this was posted to an alternate rootsweb forum ..... Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:10:54 -0600 From: Randy Scott <rscott@fdn.com> Source: GASCREVE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [GASCREVE] LIst Mom is back Thanks, mom! Scratchin' and scufflin' in the sandbox wiill happen.NOW, this past weekend i attended a reunion in Jackson Co,Fl where so many of my ancestors migrated to. this one was the Germanic side of Coonrod/Conrad, Brakefiled/Brechfeld from Chester/York Co SC and Shenadoah Valley afore that and Penn afore that and Switzerland ( i always wondered how come I could yodel so well! ) Anywho..while visiting the rural countryside cemeteries of all of my folk while visiting my G Grandfather Sam Scott's grave, he of the Screven Co heritage, durned if i didn't walk upon the 3rd great grandchild of the spreading adder I encountered when I first found Sam;s grave back in 1970...and once again we had us a parley vouz right in the path as i was approaching ol' Sam. Well sir, me and ol' adder just stopped dead in our tracks and commenced to eye one 'nother very 'spicious like and we voted to ignore one another 'til I could say my hellos and howdys to Sam and the rest of the family. It took quite a few out of the way steps but I did so and he kept on eyeing me and raising his little point y head and flaring away. Now this encounter ended agreeably to both parties ( i did have my .38 safely ensconced in my back pocket ) BUT by sidestepping and finding another route out of this business durned if i didn't walk up on another unmarked grave by some of Sam's step youngin's from the mid-1850's/60's era and realized that this unmarked stone more and likely had to be that of one of Sam's daughters , Martha, who had married Phillip Cloud ( another old south Carolina family ). Now, Martha and Phillip had had a parting of the ways and he's buried near Martha's brother, Jeff over in Parramore's cemetery-, of Oak Grove 9 Jackson Co's Parramore taint nuthin' but a clay country crossroads today-, not like the big metropolis there in Screven. Martha was buried in the 1920's ) I think family legend has it that she had died first! ) but there wasn't much money available back then and she , i believe, ended up under this large concrete slab buried by her daughter, son-in-law Zach Cloud, and some grandkids. Don't know how iu drifted off my main tale but the upshot was I missed getting bit again, and believe I found Great Aunt Martha's resting place, and the snake? Well, he sort of followed my comings and goings until I got back to my van and left. In parting i told him that i was sorry for disturbing his slumber; that for him to help protect my ancestors resting places and please say hello to his ancestor of whom I have unkind memories of 35 years before. A year ago i discovered a lost cousin who is a herpetologist which i always thought was specialist on herpes of all specifications. I do believe from now on i will invite him to accompany me on my expeditions. Darn, but i do hate a snake! reminds me of one of my ex mothers-in-law. Randy