Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Panama City, Florida police fight water moccasin.

My encounter with a water moccasin and the police. This large poisonous, olive brown or as I see it black snake had found its way onto my back porch.
Sorry, I was in a panic so I didn't get a picture of this three foot pit viper.
OK, here is my version of what happened.

I came home from Christian Church of Panama City and threw on my old baggy pink shorts and stained t-shirt. I decided to take a nap on the couch and decided to open the back door instead of turning on the air.

When I opened the door I saw something that looked like a snake so I slam ed the door and locked it. I then chastised myself for being so paranoid over every little shadow that may be a snake. Yes! I have a snake phobia. Well, I decided to look again and see if it was a snake. First I went into the kitchen and got a stool and placed it by the back door. Then I went into the laundry room and picked up my swiffer mop for protection, just in case. I climbed on top of the stool, placed the mop beside the door and worked on the courage to open the door. With the swiffer placed where I could try to push anything out that may attempt to come into the house, I finally opened the door. Granted I only cracked the door open enough to peek out.

I looked around and didn't see anything. There is a goldfish pond on the porch so I opened the door wider to make it possible to see into the pond. When I opened the door my cat ran out of the house onto the porch. There was a lounge chair near the back door so I pushed it near the pond and stepped into it. I put the swiffer aside and grabbed the porch broom. I didn't see anything in the pond but I decided to stick the broom in and push the pump around just in case. I thought I would die. A big black snake with a spade head started to swim around the pond. I pulled the broom out and waited for the snake to get on the other side of this small pond then I ran into the house and closed the door. Then I realized that my cat was out there. The bad cat parent that I am, I didn't rescue her at that time.

I grabbed the telephone and called Animal Control. They informed me that they do not deal with snakes and they gave me a number for Fish and Wildlife. When I called Fish and Wildlife all I got was an answering machine so I left a panicky message and hung up.

In tears I didn't know who else to call so I called my pastor. He told me to call the police and that he would be over as fast as possible. I called 411 they gave me the number for the P.C. Police. I called the police and they told me to call Animal Control. I told them that I already talked to animal control and that they wouldn't help. They connected me with Animal Control and the lady told me that she had already told me they didn't handle snake problems. She did give me two numbers for snake catchers. I called one and he said it would be about twenty minutes before he could come and that it would cost fifty dollars. I told him that was fine but that I could only pay him with check or credit card. He said that was fine.

I went to my closet and pulled out my black, knee high boots and put them on. Then, holding my trusty swiffer mop I went out the front door. I walked around to the back porch and looked in through the screen. I could see my cat looking into the pond and the snake in the pond. I called my cat to the door and opened it just enough for her to come out then slammed it shut.

As we were headed toward the front of the house a police car pulled in front of the house. I waved at the police man as he got out of the car. I told him that I got my cat off the porch. He asked where the snake was and I told him on the back porch. He asked if I had a shovel and I told him yes but that I had left it on the back porch last night after transplanting potted plants into my garden. He looked into the pond and said he didn't see the snake and I told him I t may have come out of the pond. He opened the screen door and went onto the porch, got the shovel and then he jumped back and said I see it now. I told him that the snake man was on the way, not to get bit. He told me he had never done this before but that he could save me the fifty dollars if he could get it. About that time another police man drove up. He came into the back yard and they talked about what kind of snake it was. They didn't want to kill a harmless snake. All of a sudden one of them said he is a water moccasin, look at the head and eye's. Then they jumped back and one said he is big.

Then Pastor Bob Kastle drove up. He walked up and looked through the screen. He walked around and talked to the police just as the snake came out of the water. One of the police men took the shovel and cut the head off the snake. I didn't see that part because I ran for the front yard.

The police man asked if I had a trashcan to put the snake in and I said yes. I ran and pulled the can out to the road so once the snake was in it I wouldn't be pulling the can around.

Pastor Bob thanked the police men and shook their hands and I thanked all three of them and they left.

Now I'm scared that there may be a snake in my house from all those times I left the back door open. It will take me some time to get the nerve to go on the back porch to feed my fish.

I will be making a trip to the hardware store to purchase some Snake-a-way.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow!!