Question: May 19th	Questions: As a yankee I was wondering, is there anyway to take the country out of the redneck or is it a lost cause? Sent in by: May C   Well May I have read your question and pondered many hours on how to respond.  The easy and simple way to respond would be with another question to you.  Why would you want to?  Every one knows girls love country boys.      But the wise old Redneck Guru would not be so wise if he could not do better then that.  As I meditated and let my mind wonder back in time, I reflected on the time spent with Grandpa Redneck.  His wisdom was advanced beyond his time.  I can remember setting on the banks of the Suwannee River meditating with Grandpa Redneck and he advised me that all men are born equal, however only the fortunate ones grow up to be true rednecks.  The greatest advantage of being a true redneck is common sense.  A redneck can get all duded up and set down and break bread with the quote "upadie" people, at a table with to many forks and know to watch what they do.  This helps him fit into that situation.  The redneck would never use too many forks to eat a mean, he has way to much common sense to waist energy washing dishes not needed.  Why would anyone need 2 or 3 forks to eat a meal?      The true redneck today has many advantages over the upadie class.  He can mingle in their world, but the same can not be said of them.  Very few upadie people can rise to the level of redneckism.   If one is fortunate enough too be born and raised as a redneck he would never want to lose that heritage, therefore the response to your question is simple NO, you can not take the country out of the redneck.

Submitted 5/15

Name:  Lava
State:  FL
Questions:  What kind of snakes do you see there and are there any photos?

Q.     What kind of snakes do you see there and are there any photos?

A.     The Wise Old Redneck Guru has one thing to say about snakes "EWWWWWWWWWW".  To be honest we do have a multitude of snakes at Wilderness Calls. I was at Wilderness Calls a few weeks ago, enjoying a leisurely ATV ride in the wilderness, when a big black in color snake was on one of the trails.  I am not sure what kind it was but it was big.  In the short time Wilderness Calls has been in existence I have observed several different kinds of snakes.  They range from the deadly ones (rattler, moccasins) to the ones that will make you scream but harmless (black, green, oak, indigo) and some I do know what they would be called.  When growing up the wise old Redneck Guru learned at a early age that some snakes are better then others, but they all have a place in the chain of nature.  The wise old Redneck Guru has a saying when he observes a snake in the wilderness "feets don't fail me now".  If one is into the slither creatures, we have almost any species that range the southern United States of America.

     The wise old Redneck Guru will share a story with you about snakes and Wilderness Calls.  When Wilderness Calls was in its infancy, we did not have the pretty crapper house and had to visit the wilderness to take care of personal business.  I had eased out into a pine forest to take a nature break, when the memorable event occurred.  I had just got comfortable, when I looked up and low and behold just 5 feet in front of me was a LARGE rattle snake.  Trust me when I tell you this was a time when I remembered what I had learned many years earlier.  All that was going through the wise old Redneck Guru's mind was "feets don't fail me now" and they didn't.  The bad part was I forgot why I was in the pine forest.  The wise old Redneck Guru feels that snakes have a place in nature and they are god's creatures, but I do not like to be any where near one.

     As for why we do not have a lot of pictures of snakes.  The spy cam picks up movement to activate the camera.  It would be hard for the sensor to pick up a slithering, sliding snake.  We are more then open to have someone come up, spend a few days, using our nature package and take some pictures of snakes.   

Submitted 5/11

Q: I am originally from NY and wonder what is the difference between a redneck and a hillybilly? Aren't they the same? Chandra F

A.     The wise old Redneck Guru is an expert on half of this question.  I am sure through my wisdom and knowledge I can clarify this for you.  The two have several things in common and this is where it is hard to tell them apart at times.  Both hate shoes, ties, dress pants and any food that they can not pronounce the name of.  The two are a product of there environment and are clannish by nature, more for survival then being prejudice.  The Redneck is the farmer and got his name from the sun beating down on his neck.  The Hillbilly grew up in the hills and produced moonshine, social drinking refreshment.  The two did not have an opportunity go attend public schools and were considered illiterate.  The two were both enterprising and intelligent business men in there own way.  You could say they were the first to conduct interstate commerce trade.  The Redneck grew the corn and the Hillbilly used the corn to make moonshine.  The two used this working relationship before interstates were invented.  The two had to use there limited education to conduct business, but both seem to be very successful.

