Sunday, October 4, 2009

snakes are not our friends

My husband loves our new property. He has big plans for the wooded area on the east side of it. Last week he told me that he found some elderberries on it, so Saturday I decided to give it a look.
Now, if you know anything about me (or women in general) you know that snakes are our natural enemies and that woods generally have all kinds of these critters in them.
However, I REALLY wanted these elderberries.
I armed myself with bugspray, long pants, my hiking boots and knapsack. (I forgot the machete' in the jeep)
It was not enough.......
After walking thru briars, falling down an embankment, getting mud and blood all over my face and hands.....he finally appeared...a nice large water moccasin.


That was the last straw for me.
Elderberry syrup, good for respiratory problems and lessening the symptoms of the flu, will have to come from Mountain Rose Herbs this year.
I will plant elderberry bushes in a civilized area, and leave the woods to my husband and the snakes.
Did I mention we ran into a copperhead too?

2 comments:

Herbmuse said...

What an adventure! I, too, would do anything for elderberries if I could find them in the wild. But alas, I have to resort to the elderberry syrups others might make, or rest on my tried and true echinacea or astragalus ones.
~Sarah
www.lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com

Lisa said...

I can't handle the giant wasps that are dropping out of the sky. You are brave. :)