cruiserkreutz
SILVER Star
Love those stripes! Are those original dealer applied, or something you did? The "Toyota" towards the rear is a beautiful touch!!
What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week? (36 Viewers)
- Thread starter IH8MUD
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Tore into it for the Saginaw/new header/lizard skin undercoat project. Details in the Project Patina build thread in my signature.
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I'd like to share regarding the rattlesnake story, as the one I have "impacted" me.
My encounter definitely planted a permanent image within my head. Besides, it'll forever make a good story.
A few years back, was driving aimlessly on a super-remote, dirt road in the middle of nowhere of South-Central Alabama, and saw the abnormally fat & large, solid black tail of a snake slowly meander its way into the thick sticker-bush type brush & weeds to the passenger side of the car, there just up ahead of me. I believed what I witnessed was a water moccasin (which are primarily all-black or really dark olive). I'd never personally seen a water moccasin before, as being in Atlanta, and north of Atlanta, there are NO water moccasins (only similarly looking, non-venomous water snakes).
So, I stopped the car right there in the dirt road, grabbed my phone (which had ZERO cell service going on for it), and tromped into the brush after the snake, with hope to snag a pic.
I couldn't find it. And now, I was way into the brush. And wearing shorts & a common T-shirt, was already cut-up from the really aggressive sticker bush vines, which were strewn all over the place. I was now worried that I'd step on the snake, as I was finding myself so deep into the thick weeds, I couldn't even see where I was stepping.
Not long after, I froze still - I had ALMOST stepped on the sucker.
I DIDN'T EVEN IMMEDIATELY SEE IT in front of me. It was soooo camouflaged into the dry-grass & overgrown weeded ground, it was nearly invisible - even though I was actively searching for it. The phrase, "blending-in," is an understatement.
My left foot was planted less than the length of my own foot away from the central portion of the snake's body. And it wasn't at all black, as I had thought. It wasn't even a water moccasin, as I had believed. Even though its tail was most definitely solid black, I instead immediately thought I was looking at a python, like the type which is problematic down in the Everglades portion of South Florida. The snake I was standing beside was really fat. And was longer than I am tall (I'm 5'-8").
"Sh*t !!"
I figured it out that very next moment - I was standing immediately beside a 6-foot something long rattlesnake, of a type I had never seen before in the wild - a massively sized Timber Rattlesnake.
Its rattle was perhaps almost the width of the two palms of my hands placed side-by-side together. It was not rattling though. The snake was very slowly & nonchalantly crawling its way toward the base of a mid-sized pine tree, which was adjacent to a large bush, composed of daunting steel-type, razor wire-like sticker vines. The kind of sticker vine that might as well be actual, stainless steel razor wire.
I couldn't see the snake anymore. It had crawled under the bush. And yet, I hadn't yet even snapped a picture of the thing. How could I tell a story of seeing a huge Timber rattler without a pic to justify ??
Me being me, I couldn't.
So. I laid down on the ground; and on my stomach, low-crawled under the razor wire type sticker vines of a bush to where the snake had just gone. And as I crawled, I held the phone in front of me, that I could take a pic once I saw the pretty snake, wherever it was that it had gone to. As I am highly intelligent, I was crawling by looking through the LCD screen on the backside of the phone as I inched my way forward, toward the unseen venomous snake. But the problem was, the phone kept turning off on me. Its battery was almost completely dead. I was already knowing I definitely needed a new battery for the phone, as the dumb device would keep dying on me like every other hour.
"OHHH Sh*t !!!"
I didn't realize it at the time, but while under the razor wire sticker bush, I had now crawled up to the snake - and was now TOO Close. I had crawled so close up to it that the camera would no longer focus on it. I ALMOST banged into the snake, there immediately in front of me. So, I literally had to crawl backward a few inches, that the camera could focus correctly. Right now, I was no longer within proper range of the focal point of the lens.
I hadn't yet even snapped a picture when there came yet another . . .
"OHHHHHH Sh*t !!!!"
