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