Saturday, December 7, 2019

A show off and a snake-bite


Early interesting Cars:
   This '53 Packard was new when I got snake bit.
Now:
My dad was assigned a pastorate in Valdese, NC, a small mountain town in the South Mountains. The church was full of working folk, mountain farmers and mill workers. I remember the Garland Page family. Both parents worked. There was Jim & Bub, about my age and a sweet younger girl. 

They also farmed the side of a big hill. A barn was built into the side of the hill and they had a Pinto Pony called Frank. Frank could pull a plow and was also the boy’s riding pony. I loved the place and that family.

Many evenings Garland would take his guitar to the porch. He would pick and sing. He had such a soft sweet voice. Sons Bub and Jim could harmonize and sounded like the Everly Brothers. Before bed time I would jump on my bike and head home.

I rode Frank (after he threw me off once) and we had many adventures climbing the mountains, including High Peak. 

They also taught me to gig frogs.  One day I spotted a nice cottonmouth about 3’ long and pretty fat. I was going to show off.

(While seining for perch the year before, I saw BIL Dick grab a moccasin by the tail and ‘pop’ his head off like a whip.)

So I decided to show Bub and Jim a trick. I stuck the gig over the snakes head and called out, watch this! I had the tail in my hand and the gig holding its head. I pulled the gig, and like a coiled spring the rascal bit me. I guess I thought he was going to lay there and let me use him like a whip. I threw it down and stomped it to death. 

Then took my pocket Knife, cut x’s in the teeth bites like I had been taught, sucked blood and spit it out.  Evidently the cottonmouth had not bit deep, I don’t think any poison got in me. We went on gigging, but I never tried that again. I was still cool, being bit by a cotton mouth and lived. LOL


Nite Shipslog

8 comments:

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Thankfully you were ok. I think all snakes are better being left alone. I'm thinking that snapping the head offf was nothing but an old tale. Many of which were told back in the day. What wonderful memories though of those boys harmonizing on the porch.

Mevely317 said...

Thank God that bite wasn't so deep! And that you kept your cool and knew just what to do. Wow. Just thinking the word, 'snake' gives me chills.

A horse named Frank? Love that! Garland sounds like good people!

Woody said...

WoW, Glad the bite was not that bad, Cotton Mouth can be a nasty creature !! I would loved to have sat on that porch and listened to the guitar playing and the singing ! Sweet Memories for sure !

Chatty Crone said...

Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES.

Susan Kane said...

My gr-daughters say there are 2 things about boys: Boys break things, and Boys do stupid things.

Glad you had those experiences!

betty said...

Oh my goodness!! I bet in the future you indeed had a healthy respect for snakes! I can't imagine! At least you knew what to do and was prepared to do it!

betty

TARYTERRE said...

how scary. glad the snake bite left no residual effects. that pony sounds sweet. i once saw a cooperhead snake and stepped over it. crazy right? i should have ran for the hills.

Lisa said...

I would have died in fright! Your a brave one.
Now I hope not to have nightmares.

Nite
Lisa