The morning hunt discussed.

Ted started breakfast. He was a great cook.

Chowing down.

 

While Guy and David were on Prune Ridge Hook, after the hunt was over, they poked around the rocks just east of the Hook. This was found (Ruffles potatoe chips are not the only thing with ridges!):

The left image is the inside, the middle image is the outside, the right image is the belly from the inside.
Note the central ridge down the middle of the scale, best seen on the central image.
This is the shed skin of a rattlesnake.

This is the head. The clear scale over the eyes can be seen, as well as one pit of this pit viper, just below and central to the eye on the left.

For comparison, here is a rattlesnake I photographed this year in Yosemite:

Here is a close up of his scales:

Note the ridges!

The Guys relaxing after breakfast.

I noticed this morning that there was a dead bay tree, just across from the cabin, that was leaning over the road. When it finally went, it was going to cave in the cabin! So we discussed tree removal and various plans and opinions expressed. I thought a block and tackle could guide the tree away from the cabin, the others doubted it and thought I would be lucky to miss the cabin and probably would hit the firepit.

Ted and Paul consider the problem. The dead tree is indicated by the marks. It was about 14 inches in diameter.

We first put a chain around the tree.
Craig was right in saying it would be more effective to put the chain up higher,
so we got out Bill's new ladder and Craig did the deed.

 

The block and tackle were secured to a tree across the road. Guy manned the saw, David manned the rope.
Bets were placed on where it would land and how much damage it would do to the cabin or the firepit.

Paul was given my camera to record the tree falling. Paul may have a steady hand on his gun but not on my camera!

Here it is down, missed everything and landed in the road to the dump.

Guy, Ted, Paul, and David left at 3:15 pm. David's "jeep" could not haul them up Old Camp, so Bill did, and then we went out without a problem. Bill and Craig stayed in for the evening hunt. Nada.

Nature Page for this weekend

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