What's the strangest thing you've ever seen?

[bigguy]

This is a thread on another board. I immediately broke the rules by relating a tale that somebody else saw. It's a good story though, so I'll post it here too.
I had managed to get my finger cut up with a chainsaw a few year back. (Got lucky, no real damage and completely healed.) I was feeling rather sheepish because of the stupidity required to be in that position. The ER doc must have felt sorry for me and related the following story to make me feel better:

During the ice storm of 2000, he said a man was brought in with the worst chainsaw wounds he had ever seen. It looked as though the running saw landed on the man’s thighs and just kept right on going, chipping but not breaking, the femur of both legs. The muscle was peeled back leaving gaping wounds. Then the guy asked the doc if it was, “bad.”
The doc said he told him, “see those white things in the bottom of the wounds? Those are your thigh bones.”
That’s when the guy said, “Oh I can’t see them. I’m totally blind.”

 

A blind guy, sliding around a downed tree laying on an ice patch with a running chainsaw. Hard to see how that went wrong.

[hubcapsc]

A few years ago I heard a cow making that bleating sound cows make off through the
woods. No... wait... that's someone yelling Help Help...

So off I go down through the woods, across the creek, through the bob wire and up the other
side...

It's my frail practically bed-ridden neighbor, he rode his wheel chair over to his tractor,
and he's driven the tractor off into the woods to cut down some dead trees with his chainsaw,
and one of the trees fell on him, an he's lying there in the woods all crumpled up. So I comforted
him as best I could, got my dog to quit licking him on the face and he sent me off on his tractor
back to his house.

His wife was not happy that he was driving around in the woods on the tractor with a chainsaw  ...

We got the med-techs on the way and I went back down to where he was. Not long after,
some pickup trucks with med-techs came bumping along through the woods to us.

-Mike "no ice patches though..."

[..]

Shouldn't this thread be titled the grossest thing seen/heard?

I was paddling in a wood canoe on a small lake in WI. An osprey flew nearby with a fish in its talons.

A bald eagle came alongside, rolled on its side and ripped the fish away from the osprey.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I need a clarification first. While sober or on mind altering substances ? 

[Patrick]

I guess I can't sing loud about any single incident. I've been lucky enough to see some really weird and some really neat stuff in this short life.

[Reb]

I need a clarification first. While sober or on mind altering substances ? 

While sober : Seing a bunker buster dropped from an FA/18 eliminating a cave full of hogie's in Jalalabad Afghanistan 2007. 

Under the influence of multiple substances taken with a 15min period: I played Madden NFL 13 with a group of college friends with the St. Louis Rams, beating everyone without even turning the TV or Xbox console on. Don't ask how, but it happend. 

[Jess from VA]

The funniest thing I ever saw was a guy dip his toe to warn of roadkill on a group ride, and accidentally get under and launch the hugest, mangled, spinning, fluid-leaking skunk you could imagine out in front of his bike, then almost wreck trying to avoid running it over (again).  Minutes later, holding his leg out in the wind to get the stink away from himself.  I was next behind him and laughed so hard I nearly passed away.

Strangest thing I ever saw was a politician with his hand in his own pocket.

Speaking of Darwin Awards, I stuck my hand in a chipper when it was nearly stopped and knocked a ring fingertip off and had it sewn back on by a nice young ER trauma surgeon who said it would probably not heal and fall off.  It didn't fall off, and was healing slowly/painfully, and 4 months later, fixing a garbage disposal, I cut the same finger to the bone, below the initial wound, down at the first joint.  Ushered into the same ER, I am lucky enough to have the same trauma surgeon as I did four months earlier (what luck).  He looked at me and the recognition was there, and then at the left hand, then back at my face and said...... Mr X, if you really don't want that finger, I can take care of that for you with a lot less pain and suffering than you've been having.   Everyone's a comedian.

[crow]

While traveling in Turkey,  on a flat road with a ditch on either side,  I saw water running in opposite directions.  To this day, I havent figured that one out!

