Got me 'nuther rattl'r tonite!

[gcvmom]

A guy was walking across the street this evening as we were heading out to the store and the kids came running to tell me he saw a rattlesnake in the neighbor's front flowerbed.

So since it was right next to the neighbors who lost one of their boxers last month to a rattlesnake, I decided to get my "stick" (floor scraper with a long handle) and take care of it.

husband was understanding but freaking nonetheless while he waited in the van while the kids stood in the driveway watching me. Of course, difficult child 2 puts dibs on the rattle. I had to giggle as I heard difficult child 1 tell husband, "Gee, you're really scared of snakes aren't you Dad? Don't worry, Mom won't let it get you!" What a crazy bunch we are.

So after I chopped off the head and snipped off the rattle for difficult child 2, I had to go bury the head in the back yard and toss the carcass down the hill before we could leave for the store. husband was getting a bit impatient, but I felt so bad for the neighbors losing their dog, I just couldn't leave the critter to slither off like that. I expect the turkey vultures will be by in the next day or so to do their job...

And who says nothing exciting ever happens in suburbia?

 

[Hound dog]

Too much excitement for me. I'd be hiding in the car with your husband.

 

[Marguerite]

When I was a kid we used to despatch snakes. But they are all protected now in Australia. ALL reptiles and all amphibians except Cane Toads, are protected...

I'd be leaving the body (minus head, for safety) on an ant-heap somewhere, so you can show the kids how a snake skeleton looks. They have the most amazing joints in their backbones. Or failing that, cook it.

Go carefully with the head. You did the right thing to bury it. We toss ours in the rubbish (when we find dead snakes). The venom is still viable and can actually concentrate in the fangs. A scratch from the fangs of a snake skull can still give you a dose of venom.

Also be aware - snakes tend to be territorial. You kill one, another one will move in to take its place. Leave a gap and it generally gets filled.

We have a spot near our house (right under the rainwater tank outside the back door) where we always have a red-bellied black snake living. Not always the same one, I keep finding dead snakes that got tangled in the netting over the garden bed (next to the tank). But every summer, we see a red-belly in the back yard. Luckily they're shy and won't attack. But one dies (is found dead) and we generally have a living one, in the same place.

So tell the neighbours to not get too complacent.

Marg

 

[Abbey]

OMG!!! I would have been NO where near that snake...or any snake.

Props to you!

Abbey

 

[Wiped Out]

I so would have been behind the car with your husband-nope-scratch that-I would have been hiding in the house and deciding to put it up for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are so brave!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I remember my dad telling me a story when he was a kid and he was taking the cows out to pasture and came across a rattler. He said he just kind of slowly backed away from it. Gave me the shivers to hear him talk about it. There is a rock near where he grew up called "Rattlesnake Rock". Legend goes that someone was climbing the rock and was suddenly surrounded by rattlers. It was either stay on that rock or jump for the small lake near it. He supposedly did jump and lived.

Again, you are incredibly brave-you would have been my hero last night!

 

[WhymeMom?]

Yo' sum kinda woman! I would have been taking pictures......I'm not fond of snakes, but better to know they are dead than sneakin' up on ya'........Hope your neighbors appreciate the favor........you go girl.......

 

[Lothlorien]

I'd have called animal control and high tailed it right outa there!

 

[KTMom91]

I'd be in the house with Sharon, waiting for you to tell us it was safe to come outside again.

 

[Star*]

Dear Carl Chalmers,

Some calls it a sling blade - some calls it a kaiser blade......uh huh huh.

Once in a Smokey mount. Gift shop - there were tons of novelites - and one I will NEVER forget - was a clear poly toilet seat - when you lifted the lid someone had actually taken a rattlesnake and polyurethaned it into the seat - face front, mouth open, fangs bared.

I thought to myself - Seriously how could you ever sit on that?

So since you like to recycle things - (bedsprings and whot not) maybe next time you can make a polyurethane rattlesnake toilet seat. Time on the toilet in large households would (I would think) cut down considerably.

 

[susiestar]

You GO Girl! Too Awesome!! I don't see many here. My dad once killed a HUGE rattler on the lawn of the school he taught in. They were keeping the kids in from recess, and Dad felt the kids needed to get out, so he got in the car and drove his truck over it! He killed a few others there with sticks. the school (we are in OK, after all) was on a property where you could see for 1/4 mile in every direction from the school. LOTS of snakes and critters wandered by. And No kids every skipped, cause they were SEEN walking away, LOL!!

Good Job, but no tacky toilet seats, please! (Star, who let you out of the corner??)

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

See, we just don't get rattlers here.

THAT would have been cool to watch.

 

[Abbey]

(Star, who let you out of the corner??)

