Jared's Diamond

Chris: "Are you expecting a diamond for Christmas????" Me: "No. Ummm, why would you think that?" Chris: "I saw Jared Diamond on your Kindle." "Oh, that is the writer of a book I'm reading, not the store in Knoxville Babe."

As an aside....the mongoose

As an aside to the post on Snake vs Rat:

A mongoose is not a rat. They are carnivores where as a rat is omnivore. So I have no problem with the mongoose even though they kill poisonous snakes as they also kill rats. Besides who could not love "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"?

Snakes Vs Rats

Before you kill that black snake in the spring think about rat = black death (bubonic plague). Rats carry several disgusting diseases and a female can produce up to 65 babies a year. Rats are, however, proving to be quite intelligent and are being tested to be used as "bomb" rats instead of using man's best friend (yay). I don't need a rat to sniff out a mine in my field. I do need a snake to control those nasty rats. 
(I don't want to see those snakes though!!! Insert Scream Here!!)

We have a VERY long black snake (he was the length of one of our farm gates the last time I saw him) that I call Fred.  Fred has been on the farm for probably ten years.  Chris says Fred is dead.  Even though I have not seen Fred in probably three years I have seen evidence.  When I showed the evidence to Chris he just said, "Marna, that is just another snake's skin."  But I told Chris, "No.  I recognize the skin.  It's Fred's skin."  The photo is my evidence of Fred from summer.  Come to think of it, this looks a little small to have fit Fred.  Maybe Chris is right and Fred is dead.........nah...