Signs of spring
Last Thursday, I wandered around on Rainbow Mountain for a bit after work, as is my custom two or three times a week. About one-third of the way in, a little more than a half-mile from the car, I managed to roll my left ankle on a rock I didn’t see because I was busy woolgathering.
Like a motherfucker did it hurt.
Matter of fact, it hurt so bad, I did the unthinkable: I turned around and gimped back to the car instead of trying to walk it off like I normally do. It hurt so bad I almost went to Walgreen’s on the way home for the most powerful painkilllers they sell over the counter, Mega M&Ms.
That’s pain.
Instead, I came home and took four Advils, then spent the night and next day bitching about how bad it hurt and wondering if there will ever be a two-week stretch in the rest of my life when I’m not injured in some way. By Saturday, it only hurt when I used it after periods of inactivity, so of course I went hiking that morning and kayaking that afternoon.
Inside view
Outside view
Springtime has arrived in Alabama with a vengeance. How do I know? I’ve spotted the signs.
Saturday morning, Mister Boogers (esq.) caught an adolescent cardinal of the female persuasion and brought her into the house, growling at all who would come near him. After chasing him around on my gimpy ankle, I finally caught the bird and got her outside.
In her shock, she allowed herself to be subjected to something I’ve only had the opportunity to do a few times in my life:
She sat on my hand for several minutes, and let me pet her pointy headfeathers.
Springtime also brings sunshine with a vengeance, and after a weekend where I spent all day Saturday hiking and kayaking, then spent Sunday kayaking and hiking (just for a change, you understand), I was graced with the first red head of the season.
It didn’t hurt so bad. Not compared to the ankle.
Birds and burns are but two of the harbingers of spring. The third, of course, is the waking of the snakes. I’ve missed seeing snakes over the last several months, so this past weekend was especially nice.
Saturday morning, while I was kayaking by myself, I paddled alongside a tiny brown water snake as he made his way across the shallow refuge waters. Sunday morning, Robyn went kayaking with me. It was very cool to have another person out on the water with me at the same time. We saw a huge water moccasin crossing about 50 feet from us (Robyn thought it was a turtle when I pointed it out to her, and promptly got the willies later on when I explained what it really was). And by “huge,” I mean “head the size of my fist” big.
Then, on Sunday, I came across a copperhead (for real this time, not a midland water snake mistaken for a copperhead like last time) on the Waterline trail. Fortunately, I had the camera.
Beautiful no? Click here for the big version.
If you look closely in the big one, you can see his elliptical pupils,
the sure sign of a pit viper.
Update: Reader Chris spotted this gorgeous water moccasin on a trail
in North Carolina this weekend. Look at that cotton-white mouth!
And when I say “came across a copperhead” in the last paragraph, what I really mean is “walked right over it without seeing it until the person behind me cried out in alarm.”
I should’ve seen it. I would’ve seen it, had I been alone by the time I got to the steep part of Waterline. I started out alone.
Halfway up the Waterline trail, I found a couple standing where the Annandale trail terminates into Waterline, talking. The man looked vaguely familiar. I spoke, and was going to pass them by when the woman commented that they’d seen me at the parking lot when I left out, and that her husband really liked my big stick.
I almost told them I hear that a lot, but decided against it.
They also noticed the kayak rack on top of my [redacted], and we talked about kayaking and whitewater rafting for a moment. Right in the middle of the conversation, I realized that the man had been the instructor in my first college class ever. FORTRAN, in the summer of 1985.
I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night, yet I recognized someone I’d seen twice a week for 10 weeks during the summer 21 years ago.
It’s no wonder Robyn calls me Rain Man.
We stood and talked for 10 or 15 minutes about rafting, hiking, and kayaking, and they decided to climb Waterline with me since they’d never done it. Normally, I stare so intently at the ground when I hike — looking for snakes and rocks — that I don’t see other people until I’m right up on them. This time, however, I was blathering on and on as we went up the steep part of Waterline—
When I’m by myself, I go up Waterline fast enough that I’m panting in a most loud and embarrassing way by the time I get to the top. Without fail, any time I go up the trail with another person, we go so slow that I don’t even breathe hard. I guess that means I’m finally getting into decent shape.
