I. Want. A. Gun.

Yes, folks, you read it right. I want a gun. Not just any gun though. Something smallish, lightweight (cuz I'm a flyweight lady, more or less, when it comes to physical strength), and where we don't have to have a permit or whatever to get it. Probably something from Wal-Mart, quite literally off the shelf, likely a something that shoots BBs or .22s. Critter control, especially after today.

It's been reasonably quiet so far this week, most of the noise has been the power company sending their limb trimmer truck up the easement to trim (ie, totally top and destroy) trees that are "leaning" into the easement and which could possibly hurt their precious power lines. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for grid electric if that's your thing (and it likely will be ours while we get things together for a PV system and get it set up and running). However, I don't see how a tree less than ten feet tall is a hazard of falling on the power lines. Sheesh. The fact that they are disturbing the forest homes of many creatures leads to why I Want A Gun.

You see, today, they finally started trimming the trees on OUR property. Their trimming job is horrible, as the guy running the saw just basically mangles the trees, cutting hither and thither and never trimming the whole limb close to the main trunk ... he stops at the easement border, so the tree is left looking half-naked and horribly trimmed. A real tree-trimming service would fire him in a heartbeat the way he mangles things. And I do mean the trees look half-naked when he's done. He literally trims every single branch from the ground to the crown on half the tree. Near the bottom of the mountain road, there WAS a gorgeous old cedar. It's now a not-so-gorgeous HALF of a cedar.

Anyhow ... all their noise and "trimming" and such has disturbed the mountain's wildlife. While trimming up some more brush this afternoon (and they have just gone and made me a whole summer's worth of brush to trim up, on top of what we would have generated on our own, ye gods), I spied out of the corner of my little eye something a-slithering across the driveway in rather slow motion. Looking up and over that dee-rection, I beheld a snake, slowly ... well ... snaking it's way across my driveway. "Ah," I, "a snake, a denizen of yon local woods which have been disturbed by the power company's efforts to preserve their mighty investment of wiring and poles." (Okay, not really, but it adds drama and effect. Deal with it, lol.)

"Let us now peruse the body of yon snake, and attempt to identificate the wee beastie!" (Reality, I looked over, said, a snake, ok, can you tell what it is? Check the TAIL first, you know rattlers are common around here.) Then, in my best imitation of Achmed the Dead Terrorist, "OH HOLY CRAP! IT'S A FREAKING RATTLER!!!!!" Having never seen a live rattlesnake before, but having read PLENTY, I knew to stay away and not try to do something stupid like scare it or pick it up. Instead, I kept an eye on it, and stayed several feet away from it.

Poor thing was really just looking for a warm place to curl up for a nap, but I guess all the tree trimming disturbed it's nap wherever it already was, and it went off to find a new nappy spot. Unfortunately, it's new nappy spot is rather close to my woodpile, and the last wood I put on there disturbed Mr. Timber Rattlesnake (ID'd it when I got home through internet hunting), and it kind of came off the ground a tad and coiled to strike, all without rattling. Now, I've seen enough nature shows to know that means it's ready to bite, whether with venom or without (dry bite). I didn't care. I don't want to get bitten, and I usually work up there in my sneakers. Mind, the four-foot or so snake didn't actually strike. I really think it's as scared of me as I am of it, though I have to say I wasn't horribly scared, per se, but more respectful of it. I know what venomous snakes CAN and WILL do. While I may have never encountered a live rattler before, I've certainly prepped enough with books (it isn't real hands-on learning, but it helps), and I think that helped me to stay calm and not get all riled up, which would have likely ended up with me bitten and Mr. Rattlesnake slithering off somewhere else quieter.

Honestly, I don't want to shoot him or her because "It's a poisonous snake and it's invading my territory." I know that it's more me invading the snake's territory. However, we do eventually intend on having livestock, and I really don't want poisonous snakes hanging around the house hoping for a free meal off the guineas and chickens and whatever else we have around that might accidentally set the snake off. It's the same as when I finally get a garden put in. We'll be fencing to prevent deer predation, rabbit predation and every other kind of predation we can think of, and doing our best to avoid hurting or killing the creatures as long as they stay OUT of where they aren't wanted. The homestead acre or so is where they are NOT wanted in that respect. Elsewhere on the property, we don't care.

I just told hubby in a text that I want a gun for our next big homestead purchase and he wanted to know why. I mentioned the timber rattler and he says "Snakeskin boots for me!" I really don't think he'd get a pair of boots - a hatband, maybe. Boots would be doubtful from that snake. But ... wildlife is fine in it's place, and the acre or so of actual "home" isn't it. The woods is. I'm willing to share the land, and they can have most of it for themselves, pretty much. I just want one little piece of it for us humans.  (Besides, there's a larger, abandonded property right  next door to us that they can have to themselves, too. Maybe I can sweet-talk Mr. Timber Rattlesnake over there???)