I could see a fire ant crawl onto the top of the phone from my finger. But there wasn't just one. I could now see several fire ants. And the moment after that, I realized my entire body was overrun with massively aggressive fire ants. Fire ants were in droves on the inside of my T-shirt. They were obviously well within my underwear. I could feel them embedded into my hair. And were seen in long, zig-zagged lines covering both of my forearms. I was being bit by fire ants absolutely ALL over my body. They were on my face & biting me there too.
There immediately in front of the bigger-than me, venomous snake, and immediately under the pointed-spears of the steel-tough, razor wire type entanglement of evil vines - I was LAYING directly on top of a now flattened-by-me fire ant mound.
And them fire ants were Pissed !!
As much as the body-wide stinging sensation became increasingly apparent (and unpleasant), I could not at all do any hurky-jerky movements. I HAD TO BE motionlessly still. Else wise, the monster snake, its head literally inches from the phone, which in turn was perhaps a foot & a half in front of my face - would no doubt strike me. And I was POSITIVE the range of its striking distance was MORE than the short distance from me to it.
Although in immediate & excruciating pain from the flood of fire ants, I self-remained super-calm & moved ever so slowly, if at all. My exclusive focus of concentration was that of the apparent mood & physical temperament & real-time body language of the venomous serpent in front of me. I was intensely watching for it to coil its head back, as if to strike.
But it never did.
Nor did it ever rattle its massively sized, mature tail.
Although I had previously never physically encountered a Timber Rattlesnake prior to this, while in the wilderness, let alone had ever seen one in person, I was knowing Timbers are not at all aggressive. They are well known to be VERY passive. And like ALL snakes, they actually want most to be left alone (which unfortunately, I was right now failing at).
I snapped only the few pics here. And then crawled, VERY SLOWLY crawled - backward, to get out of there.
Be sure to note the fire ant on the side of the snake's face; which was trying to bite the snake, and is seen now likely caught under a scale of the snake's skin.
Once away from the snake & out from under the bush of harsh stickers, I was COMPLETELY covered (head to toe) with clinging, biting fire ants. Without delay, I stripped myself naked to slap them off the skin of my entire body. Although I was semi-swollen for a few days after, from the countless ant bites (and the venom or whatever it is fire ants inject), the physical & mental vision of the snake, and my abnormally close encounter with it - - has never left me.
~Skydog
My encounter definitely planted a permanent image within my head. Besides, it'll forever make a good story.
A few years back, was driving aimlessly on a super-remote, dirt road in the middle of nowhere of South-Central Alabama, and saw the abnormally fat & large, solid black tail of a snake slowly meander its way into the thick sticker-bush type brush & weeds to the passenger side of the car, there just up ahead of me. I believed what I witnessed was a water moccasin (which are primarily all-black or really dark olive). I'd never personally seen a water moccasin before, as being in Atlanta, and north of Atlanta, there are NO water moccasins (only similarly looking, non-venomous water snakes).
So, I stopped the car right there in the dirt road, grabbed my phone (which had ZERO cell service going on for it), and tromped into the brush after the snake, with hope to snag a pic.
I couldn't find it. And now, I was way into the brush. And wearing shorts & a common T-shirt, was already cut-up from the really aggressive sticker bush vines, which were strewn all over the place. I was now worried that I'd step on the snake, as I was finding myself so deep into the thick weeds, I couldn't even see where I was stepping.
Not long after, I froze still - I had ALMOST stepped on the sucker.
I DIDN'T EVEN IMMEDIATELY SEE IT in front of me. It was soooo camouflaged into the dry-grass & overgrown weeded ground, it was nearly invisible - even though I was actively searching for it. The phrase, "blending-in," is an understatement.
My left foot was planted less than the length of my own foot away from the central portion of the snake's body. And it wasn't at all black, as I had thought. It wasn't even a water moccasin, as I had believed. Even though its tail was most definitely solid black, I instead immediately thought I was looking at a python, like the type which is problematic down in the Everglades portion of South Florida. The snake I was standing beside was really fat. And was longer than I am tall (I'm 5'-8").
"Sh*t !!"
I figured it out that very next moment - I was standing immediately beside a 6-foot something long rattlesnake, of a type I had never seen before in the wild - a massively sized Timber Rattlesnake.
