the first and last pinch

we had a vagrant try to bust into our house this morning.

before he got inside an inch,
he experienced his first pinch;
...
but it was also his last pinch.

And now the rest of the story ...

I was working from home this morning because Ben had a 7am dentist appointment and Jill needed a little help getting the kids ready and off to school.

So I got the kids all ready, took Erick and Camille to school.  Jill came back from dropping off Ben.  While I was taking the little ones to school, Emma was outside walking around the pool.  She was headed back inside the house and was putting on her flip-flops, which were sitting on the back porch, when she screamed after seeing a copperhead snake.  Since the door was ajar, he tried to go inside the house!  Jill was right there and slammed the door in the nick of time!

The above picture is what I saw when I arrived home.  Jill took Emma to the dentist and left me with the task.  I didn't want to get too near him, so I got some long pruning shears and pinched his head (the shears are a bid dull).  When he was immobilized enough, I finished the deed with a leatherman knife.

All our hearts are beating a bit faster this morning.