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Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Oct 18, 2017 7:23am
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Nobody is ever going to want to box in Florida again if we keep this up. Our reputation is in need of some protection & rumor control. So I'd like to take this time to point out that while we may not be a mecca boxing state, we are not the only state with snakes & gators...

Snakes everywhere, every state! Well except Maine & Alaska, no venomous snakeypoos there.
Copperheads & Timber Rattlesnakes can be found in Connecticut.
The majority of our North American alligators do inhabit Florida and Louisiana but can also be found in Texas, the North and South Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama.

When my New England friends say to me "you have gators and snakes" I do have to agree with them. But I choose those any day over TICKS!

So there, we are even!

Now please come find & plant in our tropical paradise. Is real easy here, just look for the pine tree, you know, the one right next to the palm tree :) :) :)
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 7:37am
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I got nipped by a snake, sliced by vines, bitten by fire ants and had the bejeezus scared out of me by a manatee......I would HAPPILY and GRATEFULLY box in Florida in a heartbeat given half a chance (it just takes having a business reason to go anywhere for me). No one should think twice about boxing down there......the planters and boxes are phenomenal and it is a truly beautiful state with friendly and warm people.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 7:56am
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While boxing in Florida, I learned to ID a poisonwood tree...after the fact. And I've been bitten by fire ants. (My husband is allergic but thankfully, I'm not.)

But I've boxed there on multiple occasions and will happily do it again! It's a beautiful state.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 8:13am
Thread (disabled) Board
Don't forget the mermaids ... It's the very place for mermaids.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 8:24am
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Snakes everywhere, every state! Well except Maine & Alaska, no venomous snakeypoos there.

Some people aren't fond of non-venomous snakes either. If you really want to avoid snakes, the place to go is Hawaii. There really are NO wild snakes in that state as I understand it. And hey! It's Hawaii! Who wouldn't want to visit Hawaii?! =)

Now please come find & plant in our tropical paradise.

Maybe in the winter. And after hurricane season is over. ;o)

-- Ryan
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 8:55am
Thread (disabled) Board
In Connecticut we have two kinds of venomous snakes, plus Lyme disease. I've had it. It's not fun. I'll risk Florida anytime.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 10:17am
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Snakes everywhere, every state! Well except Maine & Alaska, no venomous snakeypoos there.

No NON-venomous snakeypoos up here in Alaska either if that is your deciding factor. See, we are MMMMUUUUCCCCCCHHHHHH better than Florida. We won't discuss bears though...

The majority of our North American alligators do inhabit Florida and Louisiana but can also be found in Texas, the North and South Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama.

Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma too, if you are making a list. So we don't have those up here either.

Isn't Alaska looking better and better?
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952758 by Eidolon
Oct 18, 2017 11:02am
Thread (disabled) Board
No NON-venomous snakeypoos up here in Alaska either if that is your deciding factor. See, we are MMMMUUUUCCCCCCHHHHHH better than Florida. We won't discuss bears though...

How bout those iceworm things. You got those iceworms? I don't think I handle them iceworms. Creeps me out. Worms that live on ice and melt if you take them off the ice. Can't een fish with em. And can't eat the ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50I79-JUDOg
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 18, 2017 2:05pm
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I boxed for years in Florida and never came across any scary critters. Guess I got lucky? Then again they tend to steer clear from activity.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952758 by Eidolon
Oct 18, 2017 3:22pm
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The majority of our North American alligators do inhabit Florida and Louisiana but can also be found in Texas, the North and South Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama.

Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma too, if you are making a list.

Don't forget NY, this happened in my home town this summer.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952751 by Public Hand
Oct 18, 2017 6:06pm
Thread (disabled) Board
[...] and had the bejeezus scared out of me by a manatee.

Manatees stay in the water. How close were you that a manatee snuck up?

To follow up on the thread in general, the only venomous snakes we have in Utah are rattlesnakes. As much as I've been up in the foothills and mountains, I'm surprised that I've seen only one live one (and one dead one) in the wild. I've also been blessed to have encountered no ticks (that I know of).
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 19, 2017 3:18am
Thread (disabled) Board
Yes please! Go boxing in Florida. I have a couple of boxes there that like being found.

That said, I've been researching boxes in the Phoenix area lately and virtually every clue ends with a warning that goes something like this: "this is a desert look out for creepy crawly bitey things and some that even slither". Now all I gotta do is remember what a saguaro is (yeah, that can hurt too) and what the heck a palo verde tree looks like.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952774 by BBStacker
Oct 19, 2017 5:51am
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". Now all I gotta do is remember what a saguaro is (yeah, that can hurt too) and what the heck a palo verde tree looks like.

Palo Verde is easy. The bark is green.
As for saguaros they kinda stand out. It’s the ocatillo and prickly pear chollas and mesquites and iron wood. Maybe you need a tree and cactus book.

And definitely watch out for things that poke bite or sting. Saguaros don’t make a good brace when trying to get back up from rehiding the box or stamping in.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952768 by Oberon_Kenobi
Oct 19, 2017 7:38am
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How close were you that a manatee snuck up

The box that I was after was in a birds nest up and out over the water.....I was on my tip toes....reaching as hard as I could when the water gurgled......I screamed and threw myself backwards only to look over and see the manatee.......I told it "you scared the SH** out of me!" but all it did was......gurgle.....
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 19, 2017 7:54am
Thread (disabled) Board
Hazards can be anywhere! For those afraid of nature they can stick to indoor boxes.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952777 by Baqash
Oct 19, 2017 7:59am
Thread (disabled) Board
Maybe you need a tree and cactus book.

Yup!

Saguaros don’t make a good brace when trying to get back up from rehiding the box or stamping in.

Experience talking?
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952787 by KatieKat
Oct 19, 2017 8:40am
Thread (disabled) Board
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952750 by Three FLAmigo's
Oct 19, 2017 12:37pm
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I would love to box in Florida. I would definitely carry a big stick (and maybe a slow-than-me dog or fellow boxer), but I would love to go to Florida. Hopefully we will be down that way within the next couple of years.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952752 by Rocklun
Oct 19, 2017 7:05pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I've had fire ants from boxing in FL, and I've had a FABULOUS case of contact dermatitis that lasted for over a week from some something I was digging in to get part of a series we weren't sure was all there.

I'd probably do it again. Ok, I have done it, and I dragged a new boxer into doing it, too.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952816 by estella_naparella
Oct 20, 2017 6:03am
Thread (disabled) Board
Fire ants... They ruin letterboxing when they build over the box... Or even in the box :P

I've heard they are as far north as Indiana now... :(

Darn invasive species.
Re: Damage control
Board: Letterbox Chatter
Reply to: #952831 by photopam
Oct 20, 2017 3:33pm
Thread (disabled) Board
That's not good news for us!