Its rattle was perhaps almost the width of the two palms of my hands placed side-by-side together. It was not rattling though. The snake was very slowly & nonchalantly crawling its way toward the base of a mid-sized pine tree, which was adjacent to a large bush, composed of daunting steel-type, razor wire-like sticker vines. The kind of sticker vine that might as well be actual, stainless steel razor wire.
I couldn't see the snake anymore. It had crawled under the bush. And yet, I hadn't yet even snapped a picture of the thing. How could I tell a story of seeing a huge Timber rattler without a pic to justify ??
Me being me, I couldn't.
So. I laid down on the ground; and on my stomach, low-crawled under the razor wire type sticker vines of a bush to where the snake had just gone. And as I crawled, I held the phone in front of me, that I could take a pic once I saw the pretty snake, wherever it was that it had gone to. As I am highly intelligent, I was crawling by looking through the LCD screen on the backside of the phone as I inched my way forward, toward the unseen venomous snake. But the problem was, the phone kept turning off on me. Its battery was almost completely dead. I was already knowing I definitely needed a new battery for the phone, as the dumb device would keep dying on me like every other hour.
"OHHH Sh*t !!!"
I didn't realize it at the time, but while under the razor wire sticker bush, I had now crawled up to the snake - and was now TOO Close. I had crawled so close up to it that the camera would no longer focus on it. I ALMOST banged into the snake, there immediately in front of me. So, I literally had to crawl backward a few inches, that the camera could focus correctly. Right now, I was no longer within proper range of the focal point of the lens.
I hadn't yet even snapped a picture when there came yet another . . .
"OHHHHHH Sh*t !!!!"
I could see a fire ant crawl onto the top of the phone from my finger. But there wasn't just one. I could now see several fire ants. And the moment after that, I realized my entire body was overrun with massively aggressive fire ants. Fire ants were in droves on the inside of my T-shirt. They were obviously well within my underwear. I could feel them embedded into my hair. And were seen in long, zig-zagged lines covering both of my forearms. I was being bit by fire ants absolutely ALL over my body. They were on my face & biting me there too.
There immediately in front of the bigger-than me, venomous snake, and immediately under the pointed-spears of the steel-tough, razor wire type entanglement of evil vines - I was LAYING directly on top of a now flattened-by-me fire ant mound.
And them fire ants were Pissed !!
As much as the body-wide stinging sensation became increasingly apparent (and unpleasant), I could not at all do any hurky-jerky movements. I HAD TO BE motionlessly still. Else wise, the monster snake, its head literally inches from the phone, which in turn was perhaps a foot & a half in front of my face - would no doubt strike me. And I was POSITIVE the range of its striking distance was MORE than the short distance from me to it.
Although in immediate & excruciating pain from the flood of fire ants, I self-remained super-calm & moved ever so slowly, if at all. My exclusive focus of concentration was that of the apparent mood & physical temperament & real-time body language of the venomous serpent in front of me. I was intensely watching for it to coil its head back, as if to strike.
But it never did.
Nor did it ever rattle its massively sized, mature tail.
Although I had previously never physically encountered a Timber Rattlesnake prior to this, while in the wilderness, let alone had ever seen one in person, I was knowing Timbers are not at all aggressive. They are well known to be VERY passive. And like ALL snakes, they actually want most to be left alone (which unfortunately, I was right now failing at).
I snapped only the few pics here. And then crawled, VERY SLOWLY crawled - backward, to get out of there.
Be sure to note the fire ant on the side of the snake's face; which was trying to bite the snake, and is seen now likely caught under a scale of the snake's skin.
Once away from the snake & out from under the bush of harsh stickers, I was COMPLETELY covered (head to toe) with clinging, biting fire ants. Without delay, I stripped myself naked to slap them off the skin of my entire body. Although I was semi-swollen for a few days after, from the countless ant bites (and the venom or whatever it is fire ants inject), the physical & mental vision of the snake, and my abnormally close encounter with it - - has never left me.
~Skydog
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MOTOV8R
SILVER Star
Krikey!
