Snakes...why did it have to be snakes?

[Dextra]

I don't hate snakes. I like em just fine. I even had a ball python as a pet once. But I don't like copperheads that decide to stretch themselves out in front of my front door. Nooooo.....

So yeah, there was this copperhead that decided to stretch itself out across the threshold of the front porch that scared the piss out of my sister (literally...:hehehehe: ). She came in the house freaking out and wanting me to call our dad to come home and kill it. After doing this: :rolleyes: , I walked out to the back porch, grabbed a hoe, and very cautiously opened the door. I was expecting some monster of a snake the way she was freaking out. It wasn't that bad. Might have been five feet long. Took me a couple of tries, but I managed to chop the bugger's head off, scoop it up and dump it in the trash.

Only thing that bothers me about it was that not 20 minutes before Beth came in the house screaming about that snake, I'd been out there drawing while the kids were playing. I don't even remember why I decided to come inside, but I'm glad we did. :foh: Phew.

[Yvonne Belisle]

You were being watched that is for sure. I am glad you and the kids are all ok.

[ambermystique]

You couldn't have called someone to get it, rather than killing it? Just wondering.

~amber

(I would've been a bit freaked too.)
You are definitely blessed that your kids weren't in the yard still!

[Boogins]

Phew! Thank the gods you're all safe and you took care of it. I like snakes, but really... :eek:

[Faeawyn]

Ewwwww....

[Nighthawk]

UH..snake??? Um.... I am pming you, dear

[Dextra]

Ok, just to clarify...I wouldn't harm an animal unless it presented a threat, which this one did. It did try to strike at my sister. I missed putting that in the post because it had just happened and I hadn't quite calmed down yet.

[morrigen]

I like snakes too...as long as they're cllose enough for me to be able to apprreciatee their beauty, but far enough away that they can't bite me :)

[pawnman]

Good work Dextra! You're like a superhero or something.

Now me, I wouldn't have chopped its head off. Not out of any feelings of guilt or anything, but because I'd be afraid of getting bitten. I'd just spend the entire week in my house, waiting for it to go away.

[sweet nothings]

yeah see...with me...i woulda windexed its a$$....I do that to everything that scares me....especially ants....spider on my bed? windex its a$$....ants on my windowsill? windex their a$$.....ahh windex....glad ur alirght hunn

[Dextra]

yeah see...with me...i woulda windexed its a$$....I do that to everything that scares me....especially ants....spider on my bed? windex its a$$....ants on my windowsill? windex their a$$.....ahh windex....glad ur alirght hunn

That sounds like how my mom would have reacted. :lol:

And it's funny. I did that earlier, but a little while ago, I looked down and saw a spider crawling down my skirt and squealed like a little girl. :rolleyes: :p

[Boogins]

Yes, I could easily kill a snake before a spider. :bigredblu In fact, found one on the bathroom floor that the cats had killed the other night, and I had to get jessie to clean it up!

[SilverPheonix]

windex the insects- windex burns- windex pimples- windex away arthritus... is there anything windex can't do??????

[Dextra]

windex the insects- windex burns- windex pimples- windex away arthritus... is there anything windex can't do??????

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is so full of good advice. :hehehehe:

[sweet nothings]

well the only reason I used windex in the first place was ai couldnt find the bug spray..but then i found that it stuns um long enough for me to get um outside

[charmedkisses1]

LOL So you ARE like the guy in my Big Fat Greek Wedding....

[sweet nothings]

:shhhh: Don't tell!! They'll all be wanted my windex tips!!!

[argento_occhi]

windex... such a versatile product

[Pesha]

Let me just say in the way of speaking for the snake........THey are great for controling pests of the earth and they have very nice minds. Well Ralltlesnakes are a bit sour but other snakes have nice minds.

So sue me I like snakes and spiders.

BB
DS.

[dragonspirit 69]

If you want to kill it ust a cheap hairspray. ( any bug with an exoskelloton) It makes it so they can't breath. Things I remember from school.


I too love spiders and snakkes !! :)

[pawnman]

yeah see...with me...i woulda windexed its a$$....I do that to everything that scares me....especially ants....spider on my bed? windex its a$$....ants on my windowsill? windex their a$$.....ahh windex....glad ur alirght hunn

No way. If you think I'm getting close enough to a poisonous snake to spray it with windex, you've got another thing coming. The closest I would come to that is dropping a bottle of windex on it from the second-story window.

