In late April I needed to go back to Alaska in a hurry and had to leave the truck and trailer in CA.

I parked it in my parents orchard under a large shade tree and as normal had filled the tank, gave it a large dose of Diesel Kleen, cracked the windows an inch, locked the doors, disconnected both batteries, closed the hood, gave it a hug and tearfully walked away.

Finally got reunited with it in late Sept.

Turns out, the big shady tree I had parked it under was a mulberry tree. Not only had the fruit gotten ripe and dropped all over the truck but apparently every bird for fifty miles must have sat in the tree, eating mulberry’s and pooping all over my truck!!!

There were spider webs all over the truck connected to tree branches and the ground. Managed to unlock the door and the inside looked like a Halloween prop with spider webs of all kinds going everywhere. I stuck my arm down to pull the hood release and felt the very distinctive web of a black widow.

After the fog from the bug spray (I really did use a lot of it) went away I managed to pull the hood release. My plan was to open the hood, connect the batteries than I would be able to unlock and open all of the doors and use a leaf blower to get most of the webs out of the truck.

Coming around to open the hood I stepped on what my wife later said was a four foot bull snake. I was so happy to discover a snake (we don’t have them in Alaska) that I decided to break into a dance and didn’t get a very good look at it.

Opened the hood. The squirrels had stacked black walnuts on every surface in the engine compartment. They had even stashed them along the inside of the fan belt. I ended up using a shop vac to suck them all up.

Got the batteries hooked up and a lot of the spider webs blown out. There was even a small dried out dead lizard on the dashboard.

The truck started up without any problems so I cleaned a spot in the windshield and drove into town. The people at the car wash don’t speak very good English but they can say bird poop. They had to run it through the wash twice. Spent the rest of the day vacuuming and wiping out the inside of truck.

I’m not going to park it under that tree again.

 

pics or it didn't happen...

I know have images of the Bark snakey dance marauding through my head.

You may have found something though. Instead of sinking an old warship to create a corral reef, you can now start a business parking different abandoned vehicles and getting paid by green peace for establishing new environments for endangered species.

note to self...

 

Yep, what Wyo said.................... But I am still doubled over laughing at it.

 

This pretty much made my morning.

Thanks Bark

 

Wait until he is driving down the road & finds the little baby snakes that the bull snake left for him under the seat.

 

I could have told you that would have happened. Your really fortunate that's all you got. I'm surprised you didn't feed all the field mice with wires all winter.

 

You cant use the truck now. It's now a natural habitat protected bye animal rights people.

 

Wow! Hadn’t thought of that. Now I'm glad I didn’t think about taking pictures. They could have used them against me, taken my parents place as a sanctuary and locked me up for molesting snakes and disturbing squirrel food.

PS: Hello to you DTR guys and its good to be back home.

 

Thanks for that.

 

I hear ya on the snakes! I grew up in SoCal back in the hills and at least the Rattlers give you a heads up! I still jump a mile when I see snakes up here.

When I went to work in the mountains I left my GTO covered and shut up tight in my dad's grove. 3 Months later it had a mouse population in it, was full of macadamia nut shells and stunk. I never did get the smell completely out of it and it was an issue when I sold it!

Good Luck with the widows!

 

funny story, but im not buying it...

if you had a squirrel, there would have been atleast two VERY important unfused wires that were chewed thru.

 

Funny story but I have only one question...... Why would you leave the windows rolled down an inch? I would have kept the cab sealed as tight as possible.

 

Even in the shade it can get to 114f in that area. It seemed like a good idea to leave them down but if I do it in the future I am going to roll the windows up on some screen or something. Any ideas?
I hadn’t even thought about the stupid squirrels chomping on wires. Ignorance is bliss I suppose. I have had such good luck with that truck (missed a tornado late Jan in Blyth CA by 200 yards--had an air conditioner unit crash down off the roof of the K-mart by it.) Please don’t let the squirrels get me.

 

Had the squirrel and mouse problem on a Bronco ... so many butchered wires that I didn't even bother with it again.

That snake probably ate pretty good around your truck !!

Cheers,
PISTOL

 

What about something the the RV guys use? they have that wrap around that covers the front and side windows. Then just put another windshield shade in the back window. That is what I have done here in the summer with very high temps and my truck sits in the sun.