[dreamaker]

You ready for this!!!!!!!  UFO's

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

While bowhunting one year close to a creek I suddenly saw a brightly dressed child standing in head high brush just above the creek bank about 80 yards away. Just as I was about to stand up and see how I could help this lost kid I realized it was a lady kayaker taking a leak. As she stood up, showed me her rear and pulled up her pants I sat my bow down and started to quietly laugh. I watched as she disappeared in the brush headed back to the creek, then looked back at the trail I was watching. Just in time to see the buck I had been waiting on, the buck whose sheds I had found, the buck I had waited till the wind was right to hunt, had just walked by me and was out of range.

At this point, I just left my bow on the ground where I had laid it and sat there contemplating the fates as the buck walked over towards the area the lady had disappeared into. Suddenly the buck (who must have spotted or scented the kayakers) turned and ran straight back towards where I was sitting in a cleared spot among the limbs of a fallen tree. My bow is still on the ground..... The buck stopped just inside the woods not more than 12 feet from me. His chest is behind trees but his face is right there in front of mine at spitting distance, I can hear his labored breathing and see his face and grey muzzle as he draws in deep breaths. My bow is on the ground in front of me. His rack is huge.... I'm staring into his eye. My bow is on the ground.... He steps forward a few feet, I grab and draw my bow which still has a nocked arrow as he passes behind some trees. Then he stops, still within 15 yards with his vitals blocked again. And stays there while my limbs began to shake from holding my bow drawn too long, finally he steps out but by then I can no longer even try to make a shot, I'm too spent and can't hold my bow steady, I'm too spent to even let it down and I just lob the arrow over his back to release it without wounding him. He bolts at the sound and I never see him again, nor do I find my arrow.

[Otus]

My friend and I were up at his place for the early September deer hunt, it was midday and we were sitting around camp having a couple beverages. All of a sudden from the other side of his property we hear a man screaming at the top of his lungs ( NO, NO, NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PLEASE STOP PLEASE, NO, NO, NO.)  My friend looked at me and said, what the f###. I said let's go. We headed for the atv and I grabbed our guns off the tree on the way to it. I hopped on the back of the atv with his shotgun in one hand and my rifle in the other and off we go across the field. Where we thought we heard the screaming coming from was just the other side of a densely overgrown swampy strip that separated properties. We got off the quad and started shouting, hello, is their anyone there, do you need help? Nobody answered, I asked my friend if we could get through that swampy strip. He said, not on the quad it's too thick. So we started towards it on foot and the second the first boot hit the water a man on the other side of it says hello. He couldn't have been more than 60 feet from us and didn't answer until it was obvious that we were coming through the swamp. We still couldn't see him, it was too thick. We asked if it was him screaming and if he needed help. He said it wasn't him and that he was fine and that he hadn't seen or heard anyone all day. Then he told us that he was just getting ready to head back home and said goodbye. We hung around for a few and finally heard a truck door slam start up and pull away. My friend said That it was too weird and couldn't let it go. He knew the people who owned the property that backed his and wanted to go over there, so I got back on the quad with the guns and off we went. It was about two miles around by main road and when we got there the woman was outside doing yard work. We told her our story and she said her husband was at work and he hadn't told her that anyone was going to be hunting the property. She went in the house to call him and ask, she came back out strapping on a sidearm and said nobody  was supposed to be out there. She hopped on her atv and we headed back to where we had heard the man. We found where his truck had been parked and looked around and found nothing suspicious. They had quite a few two track trails on their property and he had came in and left on one that couldn't be seen from the house. We know a few people in that area and told them to keep an ear out for missing person reports or anything. Nothing ever came of it but still when I walk by there I always wonder if there is a pile of bones laying in that swamp.

[BobB]

I was paddling in a wood canoe on a small lake in WI. An osprey flew nearby with a fish in its talons.
A bald eagle came alongside, rolled on its side and ripped the fish away from the osprey.

Years ago, I saw something similar up in Northern Minnesota's BWCA.  I was also in a canoe (nothing else allowed up there) and saw an osprey with a fish in its talons dive straight down through the limbs of a tall jack pine, dodging to avoid the tree limbs.  There was a bald eagle right behind him doing the same.  That was the best flying demonstration imaginable.  Somehow, the osprey came away with the fish.

