Ray Wylie Hubbard sings a song called "Snake Farm" -Snake Farm, it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm, pretty much is
Snake Farm, it's a reptile house
Snake Farm, ewww, ewww
Snake Farm, pretty much is
Snake Farm, it's a reptile house
Snake Farm, ewww, ewww
I hate snakes with a passion, and Ray Wylie Hubbard is right - EWWW! It's a paralyzing fear. I have a hard time even watching them on TV.
So, it would make sense that I would go to an event that celebrates the mass collection of one of the deadliest snakes in the world.
I saw more snakes in one place than I ever care to see EVER again.
The annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup is a nationally known event. I've been told in it's earlier days, ESPN even used to cover the event. Crazy loons spend several weeks prior to the second weekend in March "rounding up" these terrible villains for pride and honor.
There are thousands of huge rattlesnakes brought in from West Texas. There are prizes awarded to the longest snake, the heaviest snake, and probably for the worst snake bite wound.
Besides the snakes, the Roundup is full of some interesting characters. In fact, if anyone ever makes a snide remark about Arkansas again, I will simply say "Sweetwater, Texas" and that should cover it.
Byron made the comment he was more worried about getting bit by the people there than the snakes. The deepest "holl'r" in Arkansas could not hold a candle to these folks.
There are also gazillions of nick knacks for purchase at the Roundup - from a pickled snake head to a nice, full-bodied stuffed rattler. In fact, there are even rattlesnake skin slap bracelets. Remember those from the 80s?
There were also nice large, gawdy graphic t-shirts.
There was a "safety and handling" demonstration at the Roundup. This crazy loon taught us how to pick up the slithering pieces of evil.
He also flopped a balloon in front of it until it got mad enough to strike it. Watch it here.
This was likely the smartest thing I've ever watched...
This guy (below) was skinning rattlesnakes for them to fry and sell to hungry people at the Roundup. I did not partake in this feast.
To make the weekend even more memorable, following our time at the Roundup, we stopped by the Crossroads Baptist Church in Rotan, Texas - the church Byron grew up in - for their winter revival. While snakes are not a typical part of Baptist revivals, this particular revival experience concluded for me when Glen Copeland asked me to come outside and see what was in the back of his car.
Glen Copeland is somewhat of a West Texas legend. He has a gun collection that would rival the US Army, and has a history of catching snakes and storing them in a pit in his barn for the Roundup. He's one of those characters that is hard to forget.
Glen knew of my intense fear of snakes. He also knew I had been to the Roundup for the first time.
When he asked if I wanted to call his bluff that there was a rattlesnake in the back of his car, I knew better than to say yes.
So, following the revival, we gathered in the parking lot to see just what exactly Glen had in his car.
Sure enough, he had a rattlesnake in a large pretzel jar in the back of his car.
When he opened the back of the car, you could hear the rattle of the snake. It was at that point that I took about 8 big step back. Glen then asked if we wanted to see how you catch a snake. I could see where this was going, so I took about 10 more steps back.
Glen proceeded to dump the rattlesnake on the ground of the Crossroads Baptist Church parking lot.
The snake immediately coiled up and acted like it wanted to kill us all. I believe it even struck at Glen's unprotecting loafers a couple of times. This snake was obviously very mad. Of course, I would probably be mad, too, if someone had stuffed me in a Sam's pretzel jar.
Then, Glen bent down and picked up the snake by its head like it was a toy or something. Byron took my camera and got a little too close for my comfort (not to me, but to the snake). I could just see the evil reptile latching on to his arm or something.
Then Glen stuffed the snake back in the jar and put it back in his car. I then went and checked under every seat in my car.
So, it would make sense that I would go to an event that celebrates the mass collection of one of the deadliest snakes in the world.
I saw more snakes in one place than I ever care to see EVER again.
The annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup is a nationally known event. I've been told in it's earlier days, ESPN even used to cover the event. Crazy loons spend several weeks prior to the second weekend in March "rounding up" these terrible villains for pride and honor.
There are thousands of huge rattlesnakes brought in from West Texas. There are prizes awarded to the longest snake, the heaviest snake, and probably for the worst snake bite wound.
Besides the snakes, the Roundup is full of some interesting characters. In fact, if anyone ever makes a snide remark about Arkansas again, I will simply say "Sweetwater, Texas" and that should cover it.Byron made the comment he was more worried about getting bit by the people there than the snakes. The deepest "holl'r" in Arkansas could not hold a candle to these folks.
There are also gazillions of nick knacks for purchase at the Roundup - from a pickled snake head to a nice, full-bodied stuffed rattler. In fact, there are even rattlesnake skin slap bracelets. Remember those from the 80s?
There were also nice large, gawdy graphic t-shirts.
There was a "safety and handling" demonstration at the Roundup. This crazy loon taught us how to pick up the slithering pieces of evil.
He also flopped a balloon in front of it until it got mad enough to strike it. Watch it here.
This was likely the smartest thing I've ever watched...This guy (below) was skinning rattlesnakes for them to fry and sell to hungry people at the Roundup. I did not partake in this feast.
To make the weekend even more memorable, following our time at the Roundup, we stopped by the Crossroads Baptist Church in Rotan, Texas - the church Byron grew up in - for their winter revival. While snakes are not a typical part of Baptist revivals, this particular revival experience concluded for me when Glen Copeland asked me to come outside and see what was in the back of his car.
Glen Copeland is somewhat of a West Texas legend. He has a gun collection that would rival the US Army, and has a history of catching snakes and storing them in a pit in his barn for the Roundup. He's one of those characters that is hard to forget.
Glen knew of my intense fear of snakes. He also knew I had been to the Roundup for the first time.
When he asked if I wanted to call his bluff that there was a rattlesnake in the back of his car, I knew better than to say yes.
So, following the revival, we gathered in the parking lot to see just what exactly Glen had in his car.
Sure enough, he had a rattlesnake in a large pretzel jar in the back of his car.
When he opened the back of the car, you could hear the rattle of the snake. It was at that point that I took about 8 big step back. Glen then asked if we wanted to see how you catch a snake. I could see where this was going, so I took about 10 more steps back.
Glen proceeded to dump the rattlesnake on the ground of the Crossroads Baptist Church parking lot.
The snake immediately coiled up and acted like it wanted to kill us all. I believe it even struck at Glen's unprotecting loafers a couple of times. This snake was obviously very mad. Of course, I would probably be mad, too, if someone had stuffed me in a Sam's pretzel jar.
Then, Glen bent down and picked up the snake by its head like it was a toy or something. Byron took my camera and got a little too close for my comfort (not to me, but to the snake). I could just see the evil reptile latching on to his arm or something.
Then Glen stuffed the snake back in the jar and put it back in his car. I then went and checked under every seat in my car.
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