[Xeen]

I'm dissapointed and slightly sick that you killed her, but also glad to know that everyone is okay.:huddle:

[WolfWonderess]

:S Poor snake...personally, strike or no strike, I would have called someone who could relocate the snake, rather than kill it. Then again, I also LOVE snakes. I remember when my mom's boyfriend found a baby rattlesnake in the front yard...and he killed it right in front of me with a shovel even after I told him not to. >_< That was horrible...

But, I'm also the type that simply cannot kill a thing. I accidentally kill an insect, and I feel so much guilt! Instead, whenever something is trapped in the house, I go out of my way to rescue them, and my mom and her bf now know better than to kill anything if I'm around, because I'll raise a fit. ^^;;

Only things I can't stand are spiders...I'm arachnaphobic. But even those I rescue; I reason that they shouldn't die just because I'M afraid of them for some silly reason. And taking that approach has actually had great benefits. The more spiders I save, the less arachaphobic I'm finding myself. Just a few days ago, I actually handled a big daddy longlegs with my bare hands without getting sqeamish to any extent--when only a year ago I would have positively FLIPPED if one was anywhere near my presence! But, I reasoned they couldn't bite, and just imagined it as any other critter BUT a spider. :P

Would I do that with any other spider? HECK NO--any other spider gets trapped in a cup and escorted outside.

[Sowelu]

:)

[Druchii]

I will remember to call the police the next time I think I am about to get shot instead of disarming the guy. :lol: Just so I don't have to kill him either.

[Dextra]

I will remember to call the police the next time I think I am about to get shot instead of disarming the guy. :lol: Just so I don't have to kill him either.

*snort* :hehehehe:

[Lady Jade]

I guess I would have first asked it to move on, letting him know he was not welcome on your doorstep. If he didn't slither away...then I would have chopped his head off. Sometimes talking to them and explaining that they make you uncomfortable, scared, or pose a real danger animals will graciously cooperate and move along. Regardless, I am glad you and yours are ok! :huddle:

[Avalon]

Sometimes, you have to protect yourself. Dextra, I'm so glad that you and the kiddles are okay. :hugz:

[WandererInGray]

Take no chances with kiddos. *smiles* Copperheads may not kill an adult, but the scarring and pain from a bite is bad enough, I'd hate to think what the poison could do to a little one.

You did good, Dex. ;)

[Psyche Ague]

I wouldn't have had the guts to do it, but I applaud you for being so brave. :)

I, too, would never kill an animal, but I'm not going to tell someone else they can't protect their human family.

[Crystal_Raye]

Ok, just to clarify...I wouldn't harm an animal unless it presented a threat, which this one did. It did try to strike at my sister.

Its sad that you had to kill it. Couldn't you have called someone to capture and relocated it or just shoo it away? I know you must think I'm nuts but actully it takes a heck of alot to get a snake to bite you. Now I wasn't there but it sounds to me like the only reason the snake snapped at your sister was because she startled it. A house cat or dog would have done the same. Oh well, whats done is done. At least everyone is ok (except the snake, Goddess bless it's soul).

[Dextra]

No, animal control would not have relocated it. This breed of snake is a particular nuissance in this area, and they would have killed it as well. And I don't know about you, but I'm not going to risk my health trying to shoo away a venomous snake that's coiled up to strike.

[Llewyth]

:yourock:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

*looks around*...uh...what are you going to do with the skin? Powerful magic, there. (I have a shed skin from a copperhead that I use in some of my magic).

Yasmine (who loves snakes but respects their venom and stays a long ways from the poisonous ones) :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

No, animal control would not have relocated it. This breed of snake is a particular nuissance in this area, and they would have killed it as well. And I don't know about you, but I'm not going to risk my health trying to shoo away a venomous snake that's coiled up to strike.

Just like I don't ask if the spider is a hobo spider (poisonous) or a house spider...it's inside, it takes its life in its hands. :)

Yas :colorful:

[Dextra]

*looks around*...uh...what are you going to do with the skin? Powerful magic, there. (I have a shed skin from a copperhead that I use in some of my magic).

