Hello from the Arizona/Sonora, Mexico border!
Hello, just thought I would introduce myself. I was born and raised not far from the Mexican border, on the US side, in the State of Arizona, with the 'Estado de Sonora, Mexico' and what is now the largest port of entry in the State of Arizona just a couple dozen miles away. I grew up in a small town which afforded me plenty of opportunity for target practice, and I learned firearms skills and safety from my father, a former Sgt. in the U.S. Army from 1969 - 1975. His father was a Navy Leuitenant JG aboard a Destroyer, which was sunk in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War, sadly I do not know the name of his vessel, or the information reguarding it's sinking, my father seems to not recall the details, or they just never spoke about it, I just know he survived but somehow hurt his back in the sinking of the ship and had back problems for the rest of his life. He was also a Doctor, even whilst in the Navy. I keep his Naval ID card with me, issued in 1942 I believe, it lists his CO but nothing about the vessel.
Anyhow, I love living in the great Sonoran Desert, and I love taking photographs of the beautiful Hawks and Bobcats, and all the other unique and amazing wildlife, such as Gila Monsters, many people live here their entire lives never seeing one in the wild... I saw three different ones last year alone!!! heh, one was a baby, well a juvenile, about 6-8 inches long, very cute, the other two adults, one quite large.... and I haven't gone a year without seeing at least one Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in as long as I can remember, hummingbirds nest under my porch some years, I have documented hummingbird babies from the day the first egg was laid, to the day the second egg was laid, and then from when they hatched to when they flew the nest(mama hummingbird built a fairly low hanging nest in the Ivy that year) so the wildlife is plentiful and diverse.
I never much cared for killing animals unless I had to, and I only ever went bird hunting several times, I enjoyed it, and enjoyed eating the dove as well, tasty but not my thing, I would rather shoot targets.
I do have quite a few firearms, I carry a Smith and Wesson model 669 as my everyday regular concealed carry weapon. I have some great old rifles and pistols that belonged to my grandfather, heirloom type stuff, all still in great firing condition however.I have also since (over the past 10 years or so) bought myself a Ruger 10/22 Carbine, an AK47, as well as most recently, a German GSG-5 (HK MP5 look-a-like in .22 LR.) I am thinking about purchasing an M1 carbine and have some questions about that and magazines and such but will save that for a more suitable forum.
I figure some local wildlife pictures will make a good introduction, as long as viewed in fullsize of course
I include one of my favorite Snake Shots, An angry Western Diamondback Rattler, about 5 ft in length, and somehow I managed to snap the shot right as he flickered his tongue, so his tongue is sticking out in the photo if you enlarge it and look closely, note the. Note the pattern along his back, as well as the classic Pit Viper shaped head, with the large venom glands behind the eyes. Now an indicator for a Western Diamondback is that black and white alternating striping at the tip of the tail right before the base of the rattle (growing up here means I still freeze immediately whenever I see something that mimics that black and white striping in nature, subconscious survival instinct I suppose), and contrary to some people's beliefs' one cannot tell the age of the snake by counting the rattles.... the snake will get a new 'button' or section to the rattle each time it sheds it's skin, and also in this rough desert terrain, sections of the rattle break off all the time.... in fact the largest rattle I have ever seen, was on a snake not much longer than 2 - 2.5 feet, and I have seen FAT 6 foot snakes with tiny little rattles. I include also a picture of a very very large rattle on a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that was about 3 ft. I have chickens and the coop and food within attracts rodents which attracts snakes.... we have alot of King snakes and other predators of the Rattlesnake here as well.
I was hoping to be able to create a Gallery or Personal Album on this site for photos of my firearms only (no animal shots without permission, I promise
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That is all, just saying 'Hi'. Please pardon my rambling.
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1st pic: Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in defensive position, a bit pissed, with it's tongue out, in mid-flicker.
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2nd and 3rd pics: Very Large rattle on a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake I caught and removed from my chicken coop (gently and slowly) and released far away from people in a Huge National Monument.
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-rexesq (AJ)
But with the help of an excellent Pennsylvania gunsmith she now is holding the same grouping as my FAL.