[Master Blaster]

Years ago I was moose hunting in Alaska with a couple of Buds, we had jet boated way up one of the rivers feeding Cook Inlet.  My Bud went down river from camp in the jet boat and I pushed down along the river by foot.  It was a foggy morning with vis about 20 or 30 yards.  I came to a clearing, and was easing across when I became aware of this low growling.  Couldn't tell where it was coming from, sounded all around me.  I thought momma bear with cubs probably.  Stood there trying to decide which would be best, the 300 Weatherby, or the 44 magnum Ruger if charged.  Then I came to and said self get your ass out of here.  I eased on to the edge of the clearing, and the growling was subsiding.  There was a little creek at the edge and I had to jump down to a sandbar to cross.  When I did two Grouse exploded from under me and I almost had a heart attack.  Wasn't very funny then, but I get a chuckle when I think about it now.  Ended up great though, I got a young bull and a huge cow.  Didn't have to pack the meat out, they both ended up in the river and we floated them back to camp behind the jet boat.  Another time I was on Montague Island hunting blacktails when I crossed a ridge covered in ice.  On top the ice broke through and I found myself up to the armpits hanging, my rifle was across and kept me from falling through, I could hear water running way below.  l managed to climb out and the shaking didn't start until I was standing on solid ground.  Did get 8 nice blacktails though.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Years ago I was moose hunting in Alaska with a couple of Buds, we had jet boated way up one of the rivers feeding Cook Inlet.  My Bud went down river from camp in the jet boat and I pushed down along the river by foot.  It was a foggy morning with vis about 20 or 30 yards.  I came to a clearing, and was easing across when I became aware of this low growling.  Couldn't tell where it was coming from, sounded all around me.  I thought momma bear with cubs probably.  Stood there trying to decide which would be best, the 300 Weatherby, or the 44 magnum Ruger if charged.  Then I came to and said self get your ass out of here.  I eased on to the edge of the clearing, and the growling was subsiding.  There was a little creek at the edge and I had to jump down to a sandbar to cross.  When I did two Grouse exploded from under me and I almost had a heart attack.  Wasn't very funny then, but I get a chuckle when I think about it now.  Ended up great though, I got a young bull and a huge cow.  Didn't have to pack the meat out, they both ended up in the river and we floated them back to camp behind the jet boat.  Another time I was on Montague Island hunting blacktails when I crossed a ridge covered in ice.  On top the ice broke through and I found myself up to the armpits hanging, my rifle was across and kept me from falling through, I could hear water running way below.  l managed to climb out and the shaking didn't start until I was standing on solid ground.  Did get 8 nice blacktails though.

From your description it sounds like you might have hunting up TwentyMile River. Been there many times along with Montague Spent 2 weeks in a tent on Montague along with 3 other people non stop. The weather was blowing 30 mph and the rain was so hard it hurt.

[..]

I was paddling in a wood canoe on a small lake in WI. An osprey flew nearby with a fish in its talons.
A bald eagle came alongside, rolled on its side and ripped the fish away from the osprey.

Years ago, I saw something similar up in Northern Minnesota's BWCA.  I was also in a canoe (nothing else allowed up there) and saw an osprey with a fish in its talons dive straight down through the limbs of a tall jack pine, dodging to avoid the tree limbs.  There was a bald eagle right behind him doing the same.  That was the best flying demonstration imaginable.  Somehow, the osprey came away with the fish.

 

[Jess from VA]

In line with the nature is strange and beautiful idea..... many of the old Wild Kingdom shows were right up there with the strangest thing you ever saw question.

Now watch closely as Jim gets into the tank with the menopausal 20 foot Great White shark.

How could you NOT watch closely?

[musclehead]

You ready for this!!!!!!!  UFO's

I'll see your UFO and raise you a disembodied hand in an obviously haunted house.

[..]

You ready for this!!!!!!!  UFO's

 I'd like to know.

No, I'm not being a smart ass.

[dreamaker]

You ready for this!!!!!!!  UFO's

 I'd like to know.

