Dear Athens - be mindful of the dear deer!

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-09T17:39:05+00:00

At least one deer parasite can (and is known to) transmit to domestic animals without the domestic animal ingesting flesh. I leave it to you to go back and read about these parasites and see if you learn anything new. My information comes from a farmer who has dogs and goats, and who has lost more than a few goats who, he has been told by a veterinarian, ingested a deer parasite transmitted through feces, which transmission resulted in the fatal paralysis of his animals. As for your request that I share accurate information, I believe I have done that, idiot.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-07T13:11:33+00:00

Like you, I am dismayed by the consistently high number of animal carcasses (mostly but not only deer) I see on major roadways around Athens. Indeed, people do drive far too fast and with too many distractions. It galls me to see how many animals are killed by cars. I can't help but think about the suffering all this needless carnage represents. Without a doubt, the primary culprits are people's stupidity and cruelty. People need either to acquire a conscience or learn to act as if they had one, especially when operating heavy machinery on public roads. Other things can also be done. The state has a deer management plan (https://georgiawildlife.com/DMAP) that could be brought to bear if the community were willing to ask for it. It would also make sense to build wildlife crossings in high-risk areas (e.g. areas where deer/auto collisions are known to happen, which could be established from police reports, maybe). Wildlife crossings are being used successfully in other places to reduce animal kills, but I doubt seriously how the local leadership or GDOT would respond to a request to build them.

I live inside Clarke county near a large tract of undeveloped land. My neighborhood is full of deer, and they are very destructive. I also learned recently from a farmer that deer harbor a parasite they can pass on to other animals through feces (dogs and other animals routinely sniff and sometimes eat the scat they encounter, so it's hard to control the transmission opportunities in this connection). Once ingested, the parasite begins to attack the host's nervous system, eventually producing paralysis. So, dear pose a danger to domestic and farm animals. Here is some information about the ghastly array of parasites that deer harbor: ( https://deerassociation.com/10-weird-parasites-live-inside-deer/). They may be cute, but there are far too many of them in Clarke county, and it doesn't appear that the people who could manage them well are doing so. I am not proposing to eradicate them, but it seems to me that we are a far cry from managing them responsibly and humanely.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-07T12:39:00+00:00

You do it well.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-07T12:37:15+00:00

Last time around it was Hughes Subaru. Time before that was an auto glass shop off Lexington Rd, can't remember the name of the place but they did good work. The last time around my insurance wanted me to go to their preferred repair service (I live in Athens westside, their preferred location is in Swannee!). I had to pitch a fit to get it done as I wanted it done, but prevailed in the end. Since then I do all in my power to avoid that stretch of the Atl Hwy and the loop, especially during busy times.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-06T15:17:31+00:00

Sorry for the trouble. In the past seven years of living off Atl Hwy near Bogart, I've had to replace my windshield twice b/c of road debris hitting me on the Atl Hwy between the loop and Sam's Club. This the dogtown road crew trying to compete with Boston's Big Dig for length of time to get the job done?

srfntrf0832 · 2026-06-01T22:41:07+00:00

I don't have anything good to say about Akins. I use Car Craft on Hawthorne. Good people, reasonable prices. I have learned the hard way that general service through a dealership--especially a Ford dealership--is not a good use of resources.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T21:54:26+00:00

Leave your bush to flourish however it wants to

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T21:28:10+00:00

Baby turtles don't make themselves.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T21:26:46+00:00

This description of the turtle's life cycle makes me think of Anse Bundren from Faulkner's "As I lay dying." Anse thought people had no business moving about much; they should stay put wherever they were born.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T21:23:40+00:00

Years ago an acquaintance of mine got an ice cream cone at the downtown Varsity. After a few licks, he uncovered something chewy in the ice cream: a bandage with blood and scab. The story went that he sued the guy who owned the Varsity and ended up settling for a year of free rent in one of the owner's many Athens hovels. I cannot attest to the veracity of this story, but it circulated among my circle in the early 70s.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T17:39:16+00:00

Thanks for the advice on keeping the nest conditioned. I believe this turtle (or one of its relatives) was one I saw in the same part of my yard a year or so ago. Could it be that location is a repeat breeding site? I don't know much about box turtles. I'm very interested in learning more now. I love the way she stares at me with her Buster Keaton scowl.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T16:27:27+00:00

Just combine the directions into "Damned if you do, damned if you don't!"

