So the other night there is this huge storm brewing and we are all outside watching the dark ominous clouds get closer and closer. It was one of those Summer evenings that you really enjoy a good storm. We were out on the front porch and I have these horribly ugly bushes right there by the steps. We had been talking about pulling them out but never had gotten to it. So I mention to my very handy-with-a-rope-and-a-truck husband if we should pull them out. He was game and we got the rope and the truck and all the kids, of course. The family affair ensued as we watched the shrubs get yanked out of the ground with ease. We then threw all the shrubs in the back of the truck, hauled all the kids onto the tailgate for a ride across the yard to our burn pile.
Upon arriving at the pile we all hopped of the tailgate and started toward the pile. I saw some sticks laying over a little ways that had blown off the pile and started over to pick them up and toss them back where they belonged when I almost stepped on a SNAKE! The thing was laying there with the front of it’s body raised and as I had stepped closer to it, it struck at my leg barely missing me. I screamed a bloody murder-I’m gonna wet my pants type of scream and stumbled back and toppled over my two little ones that were right behind me.
Tom came running and we watched the thing high tail it over to our little barn and disappear under it. It was shaking it’s tail like a rattlesnake but with no rattle. Later we couldn’t figure out why we had a shovel with us and didn’t bother to kill the thang. Yes, it needs to die, it tried to bite me!
After some research, thanks to the internet, we have found that it is a rat snake. They come out in the cool of the evening to hunt mice and bats. If startled they will bite but they are not poisonous (thank goodness!). They also shake their tail like a rattler.
We have been making some frequent snake patrols around our brush pile in the evenings looking for this little devil. I really want him dead. I had the willies for a couple of days. I kept replaying in my mind that snake striking at me. I think my adrenaline was so high that it made my whole body and muscles hurt for a couple of days.
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Dave Ramsey
Heh-heh-hee-hee…
All I could think of is Jon W. I have had so much fun over the years yelling “Snnnaaake!!” when he comes over with me to the burn pile. He jumps in the air like Michael Jordan and screams like one of the “D” girls. I just laugh and laugh. He doesn’t laugh, though.
Yeah this snake was probably about 4 feet long and a half dollar size around. That is only the 3rd or 4th snake we have seen out there so it’s always a surprise. Karen was doing the heeby-jeeby dance for an hour wringing her hands and recalling the event.
I didn’t think about killing it which I normally do. It was too cool looking I guess. ‘Course I wasn’t the one it was trying to eat.
Ha! Tom, the only thing I could think of when I was reading this story was how funny it would have been to see Jon in Karen’s shoes that night!! He seriously WOULD have wet his pants
I’m not exactly “afraid” of snakes, but for one to sneak up on me like that (and then try to bite me!!)…..yuck….that would give me the creeps too!
Let’s not tell Jon about this little story & then next time we are over we can take him out to the brush pile & see if your little “friend” appears again. I’m so mean like that.
Amber, my first comment after I quit spewing out words about how extremely frightened I was, were “Man, if that would have been Jon….”!
…but Karen didn’t cuss…
Oh Dear!!! I’ve never been struck at! That would make my hair stand on end!!
Happy Hunting!