Snake Hunt!

What do you need to go on a snake hunt? A knife might come in handy, so take one. Take a hat, too, to keep the scorching April sun off your head. Wear boots, as an extra layer of protection against the sharp fangs of the snakes and vicious Texan thorns. But what about a gun?

A Hat

Yes, you'll need one. I chose a battered Mossberg 12 gauge pump. OK, it's not a fancy-pants, Ivy League, boarding school, Illuminati elite, Country Club double, but so what? It gets the job done.

Spot the Space Junk

Now that you're loaded for snake, set off and check out the serpentzone. I poked around in a pile of space junk that I knew a rattlesnake was fond of. How did I know? Because I saw it there the other day, with GWB. No luck. Next, peer down into a small ravine and gaze at the clear water of its creek. Tranquil, that's for sure, but still no snake.

So Where's the Snake?

Don't give up, like a beaten army, scout along a treeline and observe various animal bones while looking for Indian artifacts, maybe there'll be a snake. No, there wasn't; there were plenty of wild flowers, most attractive, but still no snake. Perhaps the snakes will be at the Beach, I thought, after all, they love water. Especially Water Moccasins. 

The Beach. Watch out for Snakes

Alright, go to the beach and look in wonder at the height of the water, chances are there'll be a snake. They do, in fact, like to congregate in places like the Beach, so if you're thinking of using this snake hunt as a guide, be careful when knocking about the shorelines of snaky tanks, I was. Regardless, the serpents were hiding, unlike the frogs which were in abundance.

Snake Territory

I called it a day after the Beach and counted it a successful armed stroll through the Texan countryside. And there's nothing wrong with that. At all.

As I write this serpentine wisdom, big lightning fills the eastern night sky like an artillery barrage, but it's silent so far.

Your Pal,

LSP

Blinded By The Sun

Monday seemed as good a day as any to wake up ridiculously early and head off to the woods by the range. So that's what I did. I took a shotgun, of course, and got there as the sun was rising. What would I find in the woods?

Bobcats? Coyotes? Squirrels? Rabbits? A marauding hog? Well, you never know and as it turns out, none of these things crossed my path. What I saw instead were lots of Woodpeckers, who were busy kicking up a racket, and a big hawk that took off majestically from the top of an old oak.

Undaunted, I cranked off a few shots at a branch that was sticking out of the water of a trashy natural tank that's called The Beach.

How Very Awesome

After the firefight, which I won, I drove to Karen's Authentic Mexican Food in Itasca and bought two Bean & Brisket burritos.

Then I ate those twin pillars of orthodoxy, on the porch.

LSP

A Nice Day at the Beach

Beach Kit

I went for an armed stroll over at what my philisophical friend, GWB, calls "The Beach." The Beach is this swampy, snakey series of ponds out by Brandon. I thought that there might be fish and possibly dove or other small game, maybe squirrels, rabbits, even an unwiley coyote or a careless hog. You never know.

Gangland

So I got all quiet and tactical and went to scout out the Beach; there were plenty of dog tracks in the dark earth, which was still wet from all too rare rain. A big coyote had passed through recently and as I pondered that I saw a gang of turkeys. They were very unafraid and would have been an easy shot in season. I'll remember that spot for later in the year.

Spot the Bird

At the Beach proper I was disappointed to see there weren't any fish, but there was a large turtle who eyed me quizzically from the turgid depths of the pond. The air was thick with dragon flies and I waited, still, in the silence, which became loud with insects and birds.

The Beach

If I'd waited long enough something would have shown up and I would have shot it, but I picked my way through the swampy brush, keeping an eye out for arrowheads and associated archeology. You never know what you'll find, certainly not any dove, annoyingly.

I see there's a Putinist subculture in America. Well go figure.

Good hunting,

LSP