Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is the first time I have responded to this forum. I just wanted to clarify a few things, some of which are factual, fictional, and/or mythical. The correct spelling of my last name is Timaeus. I have been cruising the Langtry/West Texas area since about 1972. As the Alterna Pirate has intimated, he caught a alterna before I (his nickname for me is Tiny) did, but I do not think he as come close to keeping up with me since, even as good as he is he has been handicapped by travel distance. He is also guilty of exposing himself to my then minor child during a spotlighting incident and he is responsible for my most favorite quoteable saying "That ssshhh----ttt ain't right". Maybe he will explain. As far as Forky is concerned I remember him being chauffered by his dad and most significantly I remember a redhaired freckle faced boy who was asking questions a mile a minute about snaking and was there when he caught his first alterna. Could have used his smile as a spotlight. Another youngster to catch an alterna was my son who was 3 1/2 in 1977 when he jumped out of my jeep and grabbed a subadult light phase in the middle of the dirt road on top of Blairs Hill (some old timers might know where that is). On the way back to the jeep he was rubbing his head where he had banged it on the window of the jeep as I was skidding to a stop. Lee Box used to bring his young man child (Bryan) to Langtry with him. He was a skinny little kid who also learned alot of his snaking knowledge from his father and the numerous other snaking characters he has known over the years of his growing up. Bottom line is that it has been great knowing the many people that I have met and become lifelong friends with during snaking adventures. Most importantly is what we are passing on to our next generations of herpers. That is borne out in what I have seen with people like Lee, Forky, Alterna Pirate, W. Howe, and many more. Mine and their children and even their children (in some cases) are learning the ways. There have been a few bad apples in our crowd (who's names are not even worth mentioning) that should be allowed or even forced to be forgotten. To those I say good riddance and nuff said on this forum!!!!!

WE FEW...WE HAPPY FEW...BAND OF BROTHERS...........FRIENDSHIPS THAT ENDURE TIME AND DISTANCE.....ALL OF LIFE'S STRESSORS JUST DISAPPEAR FOR THOSE OF US THAT CHASE ALTERNAS EACH YEAR....THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PLACE...THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE....I FELT LIKE I WAS HOME.....ALMOST AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE...AN ADDICTION...NOT JUST THE SNAKE, BUT THE WHOLE WHATEVER IT IS..............

It's a massive thunderstorm rolling in before dark, or the smell of the desert air after a rain. It's the best view ever of the milky way galaxy, or the constant stream of shooting stars in the night sky. It's the scorching heat of the day time, or the cool air in the bottom of the arroyos at night. It's the flash of gray and orange on the blacktop before you, or the red and blue flashing lights in your rearview (lol).
It's Hollister holding court on the side of the road with a dozen ears glued to his every word, or sneaking off in the middle of one of his sessions and finding a Blair's not a quarter mile up the road. It's all that and more....

Forky

>>WHATEVER IT IS..............

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ guys, the sap is running. You're making me tear up. Guess I'll have to go back out soon!

Wayne

It's all about the total experience, snakes or not, but I must say, I will never forget watching my boy catch his first alterna several years back. Yes, the torch is being passed. And there are a ton of good folks doing so!!! Abrazos all, Hugh

I hear all that....just need the color change from red and blue to orange and gray! The stars....so true...the heat unbearably bearable...the vast wildlife...fan-freakin'-tastic!
Todd Hughes

Great post Eric. It is about time you started speaking up on this forum. I will say that some of my best memories are of hunting Langtry when I was a kid. I know that every time I got a chance to hunt with Eric I would. He, my dad, many others have taught me a lot about collecting. I remember one time, I was probably about 13, I had brought a friend with me to Langtry for the first time. He and I hunted with Eric and it wasn't too long befor he had spotlighted an alterna West of Langtry. He let my friend get out and catch it. My friend was overjoyed. He just stood there staring at it in amazement. Eric yelled from the truck something like "well, catch the damn thing". We went on to catch another later on that night. My friend thought that catching alterna was easy. I am off to try my hand at some off the wall spots in the morning. Maybe I will get lucky and have something to share with everyone next week (don't hold your breath).