Picking blackberries, chiggers, and a snake in the hen house!

      Yes, that's right! I've experienced all that this week! I love blackberry jelly, but I question if it's worth going through all this to make it! The canes have scratchy thorns that stab and stick into your skin. There is tall grass and cow itch to maneuver around, and chiggers! I thought I'd be OK since I had on my boots. I thought they started at your ankles and crawled up! I was wrong! Chiggers will jump on any part of your clothes and body and embed into your skin, just about any where! I couldn't believe my eyes when I bathed that night! My torso was covered in red bumps! I've had chiggers before, but not like this! At least they don't itch too bad! Poison Ivy, however, is so much worse! Or cow itch, or Sumac! They all terrorize me!


      This morning as I started out to pick blackberries, I noticed a hen cackling. That's not at all unusual, since they do that when they lay an egg. They are usually outside the hen house when they start that, though. She didn't come out. I checked and I couldn't believe my eyes! There was a snake in there! A CHICKEN SNAKE! You don't want to see a chicken snake in the HEN HOUSE! They eat eggs, and chickens! The eggs were gone, and Blackie may have gotten eaten, had I not walked out when I did! I opened the doors to try and let it out. I got Blackie out finally, but she kept wanting back in! She's been broody for a couple of months, and will stay in there even after I've gathered the eggs! I closed the gate so she couldn't get back in. I got my hoe and tried to shoo the snake out! It started to the front and looked like it was going down, then it saw me with the camera and went back in! I new I couldn't kill it! I just couldn't imagine the feeling of the hoe going into the body of the snake! That freaks me out! I can't kill anything! I decided to call the hubs, so I went inside. He said he'd come home, but the snake would probably be gone by the time I got back out there. I said naa, because it didn't seem afraid! I even touched it's tail when it was at the front of the hen house! It felt scaly, not slimy! Well, hubs was right, as usual, and when I went back out there, the snake was gone! Now I'm concerned it will be back again tomorrow for an egg breakfast! That really was a freaky sight! It was so long, I thought there were two of them! I'm glad it was just one! What would you have done if you saw the snake? Would you kill it? How? I wished I could! Maybe if I see it again, I'll be able to! I know I would if I saw it eat one of my chickens! I guess! It's probably hiding under the black plastic next to the hen house! I know it's not going to bother me, that's why I'm not afraid of it! When I was trying to get it out, at one point it was facing me and opened it's mouth as if yawning! I said, "You bore me too, snake!"


      We had two birthday parties this week and have had children here a couple of days! I forgot my camera at my Mom's birthday, so I used my Dad's camera. He has it, so when I get the card, I'll share some photos. I don't know if I can top this post this week, so it may be next week before I share again! Ya'll have a good weekend if I don't talk to you until next week! Blessings from Bama!

Not the birthday girl, but check out those beautiful eyes!

Birthday girl! Running around so much, wouldn't smile, so Mom had to hold her while I snapped this shot! Son not to happy about little girl birthday parties!

They love to play!

Look at little bit!

Is she not the most adorable thing you've ever seen?

Little bit slapping Uncle Ran with the party blower.

She liked the money best of all!

Mashing blackberries for juice.

Cubed steak soaking in buttermilk.

Now turned into country fried steak and gravy!

I love Wright's apple wood smoked bacon!

Blackberry juice. I need a cup and a half more!

What I saw when I opened the door!

Moving to the front. Doesn't it look like two snakes?

That is one thick snake! I guess the eggs are in the middle.

Trying to go out the front, but went back in when it saw me! See the black plastic? I think it's under there waiting until tomorrow! He might just get a surprise, tomorrow!