when I realise that being out side is so much better than being inside.

Mind you I have a nice sized garden this year to ( 8 zuchinni , 30 Pepper , 20 Tomatoe Plants ) And then various herbs growing all over the place...( Basil, Parsley, etc... )

Takes up a lot of time.

But when I make the hot sauce in the fall I think it will be worth it.

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">20 tomato plants? Wow, should pull a few to add 'Ongions, carrots, Cucumber, and string beans are easy to grow, and if you place one of those cheap arches in the garden the beans will climb up and make a nice garden feature.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Good comparison with Wildlife Control. The day to day job isnt near as good as it sounds but what the heck, its a nice title. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I always have fun making up titles. For that one I think I had "Base Environmental and Animal Services Technician".
It let me officially put B.E.A.S.T. Master on my jacket.

[ May 31, 2004, 16:42: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: OT - Gandalf Parker, Who are you?
 

An old buddy of mine was a janitor. Liked to call himself the S.O.B., or Superintendant of Buildings.

But I guess that will only be funney to a small fraction of our native English speakers...