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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 12, 2012 22:04:44 GMT -5
I went to Jalama in the Summer only once. It was horrible. Crowded (we had to camp at Walmart the first night and come back the next day when a space opened up). The beach was sanded over so almost no rocks. We used to go every year for New Year's. It was a little cold but rocky beaches and good shore fishing.
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Mar 12, 2012 23:46:56 GMT -5
John, It was windy when we were there. Thinking back there was a guy getting rocks out of the stream bed. He had a screen and a bucket and looked like he had some good stones. We did the day pass. My wife is done with camping. She did like the little cabins. Bill (Our cars don't eat bugs, our cats do)
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 13, 2012 9:20:28 GMT -5
Geez, and you guys had to bring up spiders! I HATE SPIDERS!!!! For years I use to sleep right on the ground out in the desert, just like John Wayne did. Then one morning I woke up with a tarantula right next to my face. Bought a tent right after that. I know they won't hurt you but they sure scare the crap out of you. There are more deaths from black widows each year than all snake bites. Darn things are everywhere.
I use to get annual hunting permits during the 70's & 80's at Camp Pendleton Marine base and one day we parked my Jeep and got out. We saw things moving on the ground and looked down. Eeeek! The whole ground was covered with tarantulas! Just like something out of a horror movie! I've seen them on their mating migration going across the Ortega Highway too. Fun driving over them!
You know if there are tarantulas around if you see the Tarantula Hawk bug flying around. It's a big ugly black wasp with orange wings that stings the tarantula and lays it's eggs inside the living spider. They're common near the Colorado River and Baja and can be annoying. They will just buzz right in front of your face. Their sting is rated as one of the most painful in the insect world. Do a Google search.
After reading all our horror stories, think Bill will stay indoors and buy all his rough online!!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2012 14:04:11 GMT -5
late February and March are normal times for rattlesnakes to be moving in southern california south of the San Gabriel Mountains. I hunted them for money back in the day.
Pacifics and Red Diamonds abound! Specially in Hemet!
Just watch were you put your hands and feet, all will be well.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 13, 2012 15:50:38 GMT -5
It's still safer than walking the streets of LA!!!!
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 13, 2012 18:46:00 GMT -5
Safer hiking the hills around Hemet than driving Florida Ave. with all the geezers (or used to be that way). Yucaipa was same way when I moved there.
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Mar 13, 2012 20:26:21 GMT -5
I've had more problems in Denver and St Louis. I almost got shot in a gang shooting crossfire and frozen walking back to the hotel in Denver. Almost mugged in St Louis a couple of times. Being a big guy you can stare down the muggers. One of those times in St Louis, I told them I was from L.A. and I knew all about the "hood". The things that happen traveling with a hockey team.
And I was creeped out by that "Greenie".
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 13, 2012 22:15:56 GMT -5
No John, Hemet hasn't been a retirement community since the 70-80's. Think all the old geezers died off from snake bites! Hemet average age is like a normal town, with gangs and all now. Moved her 15 years ago and there wasn't any gangs. Get this, we were even thinking of moving into a 55 plus retirement park in Yucaipa a few years ago! But we've come to our senses and if we move, it will be out of state.
We live on the southern edge of town. We know better than to walk out into the fields and hills this time of the year. We have our share of coyotes too. With the new reservoir down the street, we now have some ospreys that love to check out Goober when we take him out on walks. One of my favorite past times was taking pictures of them. They wouldn't fly away as long as I had Goober with me. Guess he looked tastier than a big old bass.
I use to travel a lot. I learned very quickly not to say I was from California. I'm big and mean looking but that wouldn't help inside a bar when it's 50 against one. I can still run fast!
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Mar 14, 2012 0:15:00 GMT -5
I stayed out of the bars. Unless it was a team meal. I like the odds, a hockey team vs 50 barflys.
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Post by Toad on Mar 14, 2012 10:44:40 GMT -5
I stayed out of the bars. Unless it was a team meal. I like the odds, a hockey team vs 50 barflys. Ha! I was recently at a small karate convention. It was at a hotel, and during some downtime, a couple of us went to the bar. We were in uniform and I could see several of the barflys sizing us up - thinking about kicking some blackbelt's ass (at least that is what I thought they were thinking). But then a couple buddies joined us, and then a few more. Don't think they liked the even odds. They turned back to the TVs.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 14, 2012 11:07:02 GMT -5
Hey Bill, it could be worse. You could be living where Mel lives where they have rattlesnakes the size of anacondas. They live in huge dens too.
Yeah Toad, that's one thing I don't miss about drinking.
