Vocation Station

If you have questions about aquaculture, agriculture, not-for-profit associations, safety, executive director level positions, mechanics, etc. feel free to drop me a line and I`ll help where I can.

I spent about a year and a half teaching English as a Second Language in South Korea and two different places in Japan. So if anyone has questions about teaching ESL or either country from a foreigner's point of view, I can tell you about my experiences.

Could you email me? I have advertising questions....solutions at evertek dot net

carrie

I worked for 15 years in a small town newspaper office in north west Nevada. I worked as a graphic artist from the days of past-up to the current computer-to-plate technology. All that time I observed and interacted with the editorial department, sales/advertising reps, photo, and business office. I know what publishers do, what cop reporters do, and what the photographers do. Or I know who to ask. I currently work as a graphic artist for the parent group which owns seven area newspapers. We produce everything from small newspaper ads to glossy magazines.

I'd be happy to answer any questions. 

Hey Carrie, from my days as an executive director I can tell you the price of the latest copiers is crazy and for an advertizing firm you would need all of the bells and whistles (i.e., colour copying, sorting, stapling, multi-page, multi accounts). Would definitely run to a fair chunk of change for a new unit. Just a thought!

thanks chrissie sue and crystal! small ad agency, just starting out, 2 employees at the moment....but they just got a major account and are looking to "upgrade" to some new piece of equipment...thanks!

carrie

Well, I'm kind of a "James of all trades (who's Jack?), and master of none" type guy, so I can help with quite a bit of guy stuff for y'all, or at least point you in the write direction. 

1. I grew up hauling hay, doing fence repairs, harvesting, driving tractors, etc.

2. I climbed and trimmed/removed trees for a living for about 14 years, and even published a few articles to specific magazines and journals in that industry, so I know quite a bit about that field.

3. I've been doing environmental cleanup and field testing work in LA, TX, and OK for the past five years, so I know a little about that topic, plus traveling, hotels, and living on the road.

4. And when it comes to just doing stupid stuff to see if I can do it, I can give you plenty of rock climbing tips, tips on snake and gator catching, and ATV racing tips.  So if there is something stupid your H is planning on doing for the first time, tell me what it is.  I get bored easy, so I just might try it and give you a hands on account of what he might go through. 

(How much ya want to bet Dee just cringed  when she read number 4?,   I bet she's frantically looking for the disclaimer message right now cause she knows I'm probably not kidding. lol!)  How long has it been since you had to use that message, Dee?  Two?  Three years?

It is tempting, isn't it?  I'd love for someone to say, "Hey.  My H is about to try "something" for the first time.  Can you do that and tell me what you went through?"  That would be so cool.  I'd be like the eharlequin test dummy.  I mean, I know I do a lot of crazy stuff at times, but I look at it like this... 

There is one thing everyone in the world has in common.  They all live, then they die.  The only problem is they sometimes forget live and ALIVE are two different words, with two completely different meanings. 

Honestly, I think I spent way too much of my life trying to just live, instead of trying to actually feel alive.  So now, I do my best to add an "a" to that word as much as possible, and give more things "a" try. 

 hmm...am I the only one that made any sense out of all that? lol!

Hi!  Thanks for asking me something.  Thought I killed the thread for a minute. :p

Well, I'd have to say the most adrenaline rushed feeling I ever got from "stupid stuff" would be my first alligator.  I know for people who live along coastal or swamp area it might not seem like a big deal, but being from Oklahoma and growing up where the most dangerous thing in the water was a mocassin or being finned by a catfish, seeing something that big with TEETH was a big deal.  And since I was working with a company that traveled me all over LA, TX, and OK, I thought I'd better take the chance one afternoon when I was down there, because the opportunity was there, and being the type to quit one job for another for no reason at all, I wasn't sure if I'd get another chance.  Unfortunately, all I had was some trot line string and a sandwich, so I didn't have the most brilliant setup in the whole world.  I just threw the food into the water, made a lot of loops in the line, then threw it in the water.  When the "little" alligator surfaced to eat the food, I yanked the string and caught the alligator by the top of the snout. 

And the moment the rope tightened and i pulled on it, the fight was on.  It turned out to be about the same size as me (Kind of like "objects in mirror are closer than they appear?  This was "Objects in water are larger than they appear)  The next thing I knew, my feet was sliding to the bank, and all I could think about were the four or five "friends" that had surface to watch. I wasn't about to let go, though, so dug the heal of my boot into the edge of the bank, wrapped the string around my waist the best I could, and started back tracking.  The alligator surfaced and splashed like crazy, then when it realized I was pulling it out, it changed directions and charged me!  Now my heart beat doubles, and I scramble up the hill to the truck and dove into the back, barely missing its jaws at it snaps and tries to take a piece of me with it. 

I can remember talking to myself (or the alligator or something) and saying, go go go hurry hurry hurry I can't believe I almost have it! hurry hurry hurry just pull it up hurry before it gets away! I think there might have been a few others words in there, but those are probably better off being left out. :p  Anyway, the whole process seemed like slow motion, but I eventually got to the other side of the truck, jumped off and pulled on the rope to get the gator off the ground.  I tied the rope to the mirror, reached into the front seat and grabbed my camera, then ran around to the other side where it beating the tar out of the side of my truck.  I grabbed it by the tail, pulled back and flung it in up and over into the truck.

