NANFA-- Adventures in night-time shocking

Jeremy Tiemann (jtiemann_at_inhs.uiuc.edu)
Thu, 22 May 2003 13:37:47 -0500

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Setting:
Time - approx midnight
Location - a small, midwestern stream with nice rocky riffles
and clear,
deep pools, and surround by a nice riparian area at the base of
a cliff. The canopy has nearly enclosed the stream.

So there I was, walking up the creek, back to the van for some much
needed sleep after finishing my night time electro-shocking. Not
only had lack-a-sleep syndrome severely set in, I also had the
midnight munchies so the ol' blood sugar was a little low (bad
combination). I was almost back to the van when the pitch black sky
opened up and dropped a hideous monster. This monster was huge, and
it was coming straight for me. It let out a squak that would have
scared Lucifer himself. After hearing this, I screamed like a little
girl, ducked, and nearly fell in the stream (I still had the backpack
shocker on). My only thought was, "Holy $#!+, it's a pterodactyl" (I
finally got around to watching Jurassic Park III a few weeks ago).
Then it dawned on me... the electroshocker was still on... therefore,
I could be like a X-Men ("Electricity-Boy") and fry the huge beast.
But thankfully I did not have to use my powers because the great blue
heron did not make another pass.

Moral of story: Pterodactyls no longer exist.

-- 
Jeremy Tiemann
Illinois Natural History Survey
Center for Biodiversity
607 E. Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 244-4594
Fax: (217) 333-4949
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