Several years ago I had a job taking soil samples out around Abilene, Texas. I carried a shovel, a gps and had a back pack full of small Manila envelopes. The gps would tell me where to take a soil sample, and then I’d put a handful of dirt in one of the Manila envelopes. I walked ten to twelve miles a day following the gps through mesquite thickets and sage brush, taking soil samples every one-tenth of a mile. We were looking for a bacteria that only grows where there is oil or natural gas down in the ground. I also worked in the lab growing the bacteria, but I liked being outdoors in the wild places the best because I got to see all sorts of animals. 

When I got to Abilene we would start at daylight and quit work about noon, before it got scalding hot. I’ll never forget the first morning. I packed some snacks and a couple bottles of water in my back pack. I sat under a mesquite tree about mid morning and took a break, eating a snack and drinking some water. When I stood up and reached for my shovel a four foot long rattlesnake was stretched out by my shovel. Needless to say, it scared the dickens out of me. It didn’t help I was four miles from the truck, I had thin jeans on and ankle high hiking boots, not much protection from snake bites. 

I stayed in Abilene, Texas for two weeks taking soil samples. An average day I would walk twelve miles through the desert brush. I think I counted over fifty rattlesnakes one morning. It was no big deal I never had a real close call, except for the time I was chasing a herd of antelope trying to take a picture and I stepped on a snake. I quit chasing antelope after that. 

I’ve had a 1991 first generation dodge diesel for sale on the internet these past couple of weeks. A man from Abilene, Texas called and talked to me about it. We haggled back and forth on price. Finally we came to an agreement. 

I got to thinking about it and I remembered I had a whole bunch of spare parts for this old truck. I have been threatening my son that I was going to haul all of that junk to the dump if he didn’t get it out of my shop. I also remembered all of those rattlesnakes from Abilene when that guy called. 

So, being the tightwad I am I called him and asked if wanted all of the spare parts for this old truck. He said sure. So, I asked if he would bring me a couple of big rattlesnakes. I been wanting to make a snakeskin rifle sling, so that’s why asked him to bring me some Abilene rattlesnakes. It’s also kind of a memento from my oil field days. I bet I’m the only person that’s ever traded car parts for rattlesnakes…. 

James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.  

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