In early April, 2009, A woodchuck holed up in the engine compartment of a New York’s mans minivan and ate the ignition wires and dined on the hood insulation. But this story ends on a funny note and a special breakfast for it’s owner. It’s about my son Josh Consler, owner of Vesa’s Automotive in Rochester, New York. He has never performed well with critters. Even at his current age!
Josh and the Critter
This tale really had it’s beginnings around 1982 in Florida when Josh Consler was about 10 years old. His scallop diving adventure with his dad and brother Chris in the intercostal waterway off Tarpon Springs brought out the best in him. While snorkeling for scallops in about 6-8 feet of crystal clear water, Josh suddenly came face-to-face with a Blue Crab. Well, like a missile being launched from a submarine, Josh came rocketing out of that water and almost landed in the boat. His screams were deafening.
In 1983, I had taken Chris and Josh on a guided wild boar/turkey hunt in Fish Eating Creek in South Florida. Chris and Josh had set up for a photo shoot in a camouflage tent for turkey. Being quiet and patient as required for good pictures, Josh became quite alarmed when he spotted a large snake crawling into the tent. So much so that he uprooted the whole camera stage as he tore out of the tent. He was heard all the way back to camp.
1989 was the year that Josh turned 16 and brother Chris had taken him deer hunting in Mendon, NY. Setting Josh up in his own tree stand and advising him to keep quiet, Chris had gone on to another tree stand about 500 yards away. As the day wore on and nearing dusk (a good time as deer start moving), Josh, not hearing anything, thought Chris had forgotten him and started getting scared. To the point where he started calling out for his brother. His outbursts brought total quiet to the lively forest and Chris came to his rescue. No deer that day.
Well, I could site more, but it’s now Saturday morning around 6:45AM in April, 2009. Wendy (my daughter-in-law) called and asked if I could come over early for breakfast, a ritual going on for about five years now. Starting my car was unusual that morning as the engine sputtered like it was starving for gas and the vibrations were felt on the accelerator as well. Hmmm! I thought….well after all it‘s cold, maybe it’ll smooth out on the highway with a little acceleration. Not so and the small vibrations were felt all the way, though with periods of forgiveness. Within a mile, the “check engine” light starting blinking and dollar signs started passing through my head. After all, I just paid over $400 for new plugs and a total tune-up.
After I had my breakfast, I left to get cleaned up for the trip to Rochester and vibrated all the way there. I also hoped the problem would go away when I got up to 60mph on Route 390. As it seemed to get worse, I called Josh (owner of Vesa’s Automotive) and explained the problem and could I drop my van off on my way to my destination. Sure, bring it in.
Arriving about 8:30AM, I parked in front of the windows of Vesa’s Automotive customer service area. Entering, I gave Josh my keys and he went out to the shop area to retrieve the trouble code sensor used to locate the problem. Waiting for him as I wanted to accompany him on the trouble shooting, he had gone out a different door to my van. The next thing I heard was a very loud bang and Josh came screaming back in to the customer service area in front of another customer or two screaming…“There’s a critter under the hood and I’m not going back out there. “ ……….“What Critter?” I asked. “I don’t know………it was big and brown and was looking right at me. I slammed the hood closed. Maybe a groundhog!”
“Larry (his partner)…….go look under my Dad’s hood!” exclaimed Josh. That he did (in my presence this time) and he too, slammed it shut. In a blur, I noticed a lot of “stuff” hanging down from inside the momentarily raised hood. “Hey Mike (former shop owner)….come here and look under this hood!” shouted Larry. Only this time, I made sure it didn’t get slammed shut again. Propping the hood up, the insulation was chewed away and hanging down like shredded paper and residue scattered all over and throughout the engine. What a mess this “critter” made. But where was the critter? Josh had been watching too many scary movies.
Since we couldn’t find the critter, I left my van with Josh and borrowed his van. A few hours later, Josh called and my van was ready. The critter had chewed through spark plug wires causing the problem. And, they had caught and killed the critter. Turned out when they drove my van inside, they witnessed the critter jumping out from under my van’s undercarriage and up and into another car’s undercarriage. They then brought that car inside and the critter escaped again. This time running around the shop where is was subsequently corned and was brought to a it’s demise. The GROUNDHOG now rests in peace in it’s new surroundings………..the dumpster!
