Thank everyone, what a nice birhday present. To come to this pleasant forum and hear all these pleasant stories is a real treat. This is just what I have been asking everyone to do. Thanx. I can blow the candles on the cake out and make a wish. UUMM OOHH. How about a big fat check in the mail 4 all the volunteers who remove nitwits litter.
It is my birthday and I haven`t been in my suit yet. I had @ 4 or 5 years in a row where I wore my birthday suit at Oz, on my birthday and all that weekend. Aint America GREAATT!!!
So now for my positive story.
One perfect day, back in `93-`94 when Mike let me park my bus on the ranch. It was so perfect, Perfect weather, perfect sky, perfect breakfast, perfect place too be. I decided to hike to the springs naked. Not even any clothes in my back pack. Hiking down the trail to the springs as the trail opens to the creek I spotted a potential problem. That potential problem on this perfect day was a large group of textiled oreintals. Not wishing to offend any one. And not having any clothes, I pulled out my towel and wraped myself. As I came upon them they were standing in a circle observing something. Climbing off the trail a little I could see a large rattle snake, coiled but not being aggressive. After speaking w/them a while I observed that it was difficult as only a few actually spoke english. They wanted to know how much further to the hot springs. I said about 1/2 mile they wanted to know how many kilometers? So I said about 1 more kilometer. They were happy to know this. They wanted to know what kind of snake. I said a Mojave rattler, very poisenous. I did not know this for certain but this being the Mojave desert, and a rattler. They seemed impressed.
Then the younger women were curious, gigling was I naked? I explained that the springs were clothing optional. The man explained that the guy at the gate had told them this. I continued on to the springs.
This group was @ 25-30 persons, all ages. What was unusual about them were their clothes. They all seemed to have on uniforms.
When I arrived at the springs there was no one but me and another snake. This one was a large rosey boa. He was sitting in the grass east of the stream formed by the springs and above the rock formation. I soaked myself to perfection. @ 20-30 minuets later the orientals appeared. This was early spring time. Some of the orientals needed help crossing the creek. This was akward being nude. Once across I showed them the rosey boa. I explained that this snake was the best kind of snake. Once again they were amazed. They once again gathered around the snake. The shy ones tended to avoid me, and only 5-6 of them enjoyed the springs. I got in the shade of the trees. After @ 30-40 minuets they started back across the creek. Once across they gathered around something again. After @ 20 minuets I became curious. What was this? I crossed the creek to see them around another snake. This one was a king snake. Then every thing made sense. The oriental man said this was the chinese year of the snake. No wander my snake was out. What a perfect day.