vaiger

Full recovery with no lasting effects.....although he is still hoping to get a superpower out of it.    He was bitten as it was getting dark coming out of the woods (barefoot of course....this is Tennessee).  He did not get a good look at the snake.  It was clear it was a venomous bite which meant it was a rattler or copperhead around our parts.   It got really swollen really quick from the bottom of his foot way up his ankle.  I am glad we got him to the hospital.  We took him to our local hospital first.  They observed him for 4 hours and then transferred us to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.     I have been in and out of the woods my whole life (as has my wife) and neither of us had ever thought about snake bites.  What we learned was:   1.  We had plenty of time to go straight to Vanderbilt.  In hindsight, we wish we had gone straight there.   Vanderbilt Children's was incredible.   2.  Old protocols have changed.  They no longer recommend tourniquets or the cut and suck method.   3.  The young are resilient.   His foot looked identical to an adult that was bitten same day while in the hospital.    Two weeks out, my son was running on his foot again while the adult was still non weight bearing and had a nasty looking foot. 4.  Vanderbilt Children's was amazing.   The level of compassion and concern was incredible.  The doctors made you feel like they were your only patient and always hung around until they were sure any questions you had were answered.

Learned way more than I wanted to know about antivenin this year. My 11 year old son experienced a copperhead bite. Crofab is the "antivenom" used for our tn snakes which are all in the pit viper family. Drug bill and lab work was 20k.....and he only needed a single dose. Triple digit drug bills for adults bitten by more venomous snakes are not unheard of. Crofab is made from injecting venom into sheep and seems to have fewer side effects than the equine version. One of our toxicologists told us of a little boy who found a very cool "worm" wile playing outside. His Mom called him in the house. Concerned that mom would not allow the "worm" in the house, he shoved it down the front of his pants in an attempt to sneak it in. Of course the "worm" was a copperhead and the story ends with a bite where you least want one. That is one of those mistakes you don't make twice. Sent from my M470BSA using Tapatalk 2

We have probably trapped 10 possums over the past couple of years.  We have chickens and the possums love to come and kill the chickens.    We tried cat food, dog food, bacon, old produce, and a million other things we saw online. Over 3 weeks we lost several chickens and then a little old lady who grew up on a farm told me to bait my trap with a honey bun.  She said it "works every time."  Sure enough, we baited the trap with a honey bun and a big fat possum was there the next morning.   Since then, we have caught at least 10 possums the same way and it generally only takes 1-2 days to catch them.   I thought the possum would die instantly after eating the preservatives in the honey bun, but we had to shoot them.   If only those flying squirrels were so easy to trap and kill.   I live in a log house and those things love to come and chew on it at night.   10/22 with a tactical light seems to be the most effective approach for them.

I bought a G26 there in early December.  He was great to deal with and gave me a price that was better than what I could find online.   I am sorry to hear you guys have had bad experiences.  Based on my experience, I will be going back though.   I will definitely use him for $10 transfers when prices return to normal.

I am sorry for the loss of your mother in law.   I pray God's peace and healing for your family.    Typically a will would control assets that do not pass by title or contract.  For example, POD or TOD bank accounts, IRAs or annuities with beneficiary designations, life insurance policies with beneficiary designations, etc. would pass to the heirs under the TOD or beneficiary designation instead of passing through probate.  Likewise, accounts with a survivorship provision would normally pass outside of probate.   Assets that do not pass to the heirs via a beneficiary designation, survivorship feature, or TOD designation are normally controlled by the will and go through probate.   Normally, you go to probate, the will is admitted and letters testamentary are issued to the executor.   The letters allow the executor to prove that he or she has the right to conduct business on behalf of the estate (close bank accounts, sell investments, sell real estate, etc.).  So, depending on the assets in the estate and how the accounts were titled, you may or may not need to go through probate.   If all assets were joint accounts with a right of survivorwhip, TOD accounts or accounts with a beneficary designation, you might be able to avoid probate.  More often though, you will need to go through probate.   The good news is that probate is not a terribly exensive and painful proposition as it is in CA, NY and several other states.   I don't have any advice for the do it yourself route.  I suppose you could call the court and inquire about that.   More often, I see folks that hire an attorney to represent them through that process.

It does not help with the TN inheritance tax either. The tn law and fed law are very similar in structure as far as what gets taxed.....TN inheritance tax is scheduled to be phased out by 2016 though. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Actually avoiding probate and avoiding the Federal and State death taxes are two separate issues. You can transfer all assets to an inter vivos trust (such as a revocable living trust) and avoid probate at your death. All assets in that trust are still included in your estate for death tax purposes. Going over the cliff is a real issue for folks with estates in excess of $1.0M or $2.0M for a married couple. Keep in mind that those numbers typically include life insurance, the value of your home, investment accounts, retirement accounts, family farms, businesses, rental properties, etc. I have actually spent quite a bit of my December helping clients plan for or hedge against the comming changes.

For pocket carry i typically go with my P3at. I occasionally pocket carry my cm9, but generally carry it IWB. My G26 more often than not stays home since i bought the cm9. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for all of the input. It has been much better. Owner has agreed to put them up until he gets his underground fence in. They have only been back 2-3 times and we quickly chased them off. His fence is almost finished so hopefully that will fix it. I had considered the .410 and rock salt but hopefully won't have to go there now. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

That exact thing happened to us. Dog chased it into the garage, sprayed in there and then dog ran through the house. I feel your pain! Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

One of out favorites is playing a Christmas hint game. God gave "hints" as to the coming birth of Jesus in the old testament. Most people missed it but a few were able to figure it out. For the seven days leading up to Christmas, we talk about some of the old testament prophecies and give one new clue each day about one of their presents. My kids love the game and it ties the fun of presents to the real meaning of Christmas. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

The grizzly razor sharp system is amazing and only $35. http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Razor-Sharp-System/G5937 . I really stink at sharpening knives, but with this I get a razor sharp edge in just seconds. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

A belly band might be a good option for skirt and sweater attire. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Thanks! Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I got there at 11:30 and the line to get in was still about 15 minutes.  I thought it was a very good show.   No new guns for me today but I picked up a few accessories.  I did see several good deals though.