Yasmine (who loves snakes but respects their venom and stays a long ways from the poisonous ones) :colorful:

Y'know, that didn't even occur to me until a few days later when someone pointed that out to me. Too late now. :(

[Yasmine Galenorn]

Y'know, that didn't even occur to me until a few days later when someone pointed that out to me. Too late now. :(

I have to admit, I'm the queen of picking up roadkill and so forth. I use the feathers and bones in my magic and have worked with a lot of bones in my art. I found this really cool, intact bird one day--it must have hit a window or electrocuted itself because it was just laying there dead on the city sidewalk. Pretty feathers, I thought, so I picked it up and carried it into my friends' magic shop, got a paper bag from them and stuck the bird in there till I could get home to my bus (converted school bus) that I was living in at the time. Another friend comes in, he asks if I want to have lunch with him, so we go down to the Pub and are eating, and I have the bag sitting on the side of the table there. He asks, "What's in the bag?" I hand it to him. He looks in and freaks! I laughed so hard that day, he was just totally freaked out that I was carrying around a dead bird. I calmed him down and when I took it home, I grabbed a butcher knife, cut off the wings and feet, and used them on wands after they dried. The remains I consecrated back to the Mother.

But I never will forget Rowan's face when he saw what was in the bag. After that, he quit asking what I had with me. :lol:

Yasmine :colorful:

[Boogins]

:lol: Oh, for a camera at that moment...

[Dextra]

I have to admit, I'm the queen of picking up roadkill and so forth. I use the feathers and bones in my magic and have worked with a lot of bones in my art. I found this really cool, intact bird one day--it must have hit a window or electrocuted itself because it was just laying there dead on the city sidewalk. Pretty feathers, I thought, so I picked it up and carried it into my friends' magic shop, got a paper bag from them and stuck the bird in there till I could get home to my bus (converted school bus) that I was living in at the time. Another friend comes in, he asks if I want to have lunch with him, so we go down to the Pub and are eating, and I have the bag sitting on the side of the table there. He asks, "What's in the bag?" I hand it to him. He looks in and freaks! I laughed so hard that day, he was just totally freaked out that I was carrying around a dead bird. I calmed him down and when I took it home, I grabbed a butcher knife, cut off the wings and feet, and used them on wands after they dried. The remains I consecrated back to the Mother.

But I never will forget Rowan's face when he saw what was in the bag. After that, he quit asking what I had with me. :lol:

Yasmine :colorful:


That's great! :lol:

No, I didn't even think about saving the skin, or at least something from it. :hrmm: My best friend told me that I should have made a belt out of it or something. I don't think I would have gone that far, but it would have been interesting to have.

[Romani Vixen]

Yes, I could easily kill a snake before a spider. :bigredblu In fact, found one on the bathroom floor that the cats had killed the other night, and I had to get jessie to clean it up!
Did you *have* to mention spiders? :hairraise



Is a weeee bit arachnophobic.... I sooo need to get over that... I'm trying really....

[Black RiverWolf]

why woukd you kill it ib\nsyead of just letting it leave on its own or calling to have someone come get. personally i think that you did wrong by the animal

[WandererInGray]

:rolleyes: Poisonous snake and children don't mix.

Sheesh people, why don't you be a little more judgemental of Dextra? I'm sure she's enjoying having her actions second guessed by strangers.

[nomadicdragon]

I think it's rather ridiculous to judge someone when you are not in there situation. A dangerous snake in an area where children are ... it's not a good combination, and at the time killing it was the safest thing to do.. I don't think we should be judging Dextra at all.. Children are far more important then the snake.

Why is it always we did wrong to the animal?? but god forbid it had bitten one of the kids..

[Phoenix Blue]

why woukd you kill it ib\nsyead of just letting it leave on its own or calling to have someone come get. personally i think that you did wrong by the animal
It's one thing to respect life. It's another thing to leave a snake in a position to harm a human life, especially if it's one of your own children at risk.

[pawnman]

I'm with you Dextra! I probably wouldn't have gotten clos enough to cut its head off, though. Maybe a gun or something...

[Dextra]

why woukd you kill it ib\nsyead of just letting it leave on its own or calling to have someone come get. personally i think that you did wrong by the animal

Well, that's your opinion and you're more than welcome to it. I'm just going to have to disagree with you. That particular animal did wrong by me by trying to take a chunk out of my sister. I went with my gut instincts, and my instincts told me to protect my family. If I'm wrong for doing so, so be it. I've never claimed to be perfect.

