Snake

*SNAKE! They found a snake in the backyard. killed it (chris) and put it in a plastic bag (we thought it was dead and this would be a cleaner way for the little ones to check it out.) It was alive still. so i say it once on the side of the tree....that'll kill it. Inside it popped out of the bag
and everyone went running! It died though. Then tossed it into the creek to float away.

*ezra has the snake on the end of a stick...OPPORTUNITY called...impromptu science class. I disected the snake for the kids. Karissa, Ezra, Terje, and Sammie watched as i cut into it pointed out different parts. Then Sammie used a stick and pulled at the intenstines... THEY FLEW UP AND HIT HER IN THE LIP! She was cool about it. We wiped it off and continuied. Ezra wants to keep the skin so we (okay me) skinned it and he is going to try to tan it. I found some directions online and i think i have the ingredients. Nobody wanted to cook and eat it. Good thing it's only a garter snake and i don't know how to cook snakemeat. well i didn't know how to skin one until today. slice it lengthwise , cut off the head, and the skin peels off like a pair of nylons

I wrote that about 2 wks ago. We soaked it in 1/2 rubbing alcohol and 1/2 gylcerin for 4 days. Rinsed it and viola! we have snake skin on our back porch adn we don't care now! But it was a very cool experience that I don't feel the need to do again.