Ruby Vs. The Compost Pile

We would love to compost. 

We have composted in the past, with great success.  I consider a sympathetic peach tree that came up in the middle of the pile and went on to produce fruit a great success.  Unfortunately, we had to leave the peach tree where it sprouted when we left the big city.  Along with the Wisteria From H-E-double toothpicks, that i so dearly loved.  Especially in spring.

But i digress.

Again.

Here in the middle of the Homestead Project, though, the compost pile has been about as successful as the garden.  There isn't much to send to the pile, because between the chickens, dogs, goats and an eleven year old boy, there are NO scraps.  The goats pretty much compost the plant matter themselves.  Only thing we have left are piles of pecan wood, which we save for Susan's Bob to smoke the meats with. 

Several years ago we acquired a couple of nifty compost containment contraptions.  They are flexible, portable, and have holes all over them, kind of a collar type thing.  I am sure they work well.  I mean, i am assuming they work well.  We have never managed to get enough organic matter in them to really find out.

We had one of them set up just outside the doe pen for the old bedding hay, not that that much of the hay made it that far, but it was there, just in case.

Ruby, the Great Snake Hunter, was tracking something that took to the bottom of the compost bin.

She was trying to dig under, so we went ahead and removed the collar in order to save it, coz once Ruby gets on something, she will stop at nothing.

Not sure what she was after, but this is what it looked like when she was done.

This is why we don't even try to compost any more.

We think she was after a snake.
Ruby loves to go after snakes.

Of course, you remember how i feel about snakes.
The only good snake is a dead snake, and there is only one type of snake, the dreaded Copper Headed Water Rattler.

So i am glad that Ruby is a Snake Hunter.

Only problem is, every now and then she gets tagged.

Several years ago, i was telling our county ag agent about one of Ruby's snakebites, and how we watched the swelling from the poison move through her body for about two weeks, as it worked it's way out. 

The ag agent gave us a really good tip i would like to pass on to you.  He said to use DMSO on the bite, and it would neutralize the poison.

DMSO is used as a liniment on horses, and has other uses as well.  It can be found in most feed stores. 

One evening Ruby showed up with a snout the size of Montana, so i slathered a mess of DMSO on the bite, and the next morning there was no sign at all that she had been bitten.  We now keep a supply on hand at all times.

Just thought i would pass that along.