Or so I've been told.

While I am a naturalist and wildlife enthusiast, herpetologists don't count me as one of their species' allies....snakes (the venomous ones ~) can become one with the dinosaurs. I don't even want to debate their "role"? in the food chain.........I'm content to leave that role to the NON-venomous ones. (...except those that decide they need to help themselves to my chicks and my chickens' eggs......) With the recent break in summer temperatures, the wildlife has become more active and the snakes! are no exception.

When we first bought our land along the dirt road, everyone we met out here or talked to about our plans would stammer with, "You know, uh......we have, um, rattlesnakes here?"? You would have thought they were referring to Big Foot or the Yeti to hear the way they talked about them. As my snake hysteria grew, I began working in a final question to potential contractors at the end of our interviewing them...,"?okay, now what do we need to do to get rid of these snakes?"? (You can only imagine the blank stares.)

By the time we actually moved and were living here, I was nearly convinced I would awake to a gauntlet of rattlers lined up in the front yard just waiting for me to cross the threshold of my front porch! I researched the Internet for repelling these reptiles........I now stockpile mothballs and bags of sulfur. NASA can most likely tell you right where we are as I'm sure we show up on their satellite views of Georgia as a glowing dot-to-dot rectangle from all the moth balls I've outlined our property with.

My first encounter with a rattlesnake was a day when a really small one made the fatal mistake of crossing the dirt road as I was coming in to check on the progress of our house. I ran over it ~ back and forth ~ a number of times. But then I was convinced it was hiding in my wheel well after I parked and I wouldn't let anyone out of the car.......(blush) I don't think my obssessive viewing of "Venom ER" helped my fears either....

Fast forward a bit, I have learned that I don't need a suit of armor to enjoy a walk to the creek or across the upper 26. But these serpents are out there and word travels fast when someone makes a kill! I've been in our local IGA store and have overheard the shrieks when someone is reporting an extermination event. The immediate concern? "How many rattles did it have?"? Why that's braggin' rights, you know.

We've lived out here on our dirt road now for a year and eight months. During that time, we've encountered [in person] and killed a total of four rattlesnakes, the fourth being this past Saturday. A passerby stopped and knocked on our door to alert us to a rattler that he had seen just on the other side of our creek's bridge and that he had, unsuccessfully, tried to run over. We gathered the posse and struck out to walk the road searching for the reported slithering yeti. As we crossed the creek, we slowed our walking and became quiet, hoping the serpent would make an appearance or sound his rattles to announce his position (yeah, right).............the Gladiator, however, spotted him just up the hill crossing the road over to the neighboring pasture all stretched out with rattles upright in the air. His shotgun blast was easily accurate and we waited for the venomous end to be separated from the body. Just like "a chicken with its head cut off"? a snake still writhes after it has been killed.

I still don't recall how it came to be that I was carrying the carcass of this thing....but carrying it I was (....after all, it wasn't my prize......but I was happy to help....). I promise you, I have yet to overcome this episode.....but that headless snake coiled up and lunged at my arm [the headless end....] and I thought I was ready for my own dirt nap. The "Y chromosome"? posse could not stop laughing as I was jumping down the road screaming because the headless snake tried to bite me.

Needless to say, I did NOT continue carrying the headless serpent. I did, however, have to call my friend, Mimi, to report my near death and our afternoon snake encounter. When she finally stopped laughing, she said, "You know snakes don't die `til the sun goes down!"?

Yeah, well, this one is DEAD, has been skinned and is in our freezer. Though I've given up watching "Vemon ER", my next emotional trial will be my assigned task to learn how we're to cook it ~ the Gladiator has announced we're eating this one!

Here are a few snaps of the 10 rattle "rattler" the Gladiator shot and skinned on Saturday.........I've been told that we're "gonna eat this one"....will have to let you know about that event............(gulp)

Here is the proud 'Gladiator' with his prize ~

.......another memorable Saturday along the dirt road.  Need I say more?

hkj

South of the Gnat Line

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