Stan, Im curious - was that snake killed for meat, fear, superstition? When I was a boy growing up in the Tidewater part of Virginia along the James where peanuts were farmed amongst other crop in the mid 70s,, we had copperheads (and some say cottonmouths) and several other non venomous species in good supply... was told never to kill a snake by a farmer friend and neighbor of the family unless rain was needed for the fields... if it was drought, the fhe first snake - venomous, or just a big old black snake was needed to be hung on the field fence to bring the rain... I remember being tasked with hanging around the corn crib one early July day while my father went with the farmer to pick out a hog for the pit which would be the center of the 4th oJuly spread... Pretty sure I was handed an old Colt .22 six shooter loaded with rat shot and an RC Cola and I got the job done.. One black snake to hang on the fence and it poured rain the entire 4th weekend. As I recall from stories, my father and the other men got to cooking that pig under tarps to keep dry and the fire going, while consuming enough Budweiser and brown liquor to subsequently roll a Jeep in that same field on that dark rainy night. Had to send a couple olboys to the hospital with a few broken bones.. Needless to say, I also learned to roast a pig later that weekend and to this day dont kill snakes or run farmers wet fields in my truck.. Funny what one remembers and not... Anyhow, sorry to hijack this thread and interfere with the OPs agenda.
Best,
jmc