No, I'm not being a smart ass.

First of all, you have to understand, UFO means something that flies by and you don’t know what it is.  OK!!  I don’t recall the exact age, maybe 10 or 11. Around that time some of the older people recall we had Russian Sputnik and the US Explorer, well back then you could go out at a certain time and you could look up and see them slowly pass over you.  For the time it was a really exciting and cool thing.  Our family would go on a two week vacation at the lake and get together with these three other families every year. At night the parent s would get together and play cards and the kids often would go by the lake and sit on the picnic table and star gaze and talk.  This particular night and we were waiting for the satellite to pass by. If I recall correctly we were facing the west, filially we seen the little dot in the sky coming toward us.  Our view of the sky was about 80% horizon to horizon. The other kids, was watching the satellite, I was looking all over the sky, I noticed another small dot moving towards us from the perpendicular from the north, I asked “what could that be”  So we kind of watched both. It gave the appearance they were going to run in to each other. When the, what we thought was the satellite was nearly above us, so was the other dot and they like met together, there was a slight pause, then  the dots became one and reversed direction back to the north. I had the coldest feeling run down my spine, It scared the crap out of us and we ran to the cabins and told the parents what we saw and they kind of chuckled and went like YA YA, Sure Sure, after that vacation we never spoke of it again.

The second time was maybe 12 yrs ago, I was working afternoons, and we use to do R&D and testing.  We had minimal people in the afternoon shift. On this evening, two of the people I use to talk to, I mentioned that on that evening, there was going to be meteor storms and the sky would be clear. So three of us were going to meet at lunch break and check it out.  We were out there about 20 minutes staring up in the sky, discussing various things about cosmos.  I am not a strange to the stars, I often enjoyed looking through my telescope. Any How, Suddenly we had seen it, No flashing lights, no sound, two triangular, light grayish in color, flat bottom looking, kind of side by side, one slightly ahead, in a smooth motion toward the south, kind of gently disappearing.  It was like the objects were reflecting light from the city light below.  We just look at each other, didn’t say a word for a moment and one of us asked, what did we just see??  Got that cold chill down my spine again. I thought maybe it could have been a stealth fighters flying over, I have seen one of those flying over the lake before, they don’t look real, I thought someone was flying a batman kite. Real freaky looking.  Any how I called a friend that work security at Selfridge Air Force base and he told me there were no types of stealth’s in the area and even in combat they use their running lights.
Do I think they were aliens, No, do I have any idea what they were, Not a clue!!!

[..]

Yep those weird lights in the sies can be baffling.

I too have seen some that I find no rational explanation for.

One I did see and later realized it was the space station low on a brilliant sunny day.

I had the sun to my back and watched 2 pin points of light travel in tandem across the horizon before me for about 5 minutes until the lights winked out as if turned off by a switch..

[Valkjerk]

I've had three UFO sightings in my life, all in the same year, none before and none since. These happened about 10 years ago. One was in broad daylight. The other two were at night but there were other men with me and we all agreed not to speak about our sighting.

[dreamaker]

I've had three UFO sightings in my life, all in the same year, none before and none since. These happened about 10 years ago. One was in broad daylight. The other two were at night but there were other men with me and we all agreed not to speak about our sighting.

You bring it up to people and the ones that never experience start fitting you for a rubber room. One thing I forgot to mention, one of the three of us was a doctor in science, he had his PHD and crap load of Masters, kind of a real life Sheldon Copper. Only difference was, he wasn't arrogant like Sheldon.  We never said anything after, somewhat thinking that mentioning it, his reputation would go down the toilet.

[98valk]

recently, all of the cartoon/sci-fi/transformer looking bikes by honda/yamaha/kawasaki on the show room floors. I think the first cartoon bike was the new Vmax. 

and why does the new scout engine have some styling cues from the new Vmax engine?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I don't know if this is the strangest thing I've seen but it was strange. I grew up and lived in Alaska for 40 years. Where I lived we hardly ever get lightning (maybe saw it 3 times) . Anyway one time a nearby volcano erupted during early morning while it was dark and you could see lightning in the sky making circular rings. Probably was created from static but it was very strange seeing it go in circles and not hitting ground.

