Sherry, I saw a B. philenor again the next day. No way of knowing if it was the same one hanging around or a second one though. Closest natural colony I know of is in north central AZ a couple of hundred miles away at a place where their LFP grows wild. Susan, All the years that I lived in SW Utah I did volunteer work for the local county DOA and the BLM. For the DOA I did the Desert Tortoise counts every spring, monitored and stood observation watches at several raptor aeries, did the lep and native plant studies for a new state reserve being established and participated in all the Gila Monster - rattlesnake round-ups at Red Cliffs Canyon. Red Cliffs is a small box canyon with a highly used year-round semi primitive campground. Twice a year 3-4 of us would collect and relocate the GM's and 4 species of rattlesnakes to another ideal habitat several miles away that was isolated and seldom visited even by hikers. The campers were always glad to see them removed with many having small children or pets with them. So we never told them that we were removing them to protect the reptiles and not the campers. LOL For the BLM I patrolled the AZ Strip and back country North Rim of the GC 3 or 4 days a week covering as much as 300 miles a day on dirt back roads, and was on their wildfire team running supplies and people to the fire lines and standing by on the fire lines as an emergency rescue driver for the firefighters and jump teams in case of blow ups. They put me through EMT and fire schools and issued me a very well equipped 4X4 Power Wagon so I could (and did) handle almost any emergency in the back country. All were lots of fun to be involved in, and naturally I also did Lepidoptera as a side line when "on duty". Miss those days of being active and useful. Larry

My yard is so over run with voles and cotton rats that I go out of my way to catch snakes and release them in my yard when I can. It drives a lot of friends and visitors crazy because I don't care if they are poisonous snakes or not, as long as they eat rodents they are fine by me. Whenever I use bird netting to protect fruiting bushes or trees I check it twice a day to rescue any snakes or turtles that have gotten tangled up in it (this happens a lot!). My neighbors used to assume I was going to chop up the copperheads but I carefully cut them free and took them over to the brush pile. I need all the rodent eaters I can get. It helps that I worked for years and years as a zookeeper and had to handle snakes every day - they don't bother me at all. I enjoy them when I see them.

Day 3 of my Captivity. I had some difficulties last night. I had a bit of a cough and felt cold. This morning the human that captured me did not look happy to see me. Again my throat was swabbed and cleaned with the clear liquid. I was fed the warm cereal as well. The tube passed with ease down into my crop. As I was being fed, the smaller human had water coming from the eyes. Now I understand. Of course their ground cover would be parched with such an inefficient irrigation system! No amount of water from the eyes would be enough to sustain the expanse of growth they attempt within the dwelling. I am taken into a smaller holding cell with clear solid walls. A tube attached to a canister is attached. Some sort of heat source is placed beneath this holding cell. I am surprised. Soon I am able to breathe well enough through my nose I no longer need to gasp and I feel warm again. I feel these human captors are concerned about me until I hear them say: Hope Who makes it. I see. Their concern is for my ability to work. They will transfer me to some sort of sweat shop and put me into forced labor. I will have to make "it." I do not know what this "it" is. I have gathered more information on these humans. The large one on supports is the mate of the smaller human. Laugh if you will but I still believe he is housebroken. The other inmates have given me information. Name: Oooooooo Mmmmmmiiiiiiikeeeeee Rank: unknown at this time Cereal: Apple Jacks The information on the sprinkler human is yet undetermined. I was given something called scone today. I ignored it when it was given to me. Must not look to anxious about the rations. When I was not being monitored I tried this scone food. Very sweet. Very soft. Very good. I finished it quickly. These are humans. They will not remember they have given me scone. Again this Ooooooo Mmmmmmiiiiiikeeeee gives rations and cookies to the prison population. I am fed on a regular basis with the warm cereal. This afternoon the larger human took me from the small cell and held me for an extended time following a feeding. How does he know how to manipulate the new feathers on my head to reduce the itchiness? Comrades, I would be lying if I said this was an unpleasant experience. I fell asleep shortly after this treatment was begun. No. I must resist! This is part of the brain washing. I am pleased that my messages are able to get out. Contact Central Command and the Ministry of Misinformation and Maple Syrup Production. They know the coordinates near this institution. I have learned it is Camp Nappy #13. I spoke briefly to a Canadian Goosi that was part of the mission that bombarded the human dwelling near by. A nice chap, from Labrador I believe. Our conversation was short as he was on a mission. I am now glad I may have made a contact prior to my capture. There may be too much collateral damage if bombings begin. I must establish communications with the other prisoners and warn them of the escape plan. I am warm and was given my last feeding for the night. Oh. More seeds. They are much easier to swallow now. Breathing is better too. I have paced and paced for a long time this evening. I wanted more cookies food. Mmmmmm. Scone! Must not let the captors know I like this food. Must resist the brain washing. Thank you all for your concern and ideas. Very good. I will be sure to save this diary. Following my escape I will one day read my adventures to my great grand egg. I will write again when I can. Who _________________

Thank you all for your kind comments and good wishes. I know I'm far from the only one who has had "interesting" encounters. I've actually had quite a few, but there again I'm not alone in that. Sylvia, I had read about vaccines for dogs and cats but the comments were not exactly favorable. Years ago I had a dog who was bitten in the face by a rattler. His face was very swollen on one side and he lay in the back yard for a week, with a hole forming where he had been bitten, and then he recovered and the hole closed over. yuccarose, I'm sorry that your neighbor's dog was not as fortunate. mcnastarana, snake repellent might not be a bad idea in places where we walk most often and in the garden around the house, and I'll look into that. The rest of the property is too large and too hilly for that to be feasible. Sylvia, please do be careful where you have the Mohave rattlers. Fortunately rattlers want to be left alone. I don't think I could ever live in Africa where black mambas are so aggressive that they will chase you, and their venom can be deadly within 15 minutes. Lisa, thank you for your kind thoughts. I had to chuckle when I read your post, which sounded so much like mine. A baby rattler in the house is no joke since their venom is just as potent as that of adults. stillann, I saw the original Parent Trap movie and do recall the scene about the fiance trying to scare away bears. It's hilarious.