Pallaverin'....

Sunday past, the 14th, was the one year anniversary of my sister's going to be with the Lord after her bout with cancer.  We spent the day at church with her husband and went to the cemetery.  She is not there, but it IS a place that we can congregate and rejoice over her victory and remember and reflect on her life and how important a part of our lives that she was.  Her memory and her love will go on with us in our hearts until we are reunited with her someday!

My darling kids sent me this beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas, peonies and lilies in remembrance of my sister.  I was so touched.  Isn't it just so wonderful when your kids are so thoughtful when they get grown?  Makes me feel like I did something right!

Here we are waiting on all that rain from the Hurricane Bill. (who in tarnation gets to name the hurricanes?  who in tarnation named it Bill - that's the dumbest name for a hurricane that I've ever heard. just sayin'.)  We are just east of the line of fire, but in the danger zone for tornadic activity should there be any.  It's been showering off and on the last couple of days, but they say we're going to get a bunch over the next couple of days.  I was actually about ready for some more rain.  This sugar sand where we live doesn't not hold water for the grass and vegetation and it was getting rather dry.  I do pray for the folks that live in those already flooded areas that really don't need any more water.  How tragic about the lives lost in the last floods here in Texas and elsewhere...

I have been making plum jelly for the last two weeks. Right now I'm up to 11 dozen 4 oz jars.  Why? Because my dear daughter is having these little jars for her wedding favors in October! Her idea. I don't know if it's saving me any money, as I still have to buy sugar and S*re-Jell and jars.  Atwoods had tons of the little ones.  I'm thinking we're going to need about 10 or 11 dozen MORE to make sure we have enough for all guests... On Pinterest, there are such cute ideas for decorating the jars - ribbon, tea-stained tags, burlap, cute printed stamps. 

You'd have to know my daughter.  We had to find a venue that NONE of her friends had used, bridesmaids' gifts that nobody had thought about, flower designs, engagement pics, wedding favors.  Everyone wants to be original - I do understand that.  Last September, I helped my daughter in law and her mom make little lavender soaps for her favors.  That was fun, too.  So, when the peaches ripen, I'll add some peach preserves to our stash!

Bella Boo getting her bath.  LOVES her bath time!

Bluebirds had made their nest in here and laid eggs. Some nasty sparrows ran them out and took the eggs out. Now the baby sparrows have hatched.  GRRR.....  they eat my chicken feed....

A stinkin' ole chicken snake tried to get into my coop/pen.  I have chicken wire all over but had to cover the whole thing with bird netting to keep the sparrows out.  If you look closely, you might can tell that Mr. Snake has trapped himself trying to slither thru the bird netting to get the wire and is stuck tight!  Haha!  Tricked you again!  Remember the golf balls?

Now, Mr. Tony, my husband was gone to work, but I've learned how to deal with these varmints.  I got the loppers that Tony uses to cut limbs with and neatly clipped Mr. Snake's head in two places.  Takes 'em a little while to die cuz he was still trying to bite. He couldn't do much wriggling because of the netting.  Easiest snake I ever kilt!  A 12 gauge hoe or a 10 gauge set of loppers will do the trick!

TIP:  If you ever see a snake crossing the road (and there's not a car behind you), speed up a little and right when you get to the snake, slam on the brakes and skid over it.  Gets 'em every time.  If you just run over snakes with without skidding, they don't always die -  they just slither off.  Gotta skid.

And I'm skiddin' on outa here.

# 273 of 300 Ways to Catch a Snake (and other foolishness...)

When you live in the country, you're gonna run across critters.  Critters abound out here and if you don't like critters, then don't live in the country.  Critters are different from your good buddy pets.  Critters eat your garden, dig holes everywhere, come in the house even when they're not supposed to and are a general nuisance. We're always trying to get rid of critters - mice, rats, gophers, armadillos, moles, skunks, hogs, possums, 'coons AND last but certainly not least - SNAKES.

Now I don't cotton to these kinda critters too much myself, but they're not going to keep me from loving my little farm and enjoying every minute I'm here!  You just live with 'em and deal with 'em.

This morning, we had a some excitement here at Sand Flat Farm.  I went out early - 6:45 to feed and water my chickies before work. Fresh water, fill up the feeder, strew a little corn to scratch, clean out the night's poo... you know, the usual. Upon exiting the run, I happened to glance to the side, right by the doorlatch, and lo and behold, I saw THIS ------>

WARNING - Graphic photos - not for the squeamish nor faint of heart!!!

I MUST HAVE JUMPED BACK TEN FEET!

This fellow slithered into the coop probably a couple of days ago. I wondered why the chickens only laid 2 eggs that day when they usually lay 5-6.  I thought it was just too hot outside.  Evidently, the snake had come through the small gauge chicken wire and ate his fill and then couldn't get back through with such a full stomach!  He was a good 4 to 4 1/2 feet long

Rat snake, right?  At least I hope so. We've seen him a couple of times around the yard.  He'd always shoot up under the house when he spotted us looking at him with an evil intent in our eyes.  Can you count the bumps along his stomach?  SIX, there are six bumps! Horrors!

Slowly, I eased out of the coop trying not to disturb him. I started for my hoe, but decided to go get Tony out of bed and have him come out. He dressed quickly and got the hoe ready.  Tony took the snake's tail and carried him twined around the end of the hoe out to the orchard and neatly whacked his head off.

Good job!  Another farm critter bites the dust!  Glad that was all he bit!  Tony got a plastic bag to dispose of this booger and I went to check the coop just in case there was an early egg or an egg from the night before.

GUESS WHAT!  That dumb snake swallowed all six of my golf balls that I'd put in the nests to show the hens where to lay!!!!  I imagine he did eat a couple of the previous day's eggs, and then later decided to eat the rest of them!  JOKE'S ON YOU MR. SNAKE!  I'll bet he had a major case of indigestion!  Now, don't think us bad folks for killing this guy - he would have died anyway trying to pass those golf balls.

Sooooo,  we retrieved my golf balls...

Lookie there ^ - see all six lined up in a neat row!

Kinda gross actually, but at least I got my balls back - to be cleaned and disinfected for sure - reptiles have really nasty mouths - full of germs and bacteria.  Yuck, maybe I just need to get some more...

Now, have any questions?  Well, then you've just seen #273 of 300 ways to catch a snake.  Great way to trap a snake in your chicken coop!  You're very welcome.

Keep yer dress down.