     Now we can look at the differences between the two individuals.  The Redneck worked in the fields to grow the corn.  This caused his neck to turn red from the hot sun.  The Hillbilly worked in the hills at night to brew the moonshine, to avoid the revenuers and Law Men, therefore he got little sun.  This is also where the myth that a Hillbilly was lazy and slept all day, comes from.  He had to sleep in the day time, for he had worked all night.  The Hillbilly normally had strength in his lower body from climbing hills and running from the revenuers and the Redneck had upper body strength from manual labor in the fields all day.

Resubmitted 5/8/09

April 24th this appeeared in James Desk first

First Name:  Eloise LaDuc

Questions or Comments: 
I read your article on gardening and need help with my own. The squirrel creatures are destroying it.HELP!

         There numerous methods utilized in attempt to prevent the little critters form terrorizing gardens, however; few are successful.  Extreme methods like most are final for the exposed critters, but without efforts to elevate the problem, the exposed will be replaced when another arrives. Traps and poison are option utilized in extreme conditions.

     The natural way, the way mother-nature intended, is always the best; birds of prey such as the hawk, predators such as the canine and feline, and the serpent; of course the good ones. It would be nice if these beautiful creatures were abundant and solved the rodent problems. A Taby cat in your garden will control rodents looking for a tender morsel.      

     Other methods include; scarecrows which are effective once, predator scents and artificial scents are sometimes effective, human scents; such as hair clipping has been successfully, but it my not be effective in the city, moth ball as a deterrent works temporarily, high frequency sound emitters are also effective for a short period of time,.

Squirrels are determined little critters and sights and smells become customary. They will literally remove the stench, so place your moth balls or preferred odor in a metal bag, affix the bag securely, and replace the contents every few day for true success.

     Fencing can be an effective method providing a strong metal is used to prevent the rodent from chewing through and the area to be protected is totally covered. Electric fencing has been used successfully, rodents provide a poor ground and not usually harmed by the fence, however a certified licensed professional must be used to erect such a fence properly to prevent harm to a well grounded animal or even yourself.

     Trapping for relocation is effective and best when completed by professionals. If you're trapping a squirrels protective equipment will be necessary, squirrels are small, but very dangerous. The proper trap should be utilized to ensure the safety of the squirrels. Be aware and considerate of nesting squirrels. Once trapped squirrels must be removed quickly to prevent stress to the animal... Relocation should be at least three miles away, where food, water, and shelter are plentiful to prevent the return of the squirrel. Insure all squirrels are removed others will eventually take their place. Concerns, problems, or questions should be directed to the professional trapper or local animal control experts.

The wise old Redneck Guru was reading the question and response from our conservationist about a squirrel problem a lady had.  His response to the question was very good, but if she would have asked the wise old Redneck Guru this question, his response would have been much different.  
     I believe two ways of dealing with a problem is always better then one, so I have decided to add my wisdom to this issue.  While growing up and becoming the wise Redneck Guru, we never had a problem with squirrels in our garden.  The solution was a bit simpler then what the conservationist came up with.  Grandpa Redneck would take his single shot, long barrel, 16 gage shot gun out and harvest the pesty critters.  Then they would be cleaned and placed in a stew, with onions, carrots and potatoes.   Cooked for several hours, until they were tender and served with hot biscuits.  It was a win, win situation, the pesty critters were gone and the clan had a tasty meal.  I do realize this may cause a problem if you live in the city, discharging a fire arm, but is a permanent solution to the problem.  Later the wise old Redneck Guru will give you his squirrel recipes in case you need to use them.