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Post by BAZ on Mar 22, 2012 22:46:05 GMT -5
Enjoying the thread, although I skipped to page 4! My grandpa lived in Hemet until his passing when I was 13. All I remember was a lot of mortuaries, sailplanes and all the Dr. Pepper we could drink and grandpa's trailer park. (off Florida Ave. I think)
I now live in AZ where I have seen 1 (ONE!) rattler since I have been here for 13 years, granted I live in No. AZ. Last year I went to see my pop in Anza, CA., the second day I blasted a rattler with my pistol, dad's request, he is older and doesn't get around very well after the stroke. So I was more than happy to oblige even though I am a "live and let live" kind of a guy, but dad lives 45 miles down a 2 lane road to the nearest hospital in Temecula.
Short story long. I have seen more Rattlesnakes in CA than anywhere else in the U.S. Including the oil fields of my hometown, Huntington Beach, hiking the Newport Coast (along with a Mountain Lion staring me down while I was "watering a tree" *scary*), mountain biking the Saddleback Mountains and exploring the deserts between Barstow and Needles (2 rattlers and 1 unknown snake within 1 hour)
BillG22, who were you playing hockey with? I love the sport. My aunt lives in Westminster, a little west of Westminster Ice (used to be Lucky's) in the hosing tract there. 'Yotes fan and me and my brother go back and forth all season long, he is a Ducks fan living in Orange Hills.
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Post by BAZ on Mar 22, 2012 22:59:30 GMT -5
Hi Steve, Oh yeah, times have changed. You wouldn't recognize the area. My dad use to take me out to Stoddard Wells back in the 60's to hunt rabbits. Victorville use to be a tiny town. It's just an extension of LA now. Zillions of housing tracks, shopping malls, etc. During rush hour, Cajon Pass is actually stop & go... That brings a tear to my eye! My dad used to take us to Silverwood off of Cajon, it felt like we were at the farthest place from civilization in the world. When I was in my twenties I was pulling permits for and electrical outfit, after I was done with the paperwork on one job, I realized it was for a new housing development at a place called Butterfield Country that we used to camp at all the time in the the 70's. I think it was somewhere near Pomona or the foothills nearby.
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Mar 22, 2012 23:39:37 GMT -5
BAZ, Been working with the Kings since 1979. Used to play summer hockey at the Westminster Ice. I live just southwest of Beach and Trask. I had a great time working with Dave Tippet when he was with the Kings. Pretty tight playoff race. As I watch Blues/Kings on TV right now.
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Post by BAZ on Mar 23, 2012 0:11:51 GMT -5
Tip! Nice win for us (PHX) tonight, yep, you are in my old stomping grounds, all 3 cousins went to Westminster High. My my, you have some hockey history, much admiration.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 23, 2012 1:25:31 GMT -5
BAZ,
Butterfield Country is just east of Temecula. Further east is a little town called Aguanga, way out in the boonies, near Anza. Diane lived there for 20 years while raising her 2 boys on 10 acres. She had a crazy neighbor who would put dead rattlesnakes on people's porches who just moved into the area and said they never see snakes. Yep, Saddleback has man eating mountain lions. Just a couple years ago one killed and was feeding on a mountain biker.
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Post by BAZ on Mar 23, 2012 9:00:12 GMT -5
Yikes Larry, and they say AZ is the Wild West! Is Butterfield developed now? Or did I misunderstand where the company I was working for was running power?
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Mar 23, 2012 10:45:33 GMT -5
Historically, Butterfield was the name of the stage coach line running in the area. They had a huge Butterfield recreation area and campground in the 70's that went belly up. I know of a street named Butterfield but an actually community, no.
Yeah, SoCal has big kitty cats roaming the hills that were planted there and are protected. After they eat all the deer, they eat people. They even reintroduced the black bear in the Angeles National Forest and they like chasing little girls down the street and hanging out in people's swimming pools. Our legislators in Sacramento will probably reintroduce smallpox if given a chance!
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goldfinger1
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2008
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Post by goldfinger1 on Apr 10, 2012 18:15:41 GMT -5
While getting bit by rattlers is bad, brown recluse spiders are probably worse. A friend of mine lost part of his thumb and the skin took forever to grow back. Much more common then rattlers and can be found in a lot a wider range.
Steve
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2012 18:25:16 GMT -5
LarryS FYI the mountain lions in southern california are indeed native. They were not put here or 'planted' as you say. I once had lunch with one in the hills south of hemet. He on a rock watching me and me on a rock watching him, while I enjoyed a PB&J a bag of Funyons and a can of Coke. I also has a similar experience on the Soboba Reservation with a bobcat. That area of Sobaba was so remote. Probably the least touched land I have ever been on in California. Because cougars are not hunted at all it seems they are getting more bold around people. Specially where the people habitat butts up against puma habitat. @goldfinger fortunately for California we have no brown recluse spiders. It turns out most recluse 'bites' nationwide are bad staph infections. I reference the work of one Rick Vetter, MS regarding recluse bites nationwide. spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html & spiders.ucr.edu/necrotic.html
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