Things I learned today...

1. Snakes do not like to be screamed at.
2. Getting hit in the head by a falling snake hurts...I hope/don't think I got bit
3. It is hard to kill a snake with a shovel

Today, as I was leaving our kitchen to enter the patio, I opened our patio door. Bam!!! I got hit on top of my head by something falling. Now, I have had a fear for a long time that a cockroach or some other critter would linger on the top of our patio door and when you open the door, it would fall or run into the house. Praise be to God I did not look up like I usually do, or I would have had a rattlesnake on my face!!!

Yep, when I opened our patio door, a rattlesnake fell down on top of my head. Now, my reaction was the same as any rational person. I looked down and started screaming when I saw the snake. It was about 20 inches long. I quickly closed the patio door, but then I knew I had to kill it because who wants a rattler on their patio. I went back out and saw where the rattler was, right up against the house. I then went to the garage to find a shovel. For what it is worth, a wide shovel is better for killing a snake than using a a narrow shovel. I just grabbed a shovel, which was narrow.

I then made too much noise on the patio, and the snake curl up in a tight ball...again this makes killing the snake hard. I started to erratically thrust the shovel down on the snake. I cut off the middle of its body. A few more thrusts, and I got closer to the head. Finally the snake was disabled enough, I was able to chop off the head.

I then went inside to look for my boots. I did not want to go on the grass without proper foot protection. After putting on my boots, I went back out on the patio. I picked up the snake with the shovel. I then quickly raced toward the water's edge. The water is still very low and a long ways from our lawn's edge. I tried to throw the snake into the water, but it slipped off the shovel. It is somewhere in the rocks which line the water's edge.

Now, I am recovering from the rush of adrenaline. My head aches where the snake hit me. I did not feel a bite or a sharp pain...just a dull pain like someone hit me over the head with a baseball bat. I will look at my head in a bit when I am more stable to see if there is a bite mark. I think if I would have gotten bit, the snake would have latched on. Instead, this snake just bounce off my head on to the patio.

That is the latest news from the wild frontier! I am going to lie down. My head really hurts!