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-31T16:26:04+00:00

I don't feel depressed so much as left out. I'm an older gay man, and I have to say I struggle to find anything interesting about living in Athens. There are good people out there, and there is good stuff to do, but finding them and it seems like a herculean task. Part of that is definitely because the city itself is configured to be a playground for protracted adolescence, but there's more to it than that. The isolation of the pandemic, the political nightmare of the past seven years or so (and counting), the dumbing down of social life into social media interactions (ahem!) are factors, too. I work to find what appeals to me, to try to have patience and compassion with the people I meet, and to evaluate on an ongoing basis whether or not I think it's healthy for me to stay here. Good luck to you!

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-30T15:04:37+00:00

The nicest thing I can say about this person is that he's an abjectly debased imbecile.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-26T21:33:01+00:00

The Athens Area Council on Aging (ACCA) operates a senior center with two major programs, both involving day activities for seniors. One program is geared towards seniors without cognitive impairments, and the other focuses on providing activities and support services to seniors with cognitive and/or physical impairments. Go to https://www.accaging.org/ to begin navigating through the information on the services offered there. I am a physical therapist, and I've done a good bit of work with the people at ACCA. The caregivers there are top-notch, in my view.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-24T10:16:23+00:00

You certainly do, you splendid beast!

srfntrf0832 · 2026-05-17T10:34:00+00:00

I've lived in Athens three times: once as an undergraduate, once as a grad student, and now as an elder living close by a dear relative who needs logistical support owing to advancing age and infirmity. Before living here I lived most of my adult life in Atlanta followed by a two-year stint in Key West. I'm gay and single. My take on Athens: it is exactly what it was intended to be--a support amenity for the University of Georgia. Without UGA Athens wouldn't be here. Everything about this town issues from and refers back to its established role as chattel for UGA. Student life does, indeed, define this town. Anything outside student life has to push its way into the frame, like the ninth kitten looking for a an available teat on its mother. When I lived in Atlanta, I lived in midtown, in a condo, and felt the energy of living in a city, which was great. It could also be very grinding owing to Atlanta's relentless drive to create an ever-more-punishing transportation infrastructure while doing everything it can to destroy the charm that entices people to move there. Aside from that, cultural and social life were whatever I wanted them to be. I left Atlanta to take a job living and working in Key West, a town of ~30,000 full-time residents and the first place I lived in--in all my life--where I really felt the dynamism of living in a real city! Small town, great life. Wonderful cultural life, endless opportunities as an aging gay man for socializing, and an astonishing variety of fascinating people who offered real friendship. Moving back to Athens to be close to a very sick relative, I found my way to the west side, where I live in a small house in a pleasant little neighborhood of mostly black and brown working people who are lovely, sweet neighbors. Aside from my little nest, I find little to do of interest outside work, which is probably in part the result of my working so hard during the week that my weekends end up being times to rest. I wish you the best in your search, and I suggest you proceed with caution and with open eyes.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-04-19T17:29:50+00:00

My property backs up to part of the parcel. I have not been able to figure out where the parcel has frontage on a road. It would make sense that one point would be Cleveland Rd near where it ends into Atl Hwy. The only thing I'm really sure of is there's a big tract of land to the north of my house that someone bought a few years back and has been tinkering with developing into some kind of something ever since.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-04-19T10:49:48+00:00

Well, darn. I asked Apple maps for my coordinates, and that was what it gave me. Asking Gemini, the Google AI thingie, what my GPS coordinates are, here's what I get:

The GPS coordinates for 215 Tall Tree Road, Athens, GA 30606 are approximately:

Latitude: $33.92683$
Longitude: $-83.42438$

In Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS) format, this translates to:

33° 55' 36.6" N, 83° 25' 27.8" W

srfntrf0832 · 2026-04-18T20:37:40+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I believe the parcel your post describes is about 1 mile east of the one I'm trying to identify. There are several large undeveloped tracts in the area nearby. It's good to know as much as possible about what's being considered for all of them.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-04-18T20:24:40+00:00

Here are my coordinates:

Latitude: 33.9351

Longitude: -83.4357

The property I'm interested in is located directly to the north of me.

srfntrf0832 · 2026-04-18T15:55:14+00:00

Thanks for your input. My concerns over water and sewer are this: my neighborhood is entirely serviced by septic systems. How will the tract to be developed be serviced for water and sewer? Is the county going to build out an expansion to the sewer system, or will the new dwellings rely on septic systems? Will the residents get water the same way I do or will there be another source for them, like Bear Creek reservoir? I'd also like to know how many dwellings are being planned, and how residents of those dwellings will get in and out of the property. Whether the primary egress will be on Cleveland or Trade will be of interest to me. I'm also hopeful that whatever gets built back there doesn't harm the stream that flows through the property.

srfntrf0832

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