—and I literally walked right over the copperhead without seeing it. It’s pure luck that I didn’t get bit, not my mad skills at snake avoidance.
The final sign of spring is the pollen. Everything here is yellow right now, and that means one thing to me: hay fever. It’s not serious, thank goodness. Just a couple of sneezy weeks in the spring and another couple in the fall. Over the years, I’ve found there’s one thing, one magical drug, that works better than any other: Claritin-D. And now it’s over-the-counter, which is even better.
Sunday afternoon, I stopped at CVS to get a box, but couldn’t find it. It tried Walgreen’s, again with no luck. They had Claritin everything, but not the ‘D’ version. ‘D’ has a decongestant, which seems to help more with my sneezes than the actual Claritin does. Claritin alone just sort of makes the allergies not quite as bad, but Claritin-D makes them completely gone.
Monday morning, Robyn checked at Target and Publix. No Claritin-D. In a fit, I tried drugstore.com to see if they had it. They did. I put a couple of boxes into my cart and went to check out.
Only to be told, “Sorry, Fred. You live in a state that limits the sale of pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in the product you have chosen. As such, drugstore.com cannot sell you this product.”
What the fuck?
I did some digging and sure enough, our fuckhead governor signed a law — ostensibly to stop meth production, since pseudoephedrine (PE) is a chief ingredient of meth — that forces stores to keep products that contain PE either under video surveillance or lock and key. To buy some (and you can’t get more than two boxes of anything), I had to see the pharmacist and present a photo ID, then stand there feeling like a criminal while she filled out a form in triplicate with my full name, address, phone number, store info, date, time, and what I bought.
And then I had to sign the form, alleging that I’m not a methamphetamine manufacturer.
For. A. Fucking. Box. Of. Claritin. D. For. My. Fucking. Allergies.
Is it any wonder everyone hates the government? Every day it seems they do something just a little more stupid to make life harder for those of us who are law-abiding citizens. They punish 99% of us for the actions of 1%.
Then, today, our governor redeemed himself by signing the “Castle Doctrine” law.
Until today, you had to run from someone who threatened your (or your family’s) life, and if you used deadly force to protect yourself you’d better be able to prove you were backed into a corner with no way out. Then, if you got through that, you could be sued by the person (or his/her family) who was threatening you.
Our new law means we no longer have a duty to retreat in the face of a threat. No more running from a criminal who wants to do harm to you or your family. No more prosecution for properly defending yourself, no more worries about getting sued by the family of your attacker.
I stand with the NRA, who says, “We thank Governor Riley for signing this vital legislation into law for the people of Alabama. Law-abiding citizens now have the choice to defend themselves and their families in the face of attack without fear of criminal prosecution and civil litigation.”
That’s what freedom is about.
Wow, awesome legislation there, Alabama! I wish we could have the same thing, but in California? Yeah, not so much.
If you had any clue how completely and utterly devastating methamphetamine is, how insanely addictive it is, how its affecting much more than 1% of the population and growing fast, how many lives its destroying, how much of the crime its causing, how it transforms good people into evil, soul-less shells, even your own children, you would be happy to spend a few minutes to put a dent into meth production.
I know. My loved one has kicked it, but I live in fear of a relapse every day. Another loved one was raped by a meth addict who broke into her home while she was sleeping. It is evil, and it is touching everyone. Before you jump to any conclusions, we are a solidly middle-class, educated, non-smoking, non-drinking, non-drug-taking, community volunteer family. Be afraid of this drug. Support any and all efforts to get rid of it.
We’re all in this together. It hurts us all.
Okay, let me climb down from my soap box. I have a sinus headache . . . I need to fill out some paperwork at my pharmacy to buy some sinus medicine.
