Spring is coming, and oh how I love Spring! The wildflowers come in bloom, the weather is warmer, everything turns back to green and I just LOVE IT! The best part is the weather, in my opinion, hands down. Finally it becomes warm enough to sit on the porch at night and look at the stars...so beautiful. The sun brings such comfort during the day that even the snakes love to bask their cold blooded bodies in the heat. Perfect for a boy who has a 12 and 10 gauge shotgun and a testosterone drive to kill. Every spring, when the weather first turns warm, Jordan and I have made a ritual of going to my grandfather's farm tank and shooting the numerous water moccasins who creep out of the murky waters to lay in the sun up in the branches of the oak and willow trees. I know, it sounds really redneck and white trash to go and shoot snakes out of trees, but let me tell you...it's a great stress reliever. So don't knock it til you try it. Actually, I don't even shoot the guns. I am little afraid of the power of the shotgun. I am way more comfortable standing beside Jordan watching with my ears covered (I HATE loud noises) as he pulls the trigger. I have better eyes than him so I'm the looker and he's the shooter.
It kind of goes something like this:
Jordan: Alright, shhhh watch your step and tell me if you see any.
Me: You're going to tell me before you shoot your gun right? You're not just going to see one and pop it off without giving me warning are you?
Jordan: No, I'll tell you, don't worry.
Me: You promise? You know how much I hate that sound right?
Jordan: Yes, I know, I promise.
Me: Okay, I just don't want to get scared.
Jordan: Will you just look?
Me: Oh ya.
(about 5 Minutes of silence)
Jordan: I think I see one.
Me: Where?
Jordan: Over there on that big branch to the left. Isn't that one?
Me: That rubber looking thing?
Jordan: Ya, that. Isn't that one?
Me: No, that's a tire.
Jordan: Oh, I thought it was one.
(5 more minutes of silence)
Me: I see one.
Jordan: (suddenly very excited) Where!?
Me: SHH! Over there, kind of underneath the oak, right above the water on that mossy looking branch.
Jordan: I don't see it.
Me: It's right there! It's kind of curved in a weird looking position.
Jordan: I still don't see it.
(I become frustrated and go off into a 3 minute description of where the snake is located in the tree. Finally he'll see it).
Me: You see it? Can you get it?
Jordan: ya, hold on.
Me: Gasp! Omg you're going to shoot it. Hold on, let me get my ears covered. Are you going to warn me right before you shoot it?
Jordan: No just shhh.
(one more minute of Jordan aiming and then BAM! The snake goes flying off the tree. I proceed to tell him what a good shot it was and then complain about the smell. In case you've never smelt a dead snake...rotten fish...that's all I have to say.)
Ok, this is VERY white trash. But its simple and fun. I usually don't condone shooting helpless animals, but these are snakes, poisonous snakes at that, so its more than okay. After this event commences we usually head to his much larger/nicer tank and fish for large mouth bass until the sun goes down. Some may not think this to be a relaxing Saturday, but I'd very much rather be shooting vermin out of a tree than sitting through lectures all day.
This past weekend, Jordan and I went to Moulton since his birthday is TOMORROW and he wanted to see his Mom. The weather had been nice so we planned on heading over to the ole farmhouse on CR. 264 on Saturday, but a chilly norther blew through Friday night and the temperatures only reached in the upper 50s with the wind blowing from the north at about 25mph, so needless to say we did NOT get to partake in our annual redneck activity. We didn't even to get to fish. No worry, we'll be back in two weeks and hopefully then we can bust a cap in some cottonmouth's butt.
Guess, I'll just have to be normal and enjoy the bluebonnets until that time comes.
- Shirley
No comments:
Post a Comment