[Clutch Martin]

Lived in a water moccasin (cotton mouth) infested cyprus swamp. Had a 3 legged doberman with a disfigured muzzle (snake bitten) given to me by a young service member who was getting transferred.

That dog HATED snakes, he would sound the alarm and I would follow up with a sharpened garden hoe. Lop the head off fling them fuggers in the swamp for the snappers.

Leash walking that dog through town was like parting in the Red Sea people be looking at that dog and wondering what the heck.... even at the veterinary they would shift away a few seats. He loved the PYT tech in there, and when I got transferred I prearranged a drop off with a 50 lb sack of purina, his toys and tack. The tech loved that dog, even sent me Christmas cards with an inked paw print and a snapshot. He lived the good life!

Just reminiscing about ol’ scratch leaves me misty.... like right now. Gotta go blow my honker...

[The Duke]

When I was a kid we'd go out on the levee and shoot water moccasins in the head and then, holding them by what remained of their heads, skin them with an Exacto knife before flinging their still writhing carcasses into the water to feed the fish.

I was our rite of passage.