If this were a snake that I came across out in the woods, would I have done the same? No. I would be in the snake's territory. If I hadn't left, I would expect that I would get bitten. I gave that snake plenty of warning. It should have left after it struck at my sister, but it didn't. Most snakes would have, but not this one. It sat and waited at my front door, coiled up and waiting for someone to come out. What's so defenseless about that?

Look, I LOVE animals. I want to have a big farm someday where I can keep all my critters (and yes, I adore snakes as well). But not all animals are cute, cuddly, or defenseless. Those of you who disagree with me for what I did are more than welcome to do so, but don't try to make me feel guilty for doing what I felt was necessary to protect my family.

[Druchii]

JUST TO PISS SOME OF YOU OFF! :lol: Man, if I have to hear one MORE bleeding heart "did you HAVE to kill it?..." bit, I will puke! I LOVE animals, but if until you are in the position and have to deal with it, don't friggin' play martyr, just to come off as some Peta avatar. I HAVE been bitten by a snake, and no I didn't kill it. I was too busy trying to figure out how to cancel out the poison. If ANY of you have a PROBLEM with that, step UP! Dextra did what was right. PERIOD. If you are pissed then poke me with red karma or something "dangerous" like that. Normally any of you that know me know that it takes a lot to get me to go off. THIS IS ONE CIRCUMSTANCE!!! Now I am off to go kick some puppies.

(p.s. if ANY of you think I am so stupid as to hurt an animal, then you are sadly mistaken, I am merely making a point)

[nomadicdragon]

JUST TO PISS SOME OF YOU OFF! :lol: Man, if I have to hear one MORE bleeding heart "did you HAVE to kill it?..." bit, I will puke! I LOVE animals, but if until you are in the position and have to deal with it, don't friggin' play martyr, just to come off as some Peta avatar. I HAVE been bitten by a snake, and no I didn't kill it. I was too busy trying to figure out how to cancel out the poison. If ANY of you have a PROBLEM with that, step UP! Dextra did what was right. PERIOD. If you are pissed then poke me with red karma or something "dangerous" like that. Normally any of you that know me know that it takes a lot to get me to go off. THIS IS ONE CIRCUMSTANCE!!! Now I am off to go kick some puppies.

(p.s. if ANY of you think I am so stupid as to hurt an animal, then you are sadly mistaken, I am merely making a point)


*snickers*

[Dextra]

JUST TO PISS SOME OF YOU OFF! :lol: Man, if I have to hear one MORE bleeding heart "did you HAVE to kill it?..." bit, I will puke! I LOVE animals, but if until you are in the position and have to deal with it, don't friggin' play martyr, just to come off as some Peta avatar. I HAVE been bitten by a snake, and no I didn't kill it. I was too busy trying to figure out how to cancel out the poison. If ANY of you have a PROBLEM with that, step UP! Dextra did what was right. PERIOD. If you are pissed then poke me with red karma or something "dangerous" like that. Normally any of you that know me know that it takes a lot to get me to go off. THIS IS ONE CIRCUMSTANCE!!! Now I am off to go kick some puppies.

(p.s. if ANY of you think I am so stupid as to hurt an animal, then you are sadly mistaken, I am merely making a point)

Settle down, Beavis. :lol:

[ambermystique]

I would've definitely done the same Dextra if I felt threatened by it. You did what you had to do. The only reason I asked in the very beginning was because I know some places around here (Illinois) will come and get the snake and relocate it. I've had to kill a snake before. It bit me and wouldn't let go of my hand. I had to chop it in half, then when it let go, I chopped off it's head. If you are threatened, if your family is threatened, you do what you have to do. I totally understand! :) Good work. I bet you wish you would've kept the skin now after hearing about the magickal work that it can be used for!!! I would've never even thought about that! :)

~amber

[Yasmine Galenorn]

When threatened by any animal, four legged or two legged (as in human), I will protect myself. If I am in their territory, I will do my best to get out without hurting them, but I'll be damned if I'll roll over and play pacifist. And if I saw someone--as in person--or some animal threatening my animals (who are my kids), I'd go after them, too.

