The Mystery

By Maxine

This mystery has taken a long time to figure out, but one worth telling about.

Several months ago, following one of my four surgeries on my foot, I couldn't sleep, and was in a lot of pain. I got on my scooter and went into the living room to watch television and not wake up my husband. As usual, the only thing on late night television, or I should say early morning television is infomercials, or sex movies, neither of which I had any desire to watch. So as I lay there sobbing and feeling sorry for myself, I heard the familiar "blip-blip" sound of the doggie door in the kitchen. Well, I knew where my dogs were. They sleep in a baby bed in my bedroom, and that is where they were. What could this animal be??? One that had done this before ???

I listened quietly, wondering, was this a sound of something coming inside or something going out??? I didn't hear anything, so I got back on my scooter and eased into the kitchen, turned on all the lights, and was expecting to see a raccoon or some small animal finding it's way to the dog food bowl. I didn't see anything, and everything seemed to be in place. At least it got my mind off my pain, and time for the pain pill to take effect.

When you live in the country, you can hear lots of strange sounds, but never do we hear sirens, gunshots or ambulances that are normal for the big cities.

After another thirty minutes or so I decided that whatever it was had already eaten and when I went into the living room, it had found its way back out the doggie door. At least it didn't leave behind any poop.

About a week later, we were getting ready for bed. The house was quiet, the dogs were all asleep in their bed, and we heard a loud crash coming from the back of the house somewhere. It sounded like a picture had fallen off the wall and glass broke. We searched everywhere for evidence of this noise. Nothing!!

Another week went by, and I opened a cedar closet in the hallway to put up our winter coats, and there on the floor of this closet was a box of old 8mm films that could not have fallen off the top shelf by themselves. AH HA!! This was the noise that we had heard, but what caused it ??

At this point, all of you scaredy cats better just delete, because.......

I got a stool to stand on so that I could get a good look on that top shelf to see if I could find any evidence of a nest or something. What I found was the SHED SKIN of a very long SNAKE. It appeared to be the skin of a rat snake, but where was the snake???? He was not in the closet, and I haven't found it yet!!!!

It has been a good "company" deterent. HeeHee!!! And now we lock the doggie door every night. I just hope we haven't locked the snake inside.

News from Bob Bailey About Tornado

Thanks Jinny

We are okay and our house is okay. Lots of limbs etc but we missed severe damage. Houses on both sides had BIG trees down and house of a friend around the corner hit hard. Our son’s place in the country has severe damage but standing okay. Lots of damage otherwise. Tornado tracked edge of town so downtown and most residential was spared from tornado but not high winds. We got electricity back but it will be down for a while for those in the track. We do not have gas due to a gas line valve in path of tornado being shut down---so, no hot water, but that is minor. 4 or 5 died in Yazoo City / County. Total dead as of now is 10 including two other counties.

Please pray for those in most need and pass this along to others in ’58 Class.

Thanks again and have a good Lord’s Day.
Bob and Amanda

Photos From Clarion Ledger

6TH GRADE OPERETTA AT WITHERSPOON

Double click on the picture to enlarge.

We presented the operetta "The Inn of the Golden Cheese," and made our parents proud. This operetta was presented around the country by schools during the 1950's; it took place in the 1700's, and has pilgrims and Indians in it. Peggy Edwards, who sent me this picture, remembers the names of almost all in the photo (let us know if you remember the others), and also the words to many of the songs; she was in the chorus. Great memory, Peggy! I was the announcer because they said I had the loudest voice - LOL.

Row 1: Christine Powe, Carolyn Hitt, Mary Alice Keyes, Joyce Bragg, Sandra Pulliam, Carlee Hamilton, Hilda Todd

Row 2: Martha Ann Markline, Charlotte Quinn, Frances Ousley, Shirley Wilson, Dorothy Nelson, Jean Chandler, Jane Smith, Ina Faye Reid, Mary Ruth Jones

Row 3: Virginia Ballard, Bessie Godwin, Evelyn Davidson, Mildred Majors, Phil Merrill, Sue Powell, Pansy McCarra, Peggy Edwards, Bernie Mae Lowe, Patricia Rawson

Row 4: Willie Ray Bunyard?, George White, Thomas Crain, ?, ?, William Burt, Lamar Knight, Ray Crawford?, Tommy McMullen, ?, Billy Nichols, ?, ?

Opening Song

At the Inn of the Golden Cheese
We're in charge to do as we please
And we please to make it spic and span
We'll polish every pot and pan
We'll chase the dust until
It makes us sneeze (ah-choo?)

At the Inn of the Golden Cheese
There's no time to take our ease
For we expect a famous guest (William Penn)
Who'll say our service is the best
He's ever had - at the Golden Cheese.

Saturday Night Special

You asked for this, so here is the latest excitement in The Garden of Eatin' here in La Grange.

When we first started our farm here, we had a snake problem, and we were told to get some Guinea Fowls and they would kill snakes. This is true, I've seen it happen. After the guineas get through with a snake, the snake will crawl off looking like a soaker hose with holes all in him.

We got guineas, chickens, ducks, geese and set up brooder cages with lights to get started. I decided to always leave a low watt light bulb in the chicken house just in case a snake or a skunk or raccoon or some predator animal managed to get into the chicken house. The guineas and chickens can see how to fly to another roost for safety and not fly into a wall, breaking its neck. I am always thinking ahead.

This past Saturday, I get out of the shower, put on my night gown, and looked down towards the chicken house and it is pitch dark. I assumed the bulb had burned out, so I put on my shoes, turned on the back patio flood lights and hobbled down to the chicken house with a new bulb. I didn't take a flashlight, because the flood lights gave off enough light for me to see how to cross the little stream and wooden bridge leading to the chicken house. I would just have to unscrew the old bulb and screw in the new one, RIGHT??? This is where things started happening.

I got to the chicken house, with the light to my back, and I reached for the latch on the door to open the chicken house. I grabbed hold of what I thought surely must be the extension cord, but then it wrapped around my wrist and definitely had life in it. I was not sure if I was holding a snake, a lizard, a possum tail or what, so I try to focus, and realize I am nose to nose with a rat snake as tall as me. I'm not usually afraid of snakes, but this one was on a mission.

I didn't have my cell phone in my pocket because I was in my night gown. I was on my own. I needed to keep this snake from getting into the chicken house, because they will swallow a sleeping guinea's head and suffocate it.

I had to turn loose and go get the snake grabber that I had made years earlier. It is a 4 foot piece of PVC pipe with a lanyard running through it. I've used it many times to remove things to another place.

Many thoughts ran through my mind, but none of them were any good at that point. I hobbled back up to the house to get the things I needed and told my husband and brother to "Get the gun!" They started asking all kinds of questions, none of which I wanted to answer right then. So I slammed the door and probably said something I shouldn't have and went back down to remove the snake. I saw him, now coiled up on one of the brooder cages, so I looped the lanyard around his head about 2 inches back, but I couldn't pull him off the cage. He was so big and heavy, and he was holding on like he had a dozen hands and feet. A few minutes later, the men showed up to help me. He ended up being 6 feet long and as big around as a child's arm.

Next time, I will take my cell phone and a flashlight.

We didn't take this one down to the river.

Just another day!!!

Maxine

Dogs Playing In the Snow