I'm a liberal pagan living in West, Texas. Yes. That West, Texas.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

HEART OF TEXAS SNAKE HANDLERS


YUP, THERE ACTUALLY IS A GROUP OF GUYS THAT PUT ON RATTLESNAKE SHOWS...I THINK THE IDEA IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT TO DO IF THEY RUN INTO A RATTLESNAKE...YEAH, RIGHT..I HAVE KNOW MOST OF THESE GUYS FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND I WOULD BET MONEY THEY WERE ALL DRUNK SITTING AROUND TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING STUPID TO DO. AND SOME ONE SAID.."LETS PLAY WITH SNAKES"...WHERE UPON THEY ALL FORMED THE HEART OF TEXAS SNAKE HANDLERS AND EACH GOT A TSHIRT WITH A BIG RATTLER ON IT AND THEIR NAME...ONLY IN TEXAS..THE REASON WHY I BRING THIS UP IS THAT ONE MIKE(SNAKE) WHO BELONGS IS ONE OF MY DEAR GOOD FRIENDS AND HAS BEEN SINCE MY 32ND BIRTHDAY...(WE CELEBRATE A SCORPIO BIRTHDAY)..WENT TO A SHOW (YEAH, THAT''S WHAT THEY CALL THEM) AND LET HIS 16 YEAR OLD SON TANNER GET IN THE PIT WITH THE RATTLE SNAKES AND HIS WIFE SARA IS READY TO DO A BALLECTOMY ON HIM...LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO AT THESE SHOWS...(YEARS AGO THEY WERE ON THAT''S ENCREDIBLE AND EVEN WENT TO ITALY TO PUT ON A SHOW)...THEY HAVE THIS HUGE FENCED CAGE CALLED THE PIT..JUST WIRE AND WOOD...THEN THEY TAKE ALL THESE RATTLESNAKES THAT THEY HAVE CAUGHT ON SNAKE HUNTS OR THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RANGLED UP FOR THEM...DUMP THEM IN THE PIT AND THEY WALK AROUND IN THERE BAREFOOTED...TO SHOW YOU HOW IF YOU EVER COME UP AGAINST SOME 50 OR SO RATTLESNAKES, AND YOUR BAREFOOTED, YOU''LL KNOW WHAT TO DO...THEN THEY HAVE SOME ONE BRING IN A COUPLE OF SLEEPING BAGS AND THEY HAVE SOME GUYS LAY DOWN IN THEM AND THEN SOMEONE WILL TAKE THE HOOK LIKE THING THEY ALL HAVE, PICK UP A DOZEN OR SO SNAKES AND PLACE THEM GENTLY ON TOP AND AROUND THE GUY IN THE SLEEPING BAG..THEN THEY ZIP HIM IN...THEN HE STARTS TO BACK OUT OF THE BAG WITH ALL THE SNAKES ON HIM...THEY ALSO HAVE ONE GUY WHO TAKES ONE THAT IS ALL COILED UP AND THEY PUT IT ON HIS HEAD AND HE PUTS HIS COWBOY HAT ON TOP OF IT...THEY TAKE THE SNAKES AROUND AND SHOW THEM TO PEOPLE, LET KIDS PET THEM WITH HEAD HELD TIGHT AND AWAY FROM THEM...PLUS THOSE JACKASSES WERENT SATISFIED WITH JUST THE RATTLESNAKES THEY ALSO HAVE COBRAS...AND MIKE IS ONE OF ABOUT 3-4 THAT ...BRACE YOURSELF...KISSES THE COBRA ON HIS HEAD....THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COBRA BITES FROM THIS LITTLE TRICK, BUT NO DEATHS...PLUS THEY GET BIT ALL THE TIME...THE HAT TRICK GUY GOT BIT ON TOP OF HIS HEAD, MY FRIEND MIKE GOT BIT ON HIS HAND AND WAS REALLY BAD FOR A WHILE...SO AS YOU CAN SEE, SARA, MIKES WIFE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE PISSED AT HER HUSBAND FOR LETTING THE 16 YEAR OLD IN THE PIT...SHE SHOWED ME THE PICTURE AND IT IS MIKE AND TANNER BACK TO BACK WITH LAP AND LEGS FULL OF SNAKES...AND NO THESE SNAKES HAVE NOT BEEN MILKED FOR VENOM...I HAVENT SEEN MIKE YET BUT I CAN BETCHA HE DONT GET ANY NOOKIE FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS...IF EVER...SO THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON IN TEXAS...AND HOW WAS YOUR DAY???

1 comment:

woodie1940 said...

i'm old old friend of butch hefelfinger, did quite a few shows with him.. i moved to cal. 20 years ago and think of him often as one of the craziest gladiators eft on eart.. would like to contact him.. my email is woodie940@aol.com, kevin white