How the critter survived two round trips to Rochester and back with the heat of the engine boggles the imagination. He won’t have to worry about his shadow anymore.
The next day, I was treated to a groundhog entrée for breakfast, courtesy of my daughter-in-law!
Having also served in the Air Force and familiar with the service of Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, I am taking this opportunity to congratulate him on a very cavalier performance. Our company, Disaster Recovery Supply, provides supplies for emergency recovery situations, mainly weather related such as hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. We stand with the whole country in giving thanks to him and all of his crew.
I have been a creator of new products for most of my life and am now 72 years old. I live on social security and am looking for the right person or company to take over ideas for three (3) new and novel consumer product ideas that I have. I do not have the money to go up-front with a design team, so am looking for interested parties who would take a look at what I have for a possible “go-forward.” I am willing to accept a small percentage on the back end. The three products are as follows:
1 – Revolutionary Fishing Lure (for fresh and salt water)
2 – Manicuring Product (Cosmetics Industry)
3 – Packaging Product (for consumers)
I have prototypes available.The ideal situation would be finding a designer and manufacturer with an in-place distribution network already in place. Like a Cabella’s or Bass Pro Shop (for fishing lure) for example. If there is any interest out there, please email me at mintshape@netacc.net. I am in the Rochester, NY area.
The “Long Island Express” hurricane of September 21, 1938, also known as the “Great New England Hurricane”, was at that time the costliest natural disaster ever experienced in the United States. It was also one of the deadliest, taking at least 600 lives on Long Island and in New England, many from storm surge flooding but also from inland flooding of rivers and streams and from causes related to the high winds. Long Island was devastated. This was a Category 3 hurricane and residents only got a 1-½ day warning. In the 21st century, this hurricane remains the benchmark by which all other destructive storms in the northeastern United Sates are measured. Category 4 or 5 northern Atlantic Hurricanes have increased 56% over the last 35 years.Has New York City learned anything from the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina? In hindsight, the 1938 Hurricane would only be a dress rehearsal should another Category 3 hit NYC today. It’s not a matter of “if,” but “when!” In 1938, Long Island had 750,000 residents and today there are over 3.5 million. And that’s just Long Island. Manhattan would become a water-logged prison. To exit Manhattan, there are 16 bridges, 4 tunnels, 3 railroad bridges. However, perhaps the best way to evacuate is by road as they may be the shortest route to high ground if you can get out of Manhattan. Disaster Recovery Supply can help even if you have to walk to high ground with 72-Hour Survival Kits.
If the worst happened and you did successfully evacuate to high ground, what would you have to come back to? And how long before a return? Would you be prepared for such an event? Complacency can be the enemy. Preparedness comes from anticipation. Act now! Disaster Recovery Supply is here to assist you with ready-made survival kits for many situations. Remember, It’s better to be 5 years early than 5 minutes too late!
The Era of Procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In it’s place, we are entering a Period of Consequences. so said Sir Winston Churchill on 11/12/36. Nothing can be further from the truth regarding paying attention to storm warnings for 2009. Those who act early are those who stand the best chance of survival, no matter what the circumstance. Learn more from Disaster Recovery Supply and keep in mind that it’s always better to be five years ealry than five minutes too late.
Disaster Recovery Supply reports that Hurricane forecasters are predicting above average activity for the Atlantic in 2009: 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes with three major. The 50-year average is 9.6 name storms and 2.3 majors. There is predicted a 63% chance of at least one major making landfall on the U.S. Coastline. The forecast is based on factors including warm Atlantic surface temperatures and the likely absence of El Nino conditions. Now is a good time to be informed and prepared well in advance as no one knows if they will be called on to evacuates or take precautionary measures. Disaster Recovery Supply offers substantial discounts on bulk purchases. It’s better to be five years early than five minutes too late.
