CTYankee9

Awesome photos! Thanks for sharing that CTYankee9. I didn't know that they did that. Very cool! Very nice photos, CTY. Horned lizards have a number of defenses, including the blood squirting behavior you observed. I've seen it once - when Groovy, about 9 or 10 at the time, brought one home from a nearby canyon for a few hours. It was startled by his pet rat and whoosh, out came the blood. Here are a few of many articles that describe the phenomenon. The video clip at the National Geographic site is fun to watch - unless you are a coyote. San Diego Natural History Museum article Wikipedia article National Geographic video clip Yeah, had to check when I got home on what it was, was a bit worried that the Piglit had done something to it {damaged}, but it seems was just a natural defensive action! Oh yeah, I didn't actually see it jet like in the video and there wasn't any blood on Piglit, but that would have been cool to capture on the camera.

Was informed this was a vulture of some sort, that would explain his interest in me, considering my condition after making it to the top of Lawson peak I guess he felt there might be an easy meal on that table-rock!

Ran into this guy {litteraly} on the way up out of Horse-thief Canyon today. As we were walking up the trail, Piglit9 didn't even notice him he was sitting so still and stepped near him, it triggered his defensive move of squirting blood out his eyes! Luckily Piglit wasn't really all that interested in him and we all went about our seperate trails, no harm no foul!

Was out on Lawson peak when this guy spotted me from a distance and felt he had to come over and check me out!

I'm in for the Horsethief hike on Saturday with the meeting place being the Descanso park and ride at 8:30am. Is there a cache at the Descanso park and ride so I'll be able to find the place. Also there are three or four additional caches on that Horsethief loop, that were posted in the past week. Unfortunately I can't go due to work... But, Should anyone have odd days off like myself; I was planning on doing the Lawson/Gaskill peaks on Monday the 2nd, weather permitting. It would be a bright and early start near the cache "Holey Poley", drive up near the Carveacre caches and grab those three and finally hike up and over the two peaks going south and finish-up at "Another Lyons Valley Roadside Distraction". If all goes right it would be an all day hike with time to stop and enjoy the views. A drop car at the finish cache would be nice , or if not my Daughter should be able to pick-up and bring back hikers to the start. Miragee was kind enough to give me some info on the area, parking, hiking route and what-not.

Lets see, when I was in the Army stationed in Alabama I was known as that dadgum Yankee . So since the intoduction of the internet by Al Gore!! {from way back when, when I used to use a Commodore 64 on thier Q-Link BBS} I have always used the screen name Connecticut Yankee in some form or another. After a while of trying to use the basic CTYankee in different areas and always finding it taken , I have recently just settled on always going straight to the #9 at the end.

Okey dokey.....I'll be at the Steele Bridge at 0630 sharp. I'll call my mom for our Sunday morning chat a tad early..they'll be up! If there is still seating available for one Human and one K9 cacher; Piglit9 and I are in, or even if not I will be at the bridge about 06:30 also and we can drive over to the start point. WOOOOHOOOOO 1st post!!!! ;)