Well, the story goes on, but to save a lot of boring stuff, I finally got about thirty pictures, including several of me holding it up in front of the camera (which was fun to set the timer, then grab the alligator with getting bit, and hold it up.)  But I didn't want any pictures where it had string over wrapped around it.  I mean, what fun would that be?  So I held it with one hand while I set the camera, then did my best not to lose it as I ran back aways and held it up.

Now, I've caught about twenty of them since then, but I'll never forget that first one.  Actuallly, I can tell you where they all have been, because they've all been fun.  But if I hadn't tried it on that first one, I would have never tried it on the others, either.  Now,I'm glad I didn't wimp out.  I've had a lot of fun since then. But if I hadn't gone through it, I would have probably regretted it my whole life if something had happened to the job and I never got a chance again. 

Next week, I'm going to be in an area where some people claim they get up to 14ft and weigh 500lbs+, so I'm going to take a tour in that area one afternoon then go back later to see how my luck goes. I hope that helps a little.  Sorry it took so long to explain, but its hard to not get a little wrapped up when thinking about it. :p  have a good'n!

What a great story! You've got nerve, that's for sure. Thanks for the insight into doing 'stupid stuff'.  

We don't have alligators in the high desert of Nevada but the other day I put a jar over a scorpion. In my home office, off the garage. They get in the house once in a while. He'll probably stay there until he dries up.

We had a bear take down part of our fence last summer and if I hadn't slept through it I would have gone against all the advice and tried to get a picture of it. Gotta have proof!

Have fun on your next adventure. Hey, here's a thought. Post one of your pictures with the alligator as your Community Image picture.  

LOL! But still, really impressed. There's not a lot of people who'd get in front of an angry bull. You should put that in a book. :)

Dee

Thanks Dee!! I had a great time when we were farming telling my workmates about some of the adventures we would have on a daily basis. It was always great for a laugh, and they probably thought I was making a lot of it up but you can't make sh#% like that up. It just seems to find me! Of course, I guess that is why I write because the details in everyday life stick with me and make some things hilarious, some things heartwrencing and some things downright spine tingling. Now back to writing - don't think the bull story will work in my current WIPs but one never knows.

Hey ChrissieSue - a lot would depend on the breed of cattle. My experience is predominantly with Belted Galloway and Limousin cattle. The Belted Galloway's are a smaller, finer boned animal that are hearty survivors and the BG bulls we had were all predominantly mild mannered and well behaved. The Limousin and Limousin-Galloway cross bulls however were almost all tall and long and had a flighty and /or agressive streak to them. I have also been around a couple of Brahman and Angus bulls and they seemed to be fairly cross but standoffish. However, my understanding of the Brahman cattle is that they can be fairly calm if they are raised and handled well from birth.

The other thing that you will want to consider is whether the bull is on a cow-calf operation, a beef operation, a rodeo outfitters, or a bull for stud. All of these types of operations/farms will have different handling methods and requirements regarding temperament, de-horning, etc.

What I can tell you is any of the bulls I have dealt with have had an intelligence and personality that are all their own. Each bull responded differently to different family members and to different stimulus. They were all rather large and intimidating when I was at eye level with them and while some will look you in the eye and move on, some won't let you close enough to make eye contact, and others you don't want to break eye contact with them because they are just as likely to charge you when your back is turned.

Also, if the cows are running in the pasture with the bull it generally acts differently then if it is corraled and used for stud. I have seen Limousin bulls clear a 6' fence with barely a run at it and air to spare to get to the cows on the other side.

Not sure what exactly you wanted to know so have rambled a bit but if there is anything specific I can answer please feel free to ask.

A funny aside about the Galloway cattle - my husband was away on business one night when one of our cows went into labour. I was extremely pregnant myself at the time and yet the cow let me check her out (internal exam with me up to my armpit in her......well you get the idea). Anyway the calf was too big and my efforts to pull the calf were unsuccessful so I had to get in the vet to assist. It took the two of us over an hour to finally pull the calf and the whole time the cow woud just look at me as if to say get it out of me already and then walk away again. That was some 20 years ago and the vet still laughs every time he sees me and tells the story about coming out to the farm and finding this "little gal" covered in birthing fluids and birthin the calf.

No problem ChrissieSue! And yes the BGs are the oreo cookie cows - although we also had them in red and white and blond and white.

Cows/bulls are a lot like dogs in that they remember if someone has been good to them and can get to trust people that treat them right and visit them regularly. However, if they do become aggressive they can inflict alot of damage. My father-in-law had his leg broke clean through by a cow that he was trying to load. Both my husband and BIL have been majorly bruised my bulls and steers. And I was unfortunate enough to have one step on my foot and break several toes, one put a horn through my boot, and one ram me into a metal pole (made for a dandy goose egg). If the H/h are talking to the rancher he/she would likely caution them about getting too close to bulls in a pasture - they would have the mental and physical scars to warrant such a caution.

I got bruises just READING that! (rubs owwies)

Don't know if you're still lurking around but I'd love to ask a few questions about small town newspapers.  Although truth be told I'm fairly clueless in this area so I'm not even real sure which questions to ask.  LOL  So if you don't mind a totally clueless person asking you questions, feel free to email me at sandysue 89 @ yahoo. 

Thanks!

Romy, could you email me? I have a question I'm hoping you might be able to answer. tren73 at gmail dot com

Thanks so much!

Tren