More frequent and powerful hurricanes from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico have produced one of the most dangerous and costliest storm eras in modern history. Over the years, population increases along the coastal and wetlands areas have added making these disasters the most deadliest and costliest in history. In addition, the storms are not only lasting longer, but are traveling more inland than ever before. This creates additional problems as people evacuating from one area end up traveling right into more trouble. And perhaps where you can’t get food and water. People are evacuating more than ever before and you can’t help but notice it.You can gain a tremendous advantage in any evacuation by being prepared before hand. Ready-made disaster kits are designed to have a long shelf life, so purchasing one now can give you peace of mind as you never know when you (if ever) might need it. It’s like health insurance; you make the premium payments and hope you stay healthy. But should the unexpected happen, you are very happy you made all those premium payments. When it comes to you and your family’s health and well being, cost should never be an object.
Disaster Recovery Supply offers many various size emergency readiness kits available ranging from a one-person fanny pack to larger size family kits as well as school, offices, businesses and other municipals.
Keep this in mind………It’s always better to be five years early than five minutes too late.
Heavy snowfall and extreme cold can immobilize an entire region. Even areas that normally experience mild winters can be hit with a major snowstorm or extreme cold. Winter storms can result in flooding, storm surge, closed highways, blocked roads, downed power lines and hypothermia.
Add the following supplies to your disaster supplies kit:
Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
Sand to improve traction
Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment
Place a winter emergency kit in each car that includes:
a shovel
windshield scraper and small broom
flashlight
battery powered radio
extra batteries
water
snack food
matches
extra hats, socks and mittens
First aid kit with pocket knife
Necessary medications
blanket(s)
tow chain or rope
road salt and sand
booster cables
emergency flares
fluorescent distress flag
You learn more about winter survival at Disaster Recovery Supply
At last, a water based fuel additive that not only works, but puts money back in your pocket. While you actually witness increased gas mileage in your vehicle, you also get FREE gas vouchers with your purchase. Good at your favorite gas station. EEFuel works with any gasoline or diesel fuel.
Developed and perfected over decades of research, H2OIL’s F2-21® eeFuel® and eeLube® products have been tested & used successfully worldwide over billions of miles. These remarkable additives provide immediate savings and benefits through increased fuel efficiency resulting in a dramatic reduction of harmful emissions, cleaner burning, increased power and longer engine life.
Untreated gasoline vapor molecules clump as I’ve explained before. F2-21 eeFuel’s sub-microscopic nano clusters mix evenly with your fuel. When these nano-clusters reach the engine’s cylinder during the combustion cycle, they rapidly gain heat, and then literally explode into steam. These steam explosions break up the larger fuel molecules into smaller fuel droplets that are able to better mix with the oxygen. The smaller fuel droplets vaporize completely and leave no fuel deposits. This more complete combustion means more power from less fuel, better gas mileage, and lower emissions. Along with vaporizing the fuel, these micro-explosions also break down and disintegrate the carbon deposits inside your engine’s cylinders. Engines with clean combustion chambers run cooler, generate much lower emissions, and can operate on lower octane fuel. F2-21 eeFuel Isn’t New…..Just New To You! You are being referred by survival.
Click here to find out more!
I think I would at least have some kind of preparation handy in case the need suddenly arose. Does anyone really stop and think about the logistics of having to go shopping for emergency items with only a couple of days (maybe) to prepare? Stop and think! Do you really know what you will need to survive? Or, how long you will have to endure away from your comfort zone? Do you know how many different type of stores you will have to travel to? Do you know how many other people will try to do the same thing?
Hurricane Ike is a great example. Those who heeded to advice to evacuate drove in many directions away from the coastal areas, and long distances until their gasoline ran out. So now they were stuck with empty tanks and no where to go until help arrives. Most likely away from rest stops or eateries. What did they have to sustain themselves in their autos or vans? And in many cases, if they did receive help, they had no place to return to as their comfort zone disappeared.
We, at Disaster Recovery Supply know too well that most people do not prepare. And so, do offer the basic amenities necessary to sustain a quality of life for a period of time while under stress. Our pre-designed support units range from a simplistic unit to a full combination for a larger group of people, supporting from one to ten people. And they are all user-friendly. And they are all complete with food and water with a five year shelf life. Our Group Support Unit is ideal for 10 or more people for 3 or more days. Take a look!
Please don’t hesitate as there are many more disasters just waiting to happen! Act Now!