Another Notch In My Shovel
About two weeks ago, I was mowing the lawn for the first time in about six weeks. That's another story for another time. Before I mowed the lawn, I had trimmed the edges and pruned the bushes. While I was pruning the bushes I had to place my body right up against them, with my feet occasionally in the bushes where I could not see them. Whenever I can't see my feet in Florida, I get nervous about snakes.
My sister Karen has told me lots of horror stories about Florida snakes. And even though I do not live anywhere near the rural area she lived in, I still feel a certain trepidation when I get near my bushes.
My bushes are alive. Every time I walk by my bushes, they move and rattle. 99% of the time, these movements and noise are created by the ever present lizards around the house. But I have seen snakes in my bushes, and I have chased snakes out of my bushes, and I have chased snakes into my bushes that I was unable to get out of my bushes. So, I get a little nervous about snakes in my bushes.
Not too long ago, at work, I was asked to move a snake away from the front of our office building. I was given the assignment because I have the shovel, and my boss, who would probably just grab it by the head and squeeze it, was nowhere to be found. So I decided I could move this snake from the bushes in front of our office with my shovel. But this snake didn't want to be moved. This snake wanted to bite me. It attacked, reared up, attacked again, coiled, attacked, etc. Not a happy snake. So instead of moving it, I killed it. That was the first notch on my shovel.
I think my snake hunter instinct is in my blood. My Father and his Father helped a large number of serpents leave this world. My Grandfathers journal is riddled with stories of heroism, saving siblings, and assorted relatives from rattlesnakes at the very moment before a deadly strike. But the adventure in front of my office just didn't leave me feeling as heroic as I felt I could have. For some reason, clearing the corporate smoking area of danger from an 18" snake just didn't do it for me.
But, back at home, in my own grass, by my own bushes. . .
I saw the snake leave the bushes and start slithering through the grass, heading for the next set of bushes. This snake was about a foot long. Not the biggest I've seen around the house, but it was a three colored ring banded snake. I know that depending on the pattern of rings, the snake could have been poisonous or non-, but I wasn't about to try and figure that out. I ran to the shed, got my trusty shovel, and ran back. This part of the operation has saved a number of snakes lives in my yard. They usually get away while I look for an instrument of destruction. This snake would not be so lucky. He didn't move fast enough. I had saved my small kingdom from the dangers of this particular snake. I reigned over a peaceful kingdom once again.
I layed the carcass out on the driveway while I finished mowing the lawn. I wanted to take a look at it and try to identify what kind of snake it was. I remember it had a black head, and then I forget whether it was yellow or red bands next. But when I went back to look, it was gone. I know it didn't heal and slither away. Apparently a bird swooped down and rid my driveway of my prize. I would not be able to prove my valiance to my queen and boast of my quest while my lady swooned.
I'll just have to put another notch in my shovel.
About two weeks ago, I was mowing the lawn for the first time in about six weeks. That's another story for another time. Before I mowed the lawn, I had trimmed the edges and pruned the bushes. While I was pruning the bushes I had to place my body right up against them, with my feet occasionally in the bushes where I could not see them. Whenever I can't see my feet in Florida, I get nervous about snakes.
My sister Karen has told me lots of horror stories about Florida snakes. And even though I do not live anywhere near the rural area she lived in, I still feel a certain trepidation when I get near my bushes.
My bushes are alive. Every time I walk by my bushes, they move and rattle. 99% of the time, these movements and noise are created by the ever present lizards around the house. But I have seen snakes in my bushes, and I have chased snakes out of my bushes, and I have chased snakes into my bushes that I was unable to get out of my bushes. So, I get a little nervous about snakes in my bushes.
Not too long ago, at work, I was asked to move a snake away from the front of our office building. I was given the assignment because I have the shovel, and my boss, who would probably just grab it by the head and squeeze it, was nowhere to be found. So I decided I could move this snake from the bushes in front of our office with my shovel. But this snake didn't want to be moved. This snake wanted to bite me. It attacked, reared up, attacked again, coiled, attacked, etc. Not a happy snake. So instead of moving it, I killed it. That was the first notch on my shovel.
I think my snake hunter instinct is in my blood. My Father and his Father helped a large number of serpents leave this world. My Grandfathers journal is riddled with stories of heroism, saving siblings, and assorted relatives from rattlesnakes at the very moment before a deadly strike. But the adventure in front of my office just didn't leave me feeling as heroic as I felt I could have. For some reason, clearing the corporate smoking area of danger from an 18" snake just didn't do it for me.
But, back at home, in my own grass, by my own bushes. . .
I saw the snake leave the bushes and start slithering through the grass, heading for the next set of bushes. This snake was about a foot long. Not the biggest I've seen around the house, but it was a three colored ring banded snake. I know that depending on the pattern of rings, the snake could have been poisonous or non-, but I wasn't about to try and figure that out. I ran to the shed, got my trusty shovel, and ran back. This part of the operation has saved a number of snakes lives in my yard. They usually get away while I look for an instrument of destruction. This snake would not be so lucky. He didn't move fast enough. I had saved my small kingdom from the dangers of this particular snake. I reigned over a peaceful kingdom once again.
I layed the carcass out on the driveway while I finished mowing the lawn. I wanted to take a look at it and try to identify what kind of snake it was. I remember it had a black head, and then I forget whether it was yellow or red bands next. But when I went back to look, it was gone. I know it didn't heal and slither away. Apparently a bird swooped down and rid my driveway of my prize. I would not be able to prove my valiance to my queen and boast of my quest while my lady swooned.
I'll just have to put another notch in my shovel.
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