Ya Gotta Know This About That: A Snake On The Make

Snake....Go Away!

Yesterday, after seeing a story about a 15 foot diamondback found in St. Augustine, I got to thinking about a couple of snakes I found in our backyard.

First of all, I'm scared to death of snakes....even when I used to find tiny little garden snakes in the kids pockets on wash day, I about went doo doo in my drawers. So you can imagine when one day I went out back and right at the end of the deck steps was a huge black snake curled in a coil, looking at me with hungry beady eyes. I know that black snakes like to travel in pairs so I was hesitant to take another step for fear of finding the mate of this audacious (HA HA) black snake which had adopted me as it's mother.

I looked carefully before stepping....because I remember one other time at our cabin on the river when a big ole black snake went hunting hubby because the snake's mate had been killed.....yes that particular snake lay in wait on the top of the door casing just waiting for hubby to open the door.....hubby did and the snake fell to his feet! Talk about scare tactics Mr. Snake!

I couldn't see any other snake in our yard, so I ran and called a neighbor's kid who loved snakes....he removed it and all was right again. Last I saw of that snake. At one time we a small garden snake move in the yard. He/she would follow us around when we were mowing. We got to know this snake quite well, but it never did anything as it wasn't that kind of snake....but I wasn't that brave to ever meet and greet the darn thing. I just looked at it. When the grandkids would come to the house to play, the snake would come out to greet them and would follow the kids while they were playing. During it's four or five year stay, the snake grew but followed the mower less and less....but we would just see it sunning itself. Then one day, we noticed it wasn't around. Later we found it in the yard....it must have followed the mower but, during a quick mower turn around, the snake wasn't able to avoid the blades. Poor snake....I really had enjoyed getting to know this little fellow who had been our yard inhabitant for a long time (know it from a distance mind you).

But just a warning to other snakes out there....stay away because I still don't like snakes...and for any 15 footers which crawl up here....you will surely make me not only doo doo in my drawers, I would probably grow wings and fly away!

History of Menard County - From the "History of Menard and Mason County - 1879"

Among the early pioneers, everything was plain, simple and in conformity
with the strictest economy. This was not only true of their dwellings, furni-
ture and provisions, but also of their clothing. In a very early day, the men
usually wore pants and hunting-shirts of buckskin, and caps of coon or fox
skin, while both sexes clothed their feet in moccasins. Cotton goods were then
extremely hard to get, because, in the first place, of the distance such goods
were to be conveyed by private means, and, secondly, because the manufacture
in this country was very limited, the greater part being manufactured in Europe.
As a consequence, the pioneers of the West found this one of the hardest
demands to meet. Many were the expedients devised by them, especially by
the frugal and economical dames ; for, ever since the wonderful expedient of
preparing an entire wardrobe from fig-leaves, devised quite a number of years
in the past, woman has been very gifted in laying plans and adopting expedi-
ents in the matter of clothing. But, unfortunately for her skill and industry,
the country afforded nothing, the first few years of its occupancy, that could be
turned to any account in this direction. If cotton had been planted on their first
arrival, it would have amounted to but little, because neither the soil nor climate
were favorable to its growth, and the seasons were so short that it could hardly
be planted early enough to mature in quantities sufficient to justify its cultiva-
tion. It was almost useless, in an early day, to take sheep into the frontier
settlements, on account of the vast numbers of prairie and black and gray
wolves, which would destroy an entire flock in a single night. Hence the people had no choice save that between adopting expedients and appearing in
nature's light and airy garb." So, after the first year or two, the people
began to sow crops of flax or hemp, and this the women spun and wove by
hand into a coarse but substantial and pleasant linen. Of this, underwear was
made, dresses for the ladies, towels, table-cloths, etc. But. you may inquire,
what did they do till a crop of this could be raised, rotted and made into cloth.
In reply it may be stated that the clothing taken with them to the new country
was made to do an immense service.

Even after flax was raised in sufficient quantities, and sheep had been
introduced in considerable numbers, still it was an arduous task to spin and
weave the cloth for the entire wearing apparel of a family. Had the fashions
prevailed then that have in a later day, the women would have given up
in despair. But, instead of eight or ten widths of cloth being put in a dress
skirt in order to cover a balloon-frame of crinoline, two or three widths were
considered amply sufficient for the fullest dress. On a certain occasion, under
magis-
trate, charged with having leaped over a little brook on her way to church on
Sabbath ; and this was an offense for which she was liable to pay a severe fine.
The mother of the young lady came into court and made oath that the skirts of
the prisoner's dress were so narrow that she was obliged to leap the brook, or step
into the water. Upon this testimony she was released. Doubtless there was as
great economy practiced by our ancestors as by the staid old Puritans in godly
Connecticut ; but it was more necessity than piety that dictated the limited
amount of material in their clothing. Our modern young gentlemen, who have
dressed in the very best ever since they could remember, would be surprised at
the scanty outfit of the boys of that time. The summer wear of the boys up to
ten and twelve years of age was simple and very free from any effort at display,
as it consisted of but one article, that being a long, coarse overshirt. With this
indispensable article they explored the forests, traversed the prairies, thought
about the girls, and built as many castles in the air as the boys of more favored
times. In winter, they were supplied with buck-skin or tow pants, moccasins
or raw hide shoes, and coats of jeans after sheep began to be raised among the
settlers. In winter, when the deer-skin pantaloons had, by any accident, become
wet, and dried again, it is affirmed that they could be heard to rattle a distance
of forty yards as the wearer walked in them. This scarcity of clothing people
had no choice save that between adopting expedients and appearing in
nature's light and airy garb." So, after the first year or two, the people
began to sow crops of flax or hemp, and this the women spun and wove by
hand into a coarse but substantial and pleasant linen. Of this, underwear was
made, dresses for the ladies, towels, table-cloths, etc. But. you may inquire,
what did they do till a crop of this could be raised, rotted and made into cloth.
In reply it may be stated that the clothing taken with them to the new country
was made to do an immense service. But even wild nature was often appealed
to for aid. In an early day, vast fields of wild nettles grew here, often stand-
ing on the ground thicker than a field of wheat, and not infrequently attaining
a height of three and four feet. This produced a most excellent lint, that was
susceptible both of being woven and bleached. Thousands of yards of linen
were made from these nettles by the pioneer settlers in Illinois. The year after
James Meadows settled in Sugar Grove, his wife spun and wove no less than
thirty yards of this nettle linen. It was strong, serviceable, and bleached to
almost a snowy whiteness.

(Note: The James Meadows who is referenced, was the stepfather to Charles Montgomery, who was the person who owned the land where Greenview now stands. He is my ancestor.)

Thought For The Day

We don't stop playing because we grow old;

we grow old because we stop playing.

--George Bernard Shaw

If a person places an advertisement in a paper, the wording must be carefully scrutinized before you place it so you say what you really mean. And some might be a bit too weird to post....so carefully think it over before placing.

Examples of some ads that really appeared in newspapers. Some of these might raise an eyebrow:

1. Braille dictionary for sale. Must see to appreciate.

2. For sale, hope chest, brand new, half off, long story.

3. Tired of working for $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 - $9.00.

4. Three year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

5. Joining nudist colony. Must sell washer and dryer $300.

6. Full sized mattress. 20 year warranty. Slight Urine smell.

7. Found: Dirty White Dog. Looks like a rat. Better be a reward.

And on and on the ads go. Where they stop no one knows. I just know some of these are weird!