While digging these beds, Shaun almost stepped on a Puff Adder snake, whose venomous bite would have been life-threatening. Shaun was digging along with his hoe when our neighbor's son yelled, “Shaun! Insoka! Snake!” Shaun thought the young man was pulling his leg, as Shaun has often done to the young man when joking around at the house or the swimming hole. So, Shaun responded with a laugh, to which the young man yelled, “Insoka- MOVE!” He pushed Shaun out of the way and swung his hoe down on the ground just inches from where Shaun's right foot had been. Shaun looked down, and, what do you know, there was a 2-foot long, black and tan snake! Shaun's heart jumped to his throat when he saw the snake and realized our friend wasn't joking. Shaun was inches from being in a really, really bad way.
Our friend's swing at the snake wasn't enough to kill it, but it did move the snake out of the grass and into clear view on our sandy walkway. The snake was stunned and we took advantage of this to crowd around, get a good look and even a picture. Then, Shaun slammed his hoe down on the snake, severing its head and definitively ending the snake's life. The decapitated body writhed in the dirt and our friend picked it up with his hoe and flung it into the bush where no one travels. The head we buried in the hole made by Shaun slamming his how into the ground. Then, after taking a breath or two, everyone went back to work... although more cautiously.
Here's the picture we took of the snake:
It sounds like Shaun had a close call. Man, you are having more than your fair share of snake experiences. Glad it was a happy ending.
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