Vignettes of Growing Up on a Farm
As has been mentioned before, our farm consisted of some 200 acres. One morning our Dad ("Papa") announced that we must hoe the grass up in a 5-6 acre cornfield in furthest part of our place. The distance was at least 3/4 miles away.
We took inventory (everyone needed a hoe) and someone must take the water container for our drinking water. Well, the day's work turned out fine, and some one hour before dark we started home. About three-fourths of the way back from the field someone asked, "Did anyone bring the water jug?" You guessed it - "No." So you can bet your boots that I was asked to return for the watering jug.
In those days I always went barefooted. I retrieved the jug and started my journey (again) home. On the way we had to cross two small streams (they only ran water during the winter months, our rainy season). There was some 100 yards between these two streams. I was walking down a wagon road - basically a rutted path where the wagon wheels made ruts you could walk in. Somewhat just short of the second stream under an umbrella of trees - and it was almost dark by this time - I received a warning from someone to look down. My foot was about halfway to the ground (my bare foot, remember) and suddenly I saw a white object - cotton white - about the size of my hand - awaiting my foot to step exactly in its mouth. It was a large cotton mouth moccasin snake.
Needless to say, I had the ability to freeze my descent of this right leg and fall backwards precluding me from stepping into the fangs of this very poisonous snake. As I backed away the snake felt fit to move on - not in much of a hurry I might add. As the snake left I can assure you he was the largest snake in diameter and length that I have every seen on this farm. My Papa had seen him before and warned us about the snake. But that night I almost stepped right into the snake's mouth.
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