Thanks! Just a drunken winter project man. They're painted on and the toyota script is a copy of the 40 grille emblem.
D
jimminie christmas.....I would have left my drawers in the woods they would be so full of crap.
The guys got bigger kahunas than me for sure.
I will tell another snake story and it doesn't involve a snake.
In the desert at night a full moon can really light up the ground so you can see where you are going with out the aid of a flash light.
One night my wife and I was out for a moonlight walk when I stepped on a stick and it flipped up hitting me on the back of my calf muscle.
Scaring the bejesus out of me and giving a yelp I jumped two feet in the air and over about six. (the snake dance)
As soon as we realized what it was my loving spouse started laughing her ass off.
I started fussing about her insensitivity and stomping around when darned if I didn't step on the same stick again and went through the whole scenario all over.
I didn't think it was possible but she laughed even harder.
Years later when the story was told she started laughing.
It has been a good forty years now and I bet if I mentioned it now she would start laughing.
4Cruisers
SILVER Star
It's a blast to hike or mountain bike in the desert late at night under a full moon, southern Utah's my favorite.
Speaking of nighttime in the desert, one of my co-workers in Nevada was out in back of his house one night with a blacklight. Turns out a lot of the creatures like scorpions and spiders light up pretty well under a blacklight. When he saw all the action he hurried back in the house and swore he'd never go out in the desert again at night. Kind of out of character for him, he was a burly, tough looking union pipefitter.
These pix from yesterdays cruise in the desert seem appropriate now. First is the Gila Monster, then a small rattler. I didn't get any pix or the much larger rattler i encountered later or the 2 bulls I saw fighting each other like rams in heat.
That old cruiser looks the part for the desert shot.
crop and frame it and people that like pictures of old trucks and cars would probably want it.
When I was coming into Lake Havasu on the west side enjoying the twisty road in my Fiat 128 Rally I ran over a fat Gila Monster on a sharp bend in the paved road.
I felt bad about hitting it but that lizard was so big the car lost traction when I squashed it and I thought I was going to crash so that kind of tempered my anguish.
That was the only Gila I have ever seen outside of a zoo.
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I'd think most here & elsewhere would easily concur - such is a photogenic vehicle.
The seen Gila Monster is also really cool.
~m.
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We're in agreement. I've a huge & massive respect for all hissing snakes & reptiles - and of course, feisty women.
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Not cruiser related but while we are sharing rattlesnake stories...
My dad, brother, and I routinely trout fish up in central PA. We do this by parking on a gravel road in a state forest and hiking in 3-4 miles, then set up camp and fish for a few days. One morning my brother woke up, and headed for a nearby tree to pee. It wasn't until he had his fly down and ready to let loose that he realized he was about to piss on a ~3 foot Timber Rattler coiled up in the roots. The rattler (probably still warming up since it was a cooler morning) noticed my brother about the same time he noticed it and started rattling. The image of my brother rolling down the mountain with his pants around his ankles is still one of the most hilarious and talked about memories from our fishing expeditions!
My dad, brother, and I routinely trout fish up in central PA. We do this by parking on a gravel road in a state forest and hiking in 3-4 miles, then set up camp and fish for a few days. One morning my brother woke up, and headed for a nearby tree to pee. It wasn't until he had his fly down and ready to let loose that he realized he was about to piss on a ~3 foot Timber Rattler coiled up in the roots. The rattler (probably still warming up since it was a cooler morning) noticed my brother about the same time he noticed it and started rattling. The image of my brother rolling down the mountain with his pants around his ankles is still one of the most hilarious and talked about memories from our fishing expeditions!
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8 new cylinders and new shoes now that I've got rainys brake lines in the 70 (They were a little overdue to say the least.) Stops on a dime now and got to come out and play with the 76. Glad spring is finally here so I can get cracking on the 70 and get rid of the plow.
Rainman
Wondering what my next vehicle will be...
I broke down and just HAD to mount the tub. Ahhh... i'll climb under it and finish the brake lines later. I just couldn't wait any longer.
Oh. New steelies too!
Oh. New steelies too!
Mate your cruiser is looking awesome!! do You Live in Auckland?
