Animalicide

Today, while inspecting my garden, I accidentally stepped on a blacksnake. While he slithered away, I stepped on his tail a second time, on purpose. In the same situation my neighbor down the road and across the river, H., after recovering from his near heart attack, would have whipped out the concealed weapon that he always carries and shot the snake dead with tremendous satisfaction ...at his place.

Over his lifetime H. has killed on sight huge numbers of snakes, crows, spiders, and other members of the local wildlife that he considers unacceptable, along with numerous deer, turkeys, etc.

I have killed exactly one blacksnake, one copperhead, one opossum, one groundhog, one raccoon, and, I am extra sorry to say, one hawk, and no crows or deer or turkeys, usually while trying to keep alive chickens that I no longer have, and now I would badly like to sell the shotgun that I never wanted in the first place.

I think that was the same blacksnake that I ejected about a month ago from my garden shed. I expect to see him again and again and again, always by surprise. That's the way they are.

I'm glad my heart, as far as I know, is still in good shape.