Today's excitement

This is what was slithering around our front door today. Ian was about to step outside the front door and says, "Mom, it's a coral snake." as calm as can be. My response? "That isn't funny Ian!" "No Mom, really!!". I get up and look and there it goes right along the bottom of our front door, around the corner and over towards my garage.
OK, first things first. Shut the door. "Kids, do NOT open that door or go outside!" Next, shut the garage door. Here comes the outdoor cat. Grab Blackie and throw him in the house. Stop think. You are supposed to call someone to take these things away. Who do I call? Wait. Keep it from getting away. "Kids, grab me a bin!" dump out Ben's blocks and I go outside with a bin and drop it over the snake (about 2 ft long). Miss and land on him. Quickly pick it up and drop over him. Go back inside. (From the initial finding of the snake to dropping the bin was probably 2 minutes of less) Take a deep breