I Think

Snake Bite Statistics
•About 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. annually.
•Only 0.2% (1 out of 500) venomous snake bites result in death
•On average, 1 to 2 people in Texas die each year from venomous snake bites in Texas.
•Roughly half of all venomous snake bites are "dry." That is, the snake does not inject venom into the victim.
Statistics from National Ag Safety Database

Venomous Snakes in Texas
There are two types of venomous snakes found in Texas. First, pit vipers are the most common type of venomous snakes in Texas and include the copperhead, cottonmouth (water moccasin) and rattlesnake. Pit vipers get their name from the infrared radiation receptors located in a "pit" on each side of the snake's face. Additionally, pit viper pupils are vertically elliptical and they have a single row of scales located on the underside of their tail.

The second type of venomous snake found in Texas is the coral snake. Coral snakes are members of a group of snakes called Elapids that are characterized by having a short, permanently erect fang located along each side of the upper-jaw. However, the coral snake does not have to "chew" its victim to inflict a painfully venomous bite. The Texas Coral Snake is the only member of the Elapids that is found in Texas and can easily be identified by the red, yellow and black color bands along the snake's body. The Texas Coral Snake is the only snake in Texas with touching red and yellow bands.

Symptoms of Envenomization by Snakes
There are many biological and environmental factors that determine the quantity and toxicity of an individuals snake's venom. People also react differently (immunologically) to snake venom. It is difficult to identify a set of standard symptoms for snake bite victims because of these variations. Listed below are some symptoms that many victims of snake bites share, but remember that not every victim will have all of these symptoms.
Common Symptoms of Snake Bite
•blurred vision
•convulsions
•dizziness
•excessive sweating
•fainting
•fang marks
•fever
•increased salivation
•localized pain and burning
•muscle contractions
•muscle incoordination
•nausea and vomiting
•numbness and tingling
•rapid pulse rate
•skin discoloration
•swelling in the bite area
•thirst
•tissue death
•weakness

First Aid for Snake Bite Victims
If someone has been bitten by a venomous snake, it is important to seek medical attention promptly. Call 9-1-1 or the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222 for information about which medical centers in your area have the appropriate antivenom. If possible call ahead to the medical center so the antivenom can be ready when the victim arrives.
It is also important to identify the kind of snake that bit the victim. Even taking a dead snake with you to the medical center is appropriate if it can be done without further risk or injury. Extreme caution should be used when bringing in a snake because even though the snake may be dead, its reflexes may still allow the snake to bite.

What to do for snake bite victims.
•Move the victim safely away from the snake. If you see the snake, try to remember what it looks like or take a digital picture of it if you can do so without putting yourself at risk. This will aid the doctor in determining which antivenin is needed.
•Do not attempt to capture the snake; however if the snake is dead, place it in a suitable container and bring it with you to the hospital for identification. Be careful to avoid contact with the dead snake′s head however, as it may be able to bite reflexively for a short time after death.
•Keep the victim, and yourself, calm.
•Remove jewelry or constricting clothing from the victim quickly, before any swelling begins.
•Lift the bitten limb so that it is level with the heart. Raising it above heart level could hasten distribution of the venom to other parts of the body. Holding the limb below heart level could lead to increased swelling of the affected limb.
•Limit movement of the bitten limb and avoid any unnecessary exertion by bringing transport to the victim, if possible.
•Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water, if available.
•Call 911 if available and seek medical attention immediately. If you are transporting the victim to a hospital, call ahead so that the medical staff can prepare the antivenin for administration upon arrival.

What NOT to do for Snake Bite Victims
•Do not attempt to suck venom from the bite wound.
•Do not make cuts over the snake bite. This often leads to more tissue trauma and damage.
•Do not apply a tourniquet or other constricting device.
•Do not apply a cold pack or ice to the snake bite.
•Do not apply an electrical shock to the snake bite.
•Do not take pain reliever or other medications unless instructed to do so by a physician.
•Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
•Do not administer antivenom in the field. Treatment for snake bites is best conducted in an appropriate medical facility.



Snake Bite Prevention
•Although most snakes in Texas are not venomous, avoid handling or playing with snakes unless you have been properly trained.
•Keep landscape or campsite well manicured.
•Wear long pants and boots when in areas known to have snakes.
•Watch where you step and place your hands when outdoors. Do not place them in areas where snakes may be resting unless you can see it is safe.

291a. I think it may be a phantom rain that was forecast. They seem to be pushing it back now and the hundred degree days extended one at a time. I am an extreme sceptic, but slightly hopeful.
292a. I think it proper that the birds and squirrels who frequent my feeder and bath hide whenever I put my face at the window. Self preservation requires they mistrust people.
293a. I think Social Security will exist for the people as long as there is a will to make it work. There are other places to cut spending.
294a. I think I need a new roll of duct tape.
295a. I think today may be the day when they open our new road all the way.

Good article on snakes! Very informative!

Here in BC, there is only one small area where there are snakes to worry about (rattlers).

Social security will surivive only if the government makes adjustments early enough to prevent the cost from overwhelming total govt expenditures, I believe.

296a. I think I eat too many carbohydrates.
297a. I think we use entirely too much water at the apartments, but the landscape does have that lushness people want to appreciate.
298a. I think Jim Humble's church is a clever idea. It was created to serve humankind instead of a deity. To be a member is to spread Jim Humble's healing knowledge for free. No fee at all. Only voluntary donations are accepted. A person has to live. Of course he writes books and makes money.
299a. I think my disorganization will be the undoing of me. I have misplaced several pages to my book. I have already looked most places it could be.
300a. I think this morning will be a busy one. First thing, I have to replace an A/C condenser. (I always spell condenser with o-r instead of e-r. Good old spell check.)

Hint: your dog ate it.

301a. I think CI may be right about the dog. I have gathered every scrap of paper related to the project and put it all into a new file box. Hopefully that will work better than the lax system I used prior to the incident in question.
302a. I think the storm that's teasing us out in the Gulf is an old poot.
303a. I think people want decisive in a president. The perception that Obama is weak will turn a shoo-in campaign into a desperate contest. I am contemplating voting third party, otherwise staying at home.
304a. I think ribs have become my favorite food, these days.
305a. I think I will mow the yard, for the third time, this summer. There is not a lot out there, but, by waiting, I will at least cut something. The neighbors get out on riding lawn mowers and kick up more dirt than a Depression dust bowl event.

303a. I'm in agreement.

306a. I think Punky the dog does not understand the concept of a placebo. I gave her the H3O water when she was walking on three legs. Within days she was on all fours and highly energetic. After giving her an eyedropper=full each day for I guess a few years, I quit feeding it to her last week. I was curious about her leg. Well, she began the three legged walk again and appeared to be in pain. When she failed to eat, I became concerned. First, I gave her a dose of H3O. Waited a day and gave her a second dose. She is walking normally, now. Guess the vet was right. That nick in her leg will always be there.
307a. I think cutting out the carbohydrates in my diet will be much harder than I imagined.
308a. I think Punky loves her new chicken as much as the old one.

309a. I think the storm will go into Louisiana.
310a. I think the new season of The Mentalist will begin this month. I am curious to see how he can get back to his normal character, after blowing away Red John like that.

Reminds me of a friend who works third shift for the USPS. He'd get out of work at 8:00am, hit the bar by 9:00, be drunk by noon, go home and sleep it off before doing it all over again the next night. He found some bootstraps to pull up and weened himself from his habit by calling a one-year sabbatical. Now he drinks cokes unless he's out at a music event with friends.

edit: I agree with your 303a as well.

Glad Punkey likes his new chicken. Love dat face.

Addiction makes a cruel master. The ones who escape are to be commended.

mrs edgarblythe says 'only her mother could love Punky's face.'

Not a mother, but I know a great face when I see one. That's one.

Punky's my closest friend.

You're lucky to have each other. Getting nostalgic for a childhood best friend. A parakeet named Billie.

311a. I think it noteworthy that Punky had already chewed off the chicken's toes by the time that photo was made.
312a. I think help is just around the corner. Our bosses have hired a new hand. This girl can do anything I can and it remains to be seen if she can do any better. She was lead at another property, but she left her bi-polar boss to work with us.
313a. I think the weather is finally breaking to the cooler side, for us. It will be in the nineties but no more triple digits. And the nights! Hoo, boy. From the eighties to even a few in the sixties. Still no rain.
314a. I think the long weekend will provide the break I need. I may have to go in a few times, but, likely, nothing major will develop.
315a. I think I figured out what happened to my missing pages. I had placed them as documents, or, so I thought, in my gmail account. I could not print at the time, plus, my old computer was wheezing out its dying breath. So, I started putting my stuff in the Gmail document folders. I should have checked to see if it took, because some of them turned up as blanks. Oh, well, I have made up the deficiency and moved on.

re 312a and 314a

HURRAY!!!!

316a. I think September is my favorite month. When I mention this to others, they invariably say, "September is so hot." And their faces mirror the imagined agony. But September is the month where oppressive heat meets with the cooler air from the north, more and more, as shorter days allow nights to get into the sixties. It is the promise and beginning of the nicer weather of fall.
317a. I think in sorrow of the baby killed by the family dog last night, in Houston. The family should have understood their pet enough to know not to leave it unsupervised around a child.
318a. I think of dinosaurs every time I see birds, knowing they had common ancestors. It makes me feel a connection with the distant past.
319a. I think youtube performs an invaluable service, in that it allows one to explore the lesser known work of favorite artists. Songs they recorded secondary to the hits, long forgotten, now given new life. Not saying this is always a good thing -
320a. I think the placebos I have been taking and refining the usage of have given me new strength. As an instance, in recent summers, I have suffered enough from the heat I had to go home early a number of times. This year, in the record high temperatures, I have felt fine and not struggled at all. (One day, early in the summer, I went home, blaming the heat, but came to realize it was related more to the impossible pressure of my job). Also, the recurring skin problems on my legs have not been in evidence, lately. And, I have noted no internal symptoms in a very long time.