my valve got a workout!!

[lovejoy]

Well I found out last evening how great my valve works! Cuz' believe me, it got quite a strnous workout.
I live in a VERY rural area. Woods all around. I have a beautiful 2 acre landscaped yard and a 100 year old renovated farmhouse. All this info is just a build-up for my heart racing experience last night!
This summer two of my Italian Greyhounds have been snakebitten. One by a rattlesnake, the other a copperhead. Last week, my husband killed a 2' long copperhead, and 7 years ago he killed a rattlesnake that was 4'2" long. So we've had snake issues, especially this year!
I decide to go boppin ( not so quick w/a broken hip) outside and I'm in the kitchen opening the back door (still inside) and something lands on my HEAD!! Well, quick movements aren't my strong suit right now, but I moved as quick as I could out the door and looked back in the kitchen to see what had landed on my HEAD! And lo and behold A SNAKE is slithering on my floor!! My valve is by this time beating very loudly!! My husband wears hearing aids and even with them on he can't hear me, but last night, he heard me on first yell and came running!! I'm stuttering and yammering about a snake on my HEAD and in the kitchen ( he KNEW not to laugh !) He goes in to catch the snake ( cautiously, cuz' he doesn't yet if its poisonous) and I'm yelling at him to catch it!! Please don't let it get away in the house! It wasn't poisonous and he got it out of the house and this morning, he's still NOT laughing!
Life in the Ozarks is wonderful, but I can do without any more snakes on my HEAD!!

 

[Marguerite53]

That is quite a story! I grew up in Maryland and was always warned about copperheads in the woods. I think I may have seen one at Girl Scout camp, once. Wonder why you have so many this particular summer? We just discovered that we might have a bat in our crawlspace....but snakes??? No. I don't think I could handle snakes! Nice to know your new (how new?) valve is working!!

I had a similar thing happen 2 weeks ago, in terms of a test for my new valve. We were just asleep when a house noise woke me up. A wierd chuka-chuka. Woke up the husband. Lay there for a minute, then I flew out of bed somehow knowing it was the refrigerator. WELL!! It sure was! We have a water and ice dispenser thingy in the door. The water was just shooting out like a garden hose on full blast. Water everywhere..huge puddle. In the pitch dark, I grabbed a pitcher and watched it fill up quickly while I frantically tried to turn the spigot off. No luck. Water is rising in pitcher....sink 5 feet away....uh.....2 hands.....uh.....uh..... no other container within reach.... uh..... uh..... "I need help!!!" So my daughter scrambles for towels, to start mopping up the huge mess on the floor, my husband is trying to figure out a simple way to shut the thing off. I swear -- there is NO off button inside the fridge. So we had to pull it out to shut off the water supply. He's pulling the fridge out as I continue to 2 fist bail the water pouring out of the door thingy, daughter running back and forth to dump the pitchers out in the sink. It was a slapstick routine!!! AND it was definitely a huge rush to the blood pressure!! I think if it had happened pre-surgery, that dam* refrigerator might have killed me!! Wouldn't that be a fine epitaph!!

I wouldn't trade it for snakes, though. Jeeesh! Euwww. Snakes!!

Marguerite

 

[Nan]

YIKES!!! Glad to know that it wasn't poisonous!!! That would probably have sent me to the ER with either pulmonary edema or atrial fibrillation! Glad you are OK!

 

[catwoman]

Do you have any bears 'n' wolfe 'n' coyotes wandering through your home, too?

 

[Mary]

OMG! I would die if a snake landed on me in my house! Actually I might die if a snake landed on me outside the house!
That's awful!

 

[Superbob]

We have a mountain lion prowling around these parts. Sightings have been written up in the local paper.

Still I'd rather have a mountain lion than aggressive snakes (I know there are plenty of snakes in the woods around here) -- esp those lighting on my head!!!!

Glad your valve passed this stress test!

 

[terryj]

I hate snakes. When we moved to the country 21 years ago I was afraid I would find a snake in our yard or house. My husband assured me it wouldn't happen. About 2 months after we moved in we came home from shopping and hanging in the tree outside the front door was a huge dead snake. My then,16year old son had went scouting in the woods behind our house and killed the snake and hung it in the tree to show his dad. I almost went back to the city over that one. I would have died if one had hit my head. I am glad your snake wasn't poisonous and your heart held up.

 

[Karlynn]

Just the story got my valve working!!!!!! I'd say your valve passed the test.

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Lovejoy,
I don't think my valve would of got a workout it would of just stopped!
Glad to hear you are OK.

 

[Granbonny]

My son's subdivision was built on an old farm.. His land borders the old farmplace. they have found snake skins in attic and underneath the house. Grandson showed me one yesterday.D/I/l got 2 adopted grown cats..said she heard cats will keep snakes away?they were both inside the A/C house yesterday. We have lived here for 8 years. Never saw a snake Bear, Fox, deer ..you name it..but not a snake...Don't think they like a mountaintop..prefer to be down in the valley with all the corn, mice, ect.Bonnie

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

What a Story!

What a Story!

I hate snakes. The new movie "Snakes on a Plane" is out today, so I am going to the matinee this afternoon with my hubby and 13 yr. old daughter. I must be nuts!

I don't know what I would do if a snake landed on my head!

Geez.