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Fuck Fuck Fuck I shouted - poisonous snake encounter

Tom Winnifrith
Wednesday 29 June 2016

I decided that it was time to tackle the frigana bushes that sit just outside the fence on the mountain side of the land at the Greek Hovel. Access is easy as the fence runs alongside a paved road used by the shepherd and, as far as I can see, nobody else at all.

I approached the first bush which sat on a rock and slashed away the grass in front of it so that nothing mide jump out at me. So far so good. I then started hacking away at what was a ha5rdy old bush with every sprout intertwined with grass and other green things. Fuck!

One of the green things was moving. I could see just a couple of inches of it through the frigana but it was green with black markings which means that it was an adder. Had I been an Albanian I would have said - in Albanian - "sod the frigana" and started slashing away at the snake.

Being a pansy Brit I shouted Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! and turned tail running as fast as I could up the road and away from the snake, the bush and the scene of my cowardice. After about thirty yards I turned around. The snake was not following me. Who cares? I ran again.

That is it for frigana cutting today. I need an ouzo or five and shall resume tomorrow but there is one area where I think I shall let the frigana grow in peace.

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About Tom Winnifrith
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Tom Winnifrith is the editor of TomWinnifrith.com. When he is not harvesting olives in Greece, he is (planning to) raise goats in Wales.
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