Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Frozen Snakes, Not In Some Places

We are in the dead of winter here in Alabama and yesterday we had the coldest day of the year so far at 19 degrees.  It stayed in the 30's all day.  
My uncle thought this would be a good time to get out and work around his Treasure Forest cutting some brush with the chainsaw and cleaning out around an old truck cab. There was other metal near the cab.  
Because of the cold and for protection of his hand he had on work gloves and that probable saved him from having to take anti-venom.

He went into the house to warm up and took his gloves off because he said his hands were so cold that they were numb.  When he took his gloves off the tip of his ring finger started to swell, hurt and itch.  In a short time it began to turn purple and he noticed two spots on his finger where the skin had been penetrated. The finger started throbbing.  
He went to the emergency room where the doctor said he had been bitten by a copperhead.  He told him that the glove probably kept the bit from being more severe but if it started swelling more down his finger to come back quickly.  He was given antibiotics to help control infection.
So, just because it is cold doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware snakes.  
The snake was probably angry because he was rolled out of his warm bed!   

Friday, January 8, 2016

Get Out In The Great Outdoors

It is amazing at what you might find in the "Great Outdoors"!

Turkey Tail Mushrooms

This early morning I was out on our property hunting in the heavy mist and I came upon this creation coming out of the stump of a water oak.  It was beautiful to me and I had to make a picture of it.  The extremely wet and warm weather we have had in the past month is probably the cause of this neat discovery.