29 June 2008: Aaron and I encountered a snake that looked to be a cottonmouth (water moccasin)
on our pool deck. We gathered our implements and the serpent was eliminated. Only this evening
did we identify the 3.5 foot snake as a harmless water snake. But I maintain that we did the right
thing; the measures taken were in defense of the family and there wasn't time to research what
type of snake this might be. The next time, however, we will capture the snake and release it
some distance from our home, as we have been doing for a number of years with opossums.