[dreamaker]

recently, all of the cartoon/sci-fi/transformer looking bikes by honda/yamaha/kawasaki on the show room floors. I think the first cartoon bike was the new Vmax.  

and why does the new scout engine have some styling cues from the new Vmax engine?

I think there is a simple answer, "Trends" Of the top of my head, one would be, in my opinion people with a warp sense of design like Arlen Ness and the other is contacting a information gathering companies. They have been doing it for almost for ever. Back in the 60's and 70's when people were more trusting, one company I don't recall their name, but they would send a questionnaire with a dime taped to it. Asked, like where do you shop, what do you bay and son the other you may recall is Nelson's Ratings, basically did the same thing.  If I recall correctly, Nelson attached a box to the TV and also sent questionnaires. They compile the information and sell it to companies that are looking for what people want to buy. In the 50's cars had fins on them and dash boards that looked like space ships controls, at that time people had a fascination for aircraft and jet planes. People were coming back from the war then and it attracts people for sales.
Now based on your information there, of the top of my head just go to peoples credit card, smart phones and so on, see what movies they went to and maybe what memorabilia, or the toys are they buying and so on.

[BF]

Some posts from X, DaddieO and a few others 'round here.

[Eagle 1]

Had a pipeline job going in New Cuyama Calif. in the late sixties. I went to the job to check the progress, and that evening my superintendent and I went to the New Cuyama bar and grill for a couple of drinks. By the time we arrived several of the other guys were already there. We sat at a table where I faced the bar area and I could see several of my guys having drinks with a couple of the local cowboys. My superintendent turned around a couple of times and looked in that direction, at some point he tapped my leg under the table and motioned with his head toward the bar, I had no idea what he was referring to and whispered "what", he whispered back "watch Peewee" who was my right away foreman. As I watch I noticed Peewee standing very close to a tall cowboy who was wearing bib overalls, the next thing I knew this cowboy jumped back and began swiping at the front of his overalls, again I looked at the superintendent and whispered "what", he whispered back Peewee pissed in his pocket, apparently a habit he did on numerous occasions. The funniest part was Peewee patted him on the back and said "musta been an inside job", let me buy you another beer, amazingly enough the cowboy accepted and they spent an hour or so drinking and having quite a time. To this day I have no idea how he got away with it, by the way Peewee was about 5'-6" the cowboy was well over 6 foot.
Over the years while in the mainline pipeline business I saw many things, some funny, some sad, and and others tragic, but I will never forget the look on that cowboys face when he felt that warm liquid running down his leg.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Had a pipeline job going in New Cuyama Calif. in the late sixties. I went to the job to check the progress, and that evening my superintendent and I went to the New Cuyama bar and grill for a couple of drinks. By the time we arrived several of the other guys were already there. We sat at a table where I faced the bar area and I could see several of my guys having drinks with a couple of the local cowboys. My superintendent turned around a couple of times and looked in that direction, at some point he tapped my leg under the table and motioned with his head toward the bar, I had no idea what he was referring to and whispered "what", he whispered back "watch Peewee" who was my right away foreman . As I watch I noticed Peewee standing very close to a tall cowboy who was wearing bib overalls, the next thing I knew this cowboy jumped back and began swiping at the front of his overalls, again I looked at the superintendent and whispered "what", he whispered back Peewee pissed in his pocket, apparently a habit he did on numerous occasions. The funniest part was Peewee patted him on the back and said "musta been an inside job", let me buy you another beer, amazingly enough the cowboy accepted and they spent an hour or so drinking and having quite a time. To this day I have no idea how he got away with it, by the way Peewee was about 5'-6" the cowboy was well over 6 foot.
Over the years while in the mainline pipeline business I saw many things, some funny, some sad, and and others tragic, but I will never forget the look on that cowboys face when he felt that warm liquid running down his leg.

[musclehead]

You ready for this!!!!!!!  UFO's

 I'd like to know.

No, I'm not being a smart ass.