Dextra, you did what you needed to do. Don't feel a need to explain yourself. :thumbsup:

Yasmine :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

I would've definitely done the same Dextra if I felt threatened by it. You did what you had to do. The only reason I asked in the very beginning was because I know some places around here (Illinois) will come and get the snake and relocate it. I've had to kill a snake before. It bit me and wouldn't let go of my hand. I had to chop it in half, then when it let go, I chopped off it's head. If you are threatened, if your family is threatened, you do what you have to do. I totally understand! :) Good work. I bet you wish you would've kept the skin now after hearing about the magickal work that it can be used for!!! I would've never even thought about that! :)

~amber

Oh, you can use skin and bones and feathers and fur from all sorts of things for magical work. I use the copperhead shed skin I have for Dark Mother work, along with dried foxglove (gotta be careful when handling that closely though), a chunk of obsidian, and a slate knife a friend made for me--he carved it out of one big chunk of slate and ground it to a smooth finish. I use that on Samhain to draw the circle for the dumbfeast, too.

Yasmine :colorful:

[Dextra]

You know there was only one thing about this thread that truly upset me. Nobody got the Indiana Jones reference! :hehehehe:

"Snakes....why did it have to be snakes?!"

[Isil Darkmoon]

*I* got it... I just hadn't posted in this thread yet :p I thought it was quite funny...

My best friend GOES by the nickname "Jones" because of some of the wacky adventures she's had. Of COURSE I know the movies well enough to get it ;)

[Yasmine Galenorn]

You know there was only one thing about this thread that truly upset me. Nobody got the Indiana Jones reference! :hehehehe:

"Snakes....why did it have to be snakes?!"

LOL...I got it right away, but figured everybody else would too so I didn't bother mentioning it!

Yasmine :colorful:

[Romani Vixen]

If anyone has issues with killing something that attacked you or yours... what if it was a person? I have ... issues ... with the idea of killing humans, but if they attack me or one of my loved ones... I'm gonna die defending them....

[skatha_mare]

Well, that's your opinion and you're more than welcome to it. I'm just going to have to disagree with you. That particular animal did wrong by me by trying to take a chunk out of my sister. I went with my gut instincts, and my instincts told me to protect my family. If I'm wrong for doing so, so be it. I've never claimed to be perfect.

If this were a snake that I came across out in the woods, would I have done the same? No. I would be in the snake's territory. If I hadn't left, I would expect that I would get bitten. I gave that snake plenty of warning. It should have left after it struck at my sister, but it didn't. Most snakes would have, but not this one. It sat and waited at my front door, coiled up and waiting for someone to come out. What's so defenseless about that?

Look, I LOVE animals. I want to have a big farm someday where I can keep all my critters (and yes, I adore snakes as well). But not all animals are cute, cuddly, or defenseless. Those of you who disagree with me for what I did are more than welcome to do so, but don't try to make me feel guilty for doing what I felt was necessary to protect my family.

You tell 'em!!!! :thumbsup:

[skatha_mare]

You know there was only one thing about this thread that truly upset me. Nobody got the Indiana Jones reference! :hehehehe:

"Snakes....why did it have to be snakes?!"
I got it. Mainly because I cried all the way through that scene. Snakes are my one crippling, irrational fear. Luckily I live in an area that has an extremely low incidence of poisonous ones (we're at the extreme northern tip of timber rattler range- you're more likely to be hit by a car than see one, unless you're like me and traipse through the little used woods).

I can't say that I would have done the same thing, mainly because I wouldn't have left the house (and I would have called one of my profs- he has pet anacondas and such, his classes were difficult to get through. Ever try taking notes with adrenalin rushing?). I accidentally brought a grass snake in the house once- it was living in a plant that I had brought in out of the frost. It was months before I stopped checking my bed and chair cushions. Icky snakes. The only reason I let them live is because they eat mice. Anyway, I digress. My fear is taking over too much.

I'm glad you and the kids are okay. You did the right thing.

[zakzekezedd]

I respect and admire snakes, but realize that a poisonous snake represents a special kind of threat, especially to children. The worse thing I have turn up on my doorstep aside from three pregnent kitties (who seem to have decided they like my porch), a flock a very well fed starlings, and a rather cranky opposum, has been a modestly sized black snake..and I didn't actually see him, just his shed skin! Don't know quite what I'd do if a copperhead or rattler decided to turn up!?!?!..Probably use the back door and hope the starlings get it...