I Hate Snakes!

I hate snakes! I understand they keep the rodent population down, so I don’t bother them if they are in our barn. But, too close to the house or attacking the song birds nesting in our trees and they are history!

Monday I was working on the fence around our garden and heard several birds making excited sounds. There was a snake about 5 feet long headed for the tree. I went to the house, to get my rifle and when I returned, the snake was gone.

I found him on a branch about 8 feet up. A few seconds later he was dangling from the branch, hanging down about 4 feet, blowing in the wind. I thought it would be fun when Becky comes to the garden to find him, and I’M not about to pull it down. Just before she arrived, the snake fell to the ground.

I was back to work on the fence when Becky got there and she was duly impressed with the pile of snake under the tree. I was telling her that often snakes travel in pairs and she said, “I guess that’s true because there is a big one coming out of the creek heading straight for you!”

I still had my rifle close, so he changed his mind quickly. This was a big one, about three inches in diameter and between 5 and 6 feet long. I felt like I had done my part, so I let them lay where they fell, hoping something would carry them off in the night.

Well, it’s 2 days later and there they are. Becky was suggesting that I get rid of them. Did I mention that I hate snakes? I had been as close as I intended to be to those rascals. Before long I was heading to the garden with a shovel. Did I give them a decent burial? Are you kidding? I scooped them up and flung them into the woods. Maybe a 'possum or other wild critter will smell them in a couple of days and carry them off. If not, they are where I don’t have to look at them.

Some of you are sure to be curious as to what kind of snakes they were. They are now GOOD snakes. One of my favorite saying about snakes is, “The only good snake is a dead snake.”