Make Up Your Mind by Checking Your Gut

Some decisions are more difficult to make than others. Here's why, and what you can do if you find yourself "undecided".

A Message for Sunday

If Everyone put away their measuring sticks and took out their olive branches instead, the world would be a much lovelier place.

Where's Samuel L.? I've got Snakes in my Yard

We've had a little snake problem this past week. We're doing some landscaping work and the guys have seen 6 snakes. Actually 7 if you count the little tiny one they found and killed yesterday. I guess we have to count it because while it was tiny, it was a rattler. Rattle snakes are poisonous and the baby ones are tiny and cute, but deadly.


I called in the local snake wrangler (who knew there was such a job!). He came by today and before we walked the property looking for snakes and inspecting our inadequate snake fencing he showed me some of the snakes he had in his truck. He had quite a few. There were several baby rattle snakes, a couple of pretty good sized adult rattle snakes, and a few gopher snakes. I asked if I could hold one of them. His name was "Big Goph". He wasn't terribly big though. Anyway--he was really cute!

Notice the guy in the back ground looking at me like I'm crazy? Well, maybe I am. But not because I like snakes. Actually, I like all animals, and I don't discriminate against snakes just because they happened to be born snakes. Gopher snakes are relatively harmless. They can bite, as can anything with a mouth, but they aren't poisonous. This guy was very comfortable with me, and I was very comfortable with him. I don't even mind the rattle snakes--but I don't want them to kill my dogs or my kids for that matter. So I do have to do what I can to get them out of my yard. I just don't want to have to kill them--hence the wrangler. We didn't see any today, but if I see one, I'll call him back to catch it rather than kill it.

Live and let live, I always say!