I love, love, love your cardinal picture! It’s amazing that you were able to pet her like that. She’s very lucky that you were there to save her from The Boog!
Wish we could get some of that legislation over here on the Left..*cough* I mean West Coast. Water moccasins are cool….saw a bunch around the chesapeake bay when I lived there.
Anne: …you would be happy to spend a few minutes to put a dent into meth production.
Anne, though I think about 90% of the “war on drugs” is baloney, I’d be happy to help put a dent in meth production. Problem is, I don’t think making it a huge pain in the ass to buy a box of Claritin-D is going to make that dent. Why not limit the amount of it you can buy in a single purchase? Plus, Claritin-D is almost a buck a pill. Can it actually even be used profitably to make meth? Finally, even though I still think it’s an infringement, I wouldn’t have as much problem simply showing an ID to buy it. Alabama has one of the strictest laws in the nation regarding the sale of pseudoephedrine, and I question what it’s doing to curb the production of meth.
I was hiking in Nags Head Woods Saturday (Outerbanks, NC) and came this {} close to stepping on a cottonmouth (water) moccasin! If it hadn’t been for the hiss & the flash of wide open white mouth, I would never have seen it. My sister - with whom I was hiking and yakking - thoroughly enjoyed my extreme snake dance.
A for the pseudoephedrine restrictions, we’ve had them here, too, since the first of the year and there has been a remarkable reduction in the number of methamphetamine lab busts - so remarkable it can’t be a coincidence.
I took a picture of the snake - wanna see?
-Chris
Chris:
You KNOW I want to see it. Just drop me an email.
(and with your permission I’ll even stick it up there in the entry)
Water moccasins are notoriously aggressive. Sounds like you dodged a bullet. Or fang. Or something.
We also live in a state that has passed that law about the medication. I understand that the idea is to stop the Meth labs from easy access to these meds in order to make this life changing drug. I think the thing that we law abiding citizens hate is to walk in to buy one box you have to go through all kinds of rig-a-marole and they treat you as if you are there to buy it, walk to the parking lot and hand it over to a drug dealer. Now, I can understand that if you were walking up to purchase a carton full, a case, three boxes or the like, that they would get suspicious, however, to purchase one box while you are standing in line with red eyes, sneezing.. well that gets a little over the top to me. I agree that if one is purchasing multiple boxes, they should have to do all that. Or maybe find a different way to handle it, educate the pharmacist in not making you feel like a criminal… perhaps that would make it a bit easier to swallow. This area is so bad that we were standing in the parking lot of a national landmark and were talking to a friend for a few minutes before the long drive home. The park ranger “rent-a-cops” came rolling in like it was a raid and searched our car for drugs… because we looked suspicious. Talking. Standing. And holding a soda. When they finally figured out that we were ok, did they say sorry, nope, my husband went to shake the officers hand and say “have a nice day sir” and Barney Fife actually jerked back and went for his gun. My husband about passed out with his hand extended in the normal “shake your hand” pose. I was so angry I could spit. The fact that drugs have ruined the area to the extent that people are so nasty to everyone just scares me. But, to keep taking it out on normal citizens, treating EVERYONE like a criminal is not the way to take care of the problem. And since this law has went into effect, it sure hasn’t helped to take the drug problem down a notch. If anything, I think its worse here.
Just my two cents… for what its worth.
Fred: Why not limit the amount of it you can buy in a single purchase? Plus, Claritin-D is almost a buck a pill. Can it actually even be used profitably to make meth?
Limiting the amount you can purchase has been going on for some time. Meth cooks simply hire someone to surf the stores, sit in their car and pop the pills out of the blister packs. As for profit, the drug trade is so successful because it is so profitable. Name any other business in which you can lose up to 85% of your product (to law enforcement raids, stealing from within their organization or from elsewhere, etc.) and still turn a profit. Yeah, they can well afford the $1 a pill.
