Let me just preface this blog by saying, that the 2 major fears I had when deciding to move back into the country and live simply were in order of importance:1-kids being bitten by a snake(we have a minimum of 15 minutes wait time for EMT response out here) and 2- my truck breaking down rendering us helpless and STUCK. As you well remember we survived the truck dilemma and learned that it's not really a big deal if it goes it goes and we will manage. Yesterday afternoon we learned that we will survive our first poisonous snake encounter too.
Here goes....
I have been feeling a bit under the weather the last 3 days,some kind of summer cold that I just can't shake. I have been doing chores as early or late as possible and trying to rest in between. Yesterday afternoon a hefty gust of wind blew thru the yard and stirred me from my rest. When I looked outside it seemed as though a huge dark curtain were being pulled across the sky and the damp smell of rain hung heavy in the air. I rushed outside to make sure the heirloom tomotoes are staked well (they have some heavy fruit on them and I didn't want the stems to break in a rain and ruin them). while I was in the front garden I look up to see Layla standing stark still and stiff just over the hill in the back yard. I yelled,"whats up?" and she said ,"there'[s a snake RIGHT HERE!" .
Now mind you I am nowhere near as nimble footed or flexible as I used to be, arthritis and several back injuries have gauranteed that, but I jumped over the low garden fence and grabbed a shovel and RAN for Layla. I yelled to her for a discription and she told me it was black and yellow striped I think.My mind screamed COPPERHEAD before I even saw the damned thing (Owyn had had a similar run in and her drawing of the assailant had indicated it was a copperhead). When I reached Layla sure enough there the vile thing lay, coiled up and pissed off!I yelled for Kieren to get my Pellet gun and machete and for Layla to stand back. I shot it once in the head and once in the body and got it to move out from under the brush it had coiled into just long enough to for me to take aim with the shovel and sever it's head from it's body and then chop it into tiny little bits. I HATE SNAKES. I was frightened, I could only think, "I have it trapped-it can't get to the kids,I HAVE to kill it-WHAT IF I MISS?" I was terrified that because it was in the middle of a bramble under the trees I would strike at it and miss and it would go under the leaves and disappear and here we were all BAREFOOT too.
Luckily I got it. It was 2 feet long and evil looking(though beautiful-strange huh?) and it is no longer a threat. I did it. I faced down my worst fear and I protected my kids. Kieren thinks I am like some kind of Annie Oakley for shooting it and dismembering it and Owyn is still dancing around singing my praises. I told the kids how scared I was,that I was shaking with fear. That impressed them even more. Owyn says she wants to be JUST like ME when she grows up. Not fearless, but tough enough to handle her fears and be able to sacrifice for her family the way I do. So I guess we all learned something yesterday, about ourselves and each other.We raked and burned most of leaves from that area ,the rest Edd mowed over and put into composter. Today we will start controlled burns of the remaining unsderbrush in the back of the property to ensure theses encounters are few and far between.
I am sitting at Layla's computer (my laptop died) and sharing a cup of strong coffee with Esme (the house chicken)who is sitting on my shoulder pecking at my ear for another sip from my cup, and I stopped briefly after the last sentence to look out the window as Elvis was crowing. How beautiful this view, this life. This hardworking,bone weary life. The ducks are in the pond, splashing and the hens are hustling for bugs around the perimeter of the garden and each of the 3 roosters are crowing in synch like a boy band rehearsing. Owyn is working on her Math, Kieren has left for a sleepover with Dawson and I have let Layla sleep in this morning because she stayed up late finishing a final paper for her History class.
It is still and oddly silent in this house for the moment and I relish this time to embed into my memory the sights and sounds and smells of this place. The sun is just now creeping across the yard and filtering beyond the tree branches. It is gleaming off the hen house tin roof and reflecting into Layla's room,playing shadows against her walls.The gardens are thriving. The front garden is blooming full with fresh tomatoes ,corn, eggplants, watermelons and okra. All have fruit and are days away from first harvest.The salsa garden to the west of the house gets full sun almost all day is bursting with tomato,onion,habenero, jalepeno, serrano and pablano peppers. The back garden or SE garden is filterd light most of the day and holds our more fragile plants which can wilt easily in harsh light and excessive heat. It has an abundant crop of brussell sprouts, black beans,red/yellow/green/orange/chocolate bell peppers,cucumbers,carrots,sorghum and some white corn growing there. The peppers have fruit on them and the carrots tops are over 3 inches long. We should have enough brussels to freeze after blanching for the winters preserves.I am putting in a 6x12 crop of sunflowers in the front garden this week to harvest for the hens to boost their grains for winter. We will do the same with the seed heads from the sorghum at harvest. This will give them added nutrition at minimum cost to us during the winter months when hustling produces scarcely enough for them to survive on. After we harvest fresh bells we will roast the remainder and store them in olive oil for recipes requiring them during the winter months. Edd is working on a design for a protable hot house forme so I can keep a tomato plant or 2 going through winter.I will post pictures as soon as I can, I take them daily but the computer is not always agreeable to my plans.
have a beautiful day, live simply, live completely,live freely.
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