Man, I miss them

[grifscoots]

When I was a kid, you couldn't hardly walk outside without tripping over a horny toad. I have a cast replica of one on my desk and was just looking at it and realizing how much I miss them gentle creatures.

We used to run wild in the summer, with nada but a pair of cut-offs on. All over the place on our bikes, picking up horny toads, frogs, scorpions, those big black ants, red, too. Placing dirt in a jar and watching the ants dig tunnels. Put a scorpion in there and watch them battle.

Those summers are gone, along with the kid's running around. They're all inside playing Xbox.

You know it's illegal to even pick up a horny toad if you can find one? The last one I saw was at Big Bend. Man, I miss them.

[katnapinn]

I know what ya meen they use to be all over, but not any more. Sure miss the simple things after they're gone :(

[sanjaun2]

Last time I was in Texas I did not see any handsome princes. So that rules out being kissed by a pretty damsel. So what the heck happened to them?

[grifscoots]

Last time I was in Texas I did not see any handsome princes. So that rules out being kissed by a pretty damsel. So what the heck happened to them?The advent of fire ants.

[shadowofshoe]

My wife calls me that sometimes, does it mean something different in Texas??

For us it was gartner (sp?) snakes, box turtles,frogs, and crawdads.

Mike

[sanjaun2]

I grew up catching fire flies, I rarely see them nowadays.

[cfell]

been seeing the fireflies around my pond.

[Texas42]

I think that sprinkler systems and bermuda grass also has something to do with it. Their native habitat has been destroyed. The same thing happened in Phoenix. I miss them too, my kids have only seen one or two when we were in New Mexico.

[McRuss]

been seeing the fireflies around my pond.

Our woods are alive with lightning bugs, especially with all this moisture. And those were 'garter' snakes IIRC. Sometimes called garden snakes me thinks.

[gulfxray]

You know it's illegal to even pick up a horny toad if you can find one? The last one I saw was at Big Bend. Man, I miss them.

Thanks for the flashback Grif - I remember when we lived outside Wichita Falls back in the late 60's, we'ld catch and release the little fellas - hadn't seen one, or thought of them in years and years... Those were fun times (except we had no A/C back then)...

[Dick]

Thanks for the flashback Grif - I remember when we lived outside Wichita Falls back in the late 60's, we'ld catch and release the little fellas - hadn't seen one, or thought of them in years and years... Those were fun times (except we had no A/C back then)...
Nope, no A/C here either - in MO or KS. Butt - we did have way cool basements. And when we visited Grandparents down in southern MO, they had a 'no A/C' two story and I slept many a night curled up on the upstairs window ledge, begging for a breeze!!

Lotsa, lotsa fireflies back then. I've yet to see one here in my 'hood over the last 10 years. And at the farm back then, many, many horned toads down by the rocky flats, on the back 40. And I'd forgotten that it wuz illegal to handle 'em nowdayz - least here in Tejas. Anywhere else??

[grifscoots]

We didn't have ac either. It didn't bother me cause I didn't know what it was. Even the schools used fans.

We had a FEW fireflys here a bit ago, but not like they used to be. Like stars in the sky. And speaking of stars, you have to go purdy dayem far to see them nowadays.

[Bruce]

Grif,

Saw this one today and thought of you...

"All of my favorite memories are in the past"

[grifscoots]

Grif,

Saw this one today and thought of you...

"All of my favorite memories are in the past"Kewl! One of my favorites:

"Worry is panic in slow motion"