Ohio recently passed a similar law. Anything containing pseudoephedrine has already been behind the pharmacy counter for over a year now, but soon we’ll have to start showing ID and signing for it and won’t be able to buy more than a certain quantity a month. (And my husband and I both have to take Sudafed every day in order to be able to live with our cats, so we’ll each have to buy our own supply individually instead of one of us being able to run out and buy enough for both of us for a month.)
The thing that pisses me off the most is that the big meth makers really are not buying their Sudafed at friggin Walmart; they’re buying it from wholesalers who flout the existing federal regulations. IMO this kind of thing is mainly a move to get everyone accustomed to living in a Big Brother state.
But then I’ve been accused of being paranoid…
the allergies haven’t yet settled into upstate NY- but when they do I will be getting my D.
I agree with you Fred, I don’t think making you fill out paperwork has stopped the illegal use of meth.
Friggin Dirtbags- they have to figure out a way to ruin everything. Imagine if they put their energy to good use… maybe a cure for cancer? or how about a cure for the frigging allergies!?
Yes, we have the same law in Indiana about the ephedra based products, the problem w/limiting or just showing ID is that those items were being stolen at a record level and as stated you can have runners go in and buy this stuff…..it’s very lucrative for these “cookers” as long as they don’t get hooked themselves or get blown up cooking the product. It’s extremely dangerous to do this drug on all levels, we went through an information meeting that the police put on regarding this. Very interesting, but the criminals always find a way around things, we do the right thing and get subjected to so much, but they always find ways around the law…..unfortunately…..
Donna and Fred, these measures may be more effective than you realize. Unlike other types of drugs, you cannot grow the active ingredient for methamphetamine in your backyard or on your farm. All the pseudoephedrine in the world is manufactured in 5 or 6 legal factories around the world. That’s the only place you can get it.
Yes, meth superlabs used to get their pseudoephedrine directly or indirectly from these manufacturers illegally, but thanks to a concerted effort, those sources are drying up for them. This is why they are resorting to buying or stealing it from drugstore shelves.
These new laws are definitely making it more difficult for them. Hopefully they will soon run out of options.
As you can tell, this subject hits a major nerve for me. There was an excellent PBS special aired about meth about two months ago. If its aired again, I highly recommend it.
On the other hand, I sincerely hope that you never need to learn more than this about meth — it is a nightmare.
I saw the PBS special, and after, they aired one specifically about GA. Only 5% of the meth here comes from cookers - the other 95% is smuggled in by the cartel. They buy the ingredients from the international factories, ship it to CA, cook it up in a “superlab”, then send it on over. And that stuff is fairly pure, so many people that try it only once are hooked until death. Which comes quickly, for many.
That’s a nasty, nasty drug. My sister spent the better part of 5 years out in that world. She’s a little over a year clean from it, but still struggles with urges.
Our state was the first in the nation with those pseudoephedrine laws. Although, ours is limited to just the capsule or caplets. You can still buy the gel tabs without going through all the problem. Supposedly, those type are very usuable for the production of meth.
I agree with you about feeling like a criminal when forced to show my ID and sign a form, etc. just to get a little box of Sudafed, for Pete’s sake.
However, when I saw this (link below), I decided I could probably stand it if it really helps reduce the number of people taking meth. I hope it’s helping, because it sure is a pain in the neck!
www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/faces/photo_12.html
Is this a state law? I just got home from visiting relatives in Michigan. I went for a walk and stopped at a drugstore to get some sinus medicine for a persistent headache. When I couldn’t find any on the shelf, I asked at the pharmacy and yes, it was behind the counter and I had to show ID and sign for it. But the woman there told me it was a new federal law.
Put me on the list of those middle american’s with meth addict relatives. Honestly, if it were up to me, if it would stop them from being able to make Meth at all, I’d BAN the making of psuedoephedrine entirely. Meth is destroying our society. The jail/law enforcement/child welfare systems are completely overloaded because of it. It destroys SO.MANY.LIVES…not just the people that are taking it.
