Cooperative Living August 2015 - 42

RURAL LIVING by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
Remember my recent column
about my baby birds? To update you,
the mossy nest packed with four baby
wrens hatched. They were not wrathful.
And my first batch of robins flew
into the yonder, only to be quickly
followed by - surprise! - two new
robin's eggs in the same nest.
I kept a twice-daily watch on these
THE
TROUBLE
WITH
SNAKES
I
guess the most surprising thing is, I
was not surprised. I headed out to
the line with my laundry earlier
today, and had to stop in my tracks. A
fat blacksnake, about 5 feet long, was
lounging in my path. He and Brownie
and I stared at each other. Then, I gathered
my courage and stepped over him.
I kept casting glances over my shoulder
as I hung the towels and sheets. He
slithered away. I was grateful.
I know, blacksnakes are not harmful.
Still, I don't like to encounter them
along my chosen path.
I was not surprised to see the snake
because this seems to be " the year " for
them around my house. It seems as if
every summer, another plague of some
description becomes abundant. I've had
grasshoppers, those creepy earwigs, the
dreaded hornets that lurk underground.
We've all experienced an invasion
of ants or stinkbugs or beetles. I
am not fond of any of them, regardless
of how " helpful " they may be.
40
eggs, wanting to observe the entire
process. Yet, just a couple days after
the eggs appeared, they disappeared.
As I stood there pondering the
empty nest, I glanced away and -
yikes - there was a snake in the
grass. I guess I know what happened
to the lovely eggs.
So, there was snake number one. I
encountered another, different snake
the next day, slithering
toward the carport.
Perhaps he had travel
in mind. I gave him a
wide berth. Then this
morning, the long,
scrunchy blacksnake.
That's three snakes
too many.
In my store of
snake stories nothing,
of course, can top the
mating rattlesnakes
that two dogs and I
disturbed deep in the
woods one Sunday. I
was so scared I could
not force myself to
move past them. One
of the dogs was bitten
five times in just
moments. We then
had to dash some
three miles back to
home, we passed close by a neighbor's
garden fence. About 15 minutes later, I
heard gunshots. They were very close.
We ran out to " scare off " the intruders,
only to discover the neighbor lady, and
her neighbor. The fellow was holstering
a big pistol. Again, an incredible occurrence:
The next nearest neighbor was
home, and happened to be a superb
marksman.
Turns out, a 6-foot rattlesnake about
4 inches in diameter had been lurking
on that fence when the dogs and I
passed. The neighbor lady noticed him
shortly after and, being alone and gunless,
called the nearby marksman.
For at least an hour after the disturbTurns
out,
a 6-foot
ing hoopla, the body of that headless
snake still writhed on the fence. It was
fascinating. The dogs and
I did not hike through
the woods for the rest of
my visit.
What's the worst
rattlesnake
about 4
inches in
diameter had
been lurking on
that fence when
the dogs and
I passed.
the cabin, which was 45 miles from
" civilization. " On that occasion,
something incredible occurred: A
neighbor happened to have a
snakebite kit for dogs in her refrigerator,
and a truck with a crate large
enough to hold the hefty Labrador
with the terrible swollen face. She got
him to a vet in West Virginia just in
time to save his life.
Two different dogs and I were
walking through the woods up in
Bolar one afternoon. On our way
snakey thing that could
happen? That would be
one getting inside the
house.
I've had that happen,
too. Again, on another
pet-sitting adventure. I
awoke from a nap,
craved an icy Coke, and
lurched toward the
kitchen. The cat seemed
fascinated by a toy.
" That sure looks realistic, "
I thought. Then,
the toy snake began to
writhe. I screamed and
he headed straight
toward me. I called a
teenage neighbor, who
just happened to be home, and just happened
to crave an adventure.
He appeared forthwith. He spoke
softly. He carried a big stick. He lifted
the snake on the stick, dashed to the
door and flung it outside.
Nowadays, in my sleep, I see snakes
slithering through some slim crack in a
wall or window. It's a Midsummer
Nightmare. n
To order Margo Oxendine's A Party of One,
email recorder@htcnet.org, or call 540-4682147
Monday-Thursday from 9-5.
Cooperative Living/August 2015
Cooperative Living August 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living August 2015