First of all, you have to understand, UFO means something that flies by and you don’t know what it is.  OK!!  I don’t recall the exact age, maybe 10 or 11. Around that time some of the older people recall we had Russian Sputnik and the US Explorer, well back then you could go out at a certain time and you could look up and see them slowly pass over you.  For the time it was a really exciting and cool thing.  Our family would go on a two week vacation at the lake and get together with these three other families every year. At night the parent s would get together and play cards and the kids often would go by the lake and sit on the picnic table and star gaze and talk.  This particular night and we were waiting for the satellite to pass by. If I recall correctly we were facing the west, filially we seen the little dot in the sky coming toward us.  Our view of the sky was about 80% horizon to horizon. The other kids, was watching the satellite, I was looking all over the sky, I noticed another small dot moving towards us from the perpendicular from the north, I asked “what could that be”  So we kind of watched both. It gave the appearance they were going to run in to each other. When the, what we thought was the satellite was nearly above us, so was the other dot and they like met together, there was a slight pause, then  the dots became one and reversed direction back to the north. I had the coldest feeling run down my spine, It scared the crap out of us and we ran to the cabins and told the parents what we saw and they kind of chuckled and went like YA YA, Sure Sure, after that vacation we never spoke of it again.

The second time was maybe 12 yrs ago, I was working afternoons, and we use to do R&D and testing.  We had minimal people in the afternoon shift. On this evening, two of the people I use to talk to, I mentioned that on that evening, there was going to be meteor storms and the sky would be clear. So three of us were going to meet at lunch break and check it out.  We were out there about 20 minutes staring up in the sky, discussing various things about cosmos.  I am not a strange to the stars, I often enjoyed looking through my telescope. Any How, Suddenly we had seen it, No flashing lights, no sound, two triangular, light grayish in color, flat bottom looking, kind of side by side, one slightly ahead, in a smooth motion toward the south, kind of gently disappearing.  It was like the objects were reflecting light from the city light below.  We just look at each other, didn’t say a word for a moment and one of us asked, what did we just see??  Got that cold chill down my spine again. I thought maybe it could have been a stealth fighters flying over, I have seen one of those flying over the lake before, they don’t look real, I thought someone was flying a batman kite. Real freaky looking.  Any how I called a friend that work security at Selfridge Air Force base and he told me there were no types of stealth’s in the area and even in combat they use their running lights.
Do I think they were aliens, No, do I have any idea what they were, Not a clue!!!

yup, I was 19 at the time and heading back to the shop after a long day of physical labor putting up party tents and fair tents. I saw a ball of light in the night sky 'rising' from a farm out the passenger window, it was twice as big and brighter then Venus and didn't blink or twinkle. I watched it for miles as we were driving along it was obvious it was pacing us, not perfectly sometimes it would pull slightly ahead or slow down. suddenly in 1/2 a second it grew a 'skirt' around the bottom of it and flew a distance of perhaps 5 miles or more in a straightish line from me. now it was hanging there in the night sky with three other lights that weren't twinkling either. I watched for a few more miles and when we passed a semi they were gone. my one and only unexplainable encounter.

[therapist]

While working plainclothes security at the Plaza Hotel in the 70's, got a call that we had a "jumper". Turns out a guy came back to his room drunk, had a case of "bed spins". Opened the window of his 15th floor room and sat on the edge to get some fresh air to clear his head. He, evidently, passed out and fell backwards out the window. His wife awoke to find him missing and called security. There was construction in the area and a big dumpster on the street below. We found his legs/lower torso sticking out of the dumpster, and his upper laying on the street nearby. It was dawn by the time the police cordoned off the area, but not before I witnessed a little dog, some old lady was walking, chewing at what appeared to be a liver.

[dreamaker]

I was sort of watching a program,(multi tasking at the time) may have been Nova, not sure. Don't recall the exact details, but they were talking about lighting in a form of a ball that kind of floats around, I guess kind of rare.  They seen them over fields and they said that on occasion, that people have seen them and mistake them for aliens sightings. There is another anomaly, from what I recall of some kind of gas in swamps or bogs that creates some kind of light energy that is also mistaking as alien sightings.