And there are other decongestants out there. Sudafed has one that does not have pseudoephedrine in it so that they can sell it from the shelves.
If keeping it behind the counters, and keeping a log of who is buying it helps curb the production of this deadly drug, even just a little, then so be it.
Ahem. I seem to have found the same soapbox as Anne. Sorry about that. It’s just that this is near and dear to my heart too…as it is to many people who’s loved ones have went down that road…
Out of curiosity, for those of you who support all the pseudoephedrine legislation, do you also think we should outlaw alcohol because so many people abuse it? What about guns? Gambling?
A free society sometimes means you’re free to screw up your life (yes, I know that sounds harsh; it’s not intended to)
The problem isn’t that it just screws up their lives - it affects everyone. their kids who have no parents (and your taxes end up taking care of them), crime rates go up so they can get $ to buy the crap and that makes insurance rates go up. It is a systemic problem. And because it is extremely addictive, recovery is horribly difficult for these people, perpetuating the cycle. Alcohol, guns, gambling don’t compare in scope to the affect on society.
Ditto to what Kathy said. Actually, I suspect alcohol costs us all a pretty penny too, but at least with alcohol, a person has the possibility of not becoming an alcoholic. Methamphetamine is so incredibly addictive that almost noone who uses it escapes destroying their lives, their bodies, their familes, becoming a thief, a liar, a neglectful parent, incredibly paranoid (leading to all kinds of bizarre behaviors)and sometimes a rapist or murderer. In fact, once a person is addicted, their life and soul is pretty much lost. But they have the ability to adversely impact many, many other lives. And this can all happen within a very short period of time.
This soapbox is pretty crowded —- unfortunately.
In my family there have been lots of alcoholics and this disease is not anywhere as bad as having meth addicts. Hard to believe that something could be worse. Fred your points are not lost on me, but I believe that anything that can be done to curb production of meth should be done. I would go as far as to agree with Melissa that we should BAN the making of psuedoephedrine entirely. She is correct that Meth is destroying our society. It’s a terrible problem in Canada too.
Linda, Anne… I respectfully disagree. Banning a substance does not make it go away (see Marijuana, cocaine, acid, ecstasy, and the like). All that we’ve done is successfully created a bureaucracy in which we get to *feel* as though we’re solving the problem, when all we’re really doing is handing away our right to privacy. See, the criminals? They’ll find a way to get it, just as they always have.
And the argument about how many lives it’s ruined… well, we can make those same statements about alcohol (drunk drivers, alcoholic parents), tobacco (do I even need to elaborate?), and fatty foods (people die of heart attacks at ever younger ages, leaving young families missing a parent). And yet no one’s clamoring to reinstate prohibition, smoking is still legal (altough highly uncool), and we continue to take our kids to McFatso’s.
Either we’re free - and have to deal with the consequences of that freedom - or we’re not free. And if you accept the small infringements into our privacy, then those infringements will increase, little by little, until we’ve got almost no privacy left.
Just my opinion, though.
When my son was little, he was extremely active and a daredevil. As a result, I found myself bringing him to the ER twice in six months for stitches. On the way to the hospital the second time, I suddenly got nervous that they would think I was hurting my child. Then I stopped myself, and realized that they SHOULD look at the situation carefully, if they are doing their job right. I could withstand a little scrutiny and answer some prying questions if it means a child who IS being abused can be helped.
Every experience we have involves assessing risk and what we are willing to do to avoid those risks: i.e. seat belts, traffic signs, FDA regulations to protect us from food poisioning etc.
If I told you there was a training coming at you as you stood on the railroad tracks, you wouldn’t argue with me about your rights to stand on those tracks, you’d move. The problem here is that you don’t believe its a train, and you don’t think its on YOUR track. Think again.
hello?? Did you forget to do a new entry?? It’s been over 3 weeks man!