Sorry. I was dealing with Dave.

Abbey

 

[gcvmom]

Aw shucks, ladies... 't weren't nuthin'!

Anywho... Marg, I think if we HAD an ant hill (yikes), leaving the carcass to be cleaned on it would be a fabo idea. The difficult child-boys would really dig that.

And then, if I couldn't make it stick on the toilet seat, like Star suggested, I could prop it up outside to keep the rabbits and squirrels (sorry, no moose and squverell here) away from my recycled "flower bed" springs.

You all are just an amazing wellspring of ideas!

 

[Star*]

Since I Am out of my corner: (bwha ha haaaa)

I will loan you a few of my Thursday thoughts on what to do with the carcas of a beheaded rattle snake.

1.) Spaghetti - hmmm mmm. If you have never had rattle snake spaghetti sauce you are missing out - it tastes a lot like chicken. Thanks Dad. (blech)

2.) Walking stick - have the head bent over for the handle and have that sucker taxidermied. Next time you say "Quicker than you can shake a stick - think of your rattler cane." And then there is the Cane Break rattler - WHAT an idea.....Cane Break Rattle Snake Canes to break things with.

... I told you...it's Thursday

3.) Ceiling fan cleaner - when it starts to die - instead of cutting the head off just bend it over a little and when the fangs dry they could hold in those little swiffer cloths. Up in the air goes the snake with a swiffer wrapper in it's mouth and voila - clean fans.

4.) Be the first kid on your block to have an authentic Rattler Hockey stick. Same recipe as the swiffer fan cleaner - but shut the mouth and make the bent part a bit longer.

5.) Winter time cold air draft preventer. Need I say more?

6.) If you ever get 2 - tie end to end for a long curtain rod.

....oh NOW you think I'm getting redneck?

7.) Jump rope! Huh? Just a few away from a hammock.

8.) Practical joke - have it stuffed in a coiled and strike position. The next time the kids wont listen? Just slip that little bugger under the covers with a note that says

YOU SSSSSSSSShould have LISSSSSSSened to your Mother!

9.) Order some of the flesh eating beatles like they use at the museum, and use the bones for a necklace, bracelet, earring enseble.

10.) WHIFFLE BALL BAT.

how much longer am I out of the corner?

))))))>>>>>>>>))))))>>>>>>))))))))>>>>)))))--<

 

[Steely]

Holy cr@p I would have screamed like a girl.
You GCV, are a brave, tough woman.
I can't do the killing thing of anything - not even a bug. I know, I got the wimpy gene, big time. Surprising I made it this far, I know.

 

[gcvmom]

Ssssssssstar, your TIME is UP!!! BACK to your corner! Wow, if this is Thursday, what's it like on Friday? Hmmmm, it might not be safe to log on tomorrow....

Steely, I think I have the difficult child's to thank for my courage! Compared to them, sometimes, I think I prefer dealing with poisonous snakes...

 

[Star*]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:-< when you would rather deal with a rattler than deal with a child YOU KNOW YOU ARE A CD BOARD MEMBER.



actually I sooooooo get that.

 

[Abbey]

Geez. I go to work for 6 hours and someone lets Star out. Can you guys help me out???

#1 - I DO NOT want to have snake spaghetti. Nada...NO. I love spaghetti, but not snake spaghetti.

#2 - It covers every other thought you had. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A SNAKE, even though the might be helpful.

Abbey

 

[totoro]

I think Star got off of the Spinning Wheel... the round room has the hamster wheel... or in Stars case the Rat wheel. (Due to her love of rats, not her personality)
I may have to hit you up gvcmom. Where we are moving to in AZ, has tons of Rattlers. Everyone has said, "Oh, I have never seen one though" I have seen 3!!! I was walking with N and we almost stepped on one, pretty big! In a parking lot!!!
In-Laws neighbor had a huge one in their house.
I just caught K a little Garden Snake the other day just to hold, stinky little thing. But Rattler??? Brave woman!!!

 

[Marguerite]

Star's genius ideas - "9.) Order some of the flesh eating beatles like they use at the museum, and use the bones for a necklace, bracelet, earring enseble."

Star, they are furniture beetles form memory. But you don't have to go that far - just leave the thing lying around outside, various denizens will do the job. I remember making a rabbit skeleton (well actually, the rabbit made it first, I was just removing the soft bits now the rabbit no longer needed them). We boiled it up and slowly sifted our way through. The feet were tricky, though.
Smaller creatures - you need ants, or beetles. We had a really skilled lecturer, she had a planigale (small marsupial mouse) skeleton she'd done herself - it fitted in a matchbox.

Look at it this way - it's cheaper than buying a model kit for the boys. All you need now, is the glue. And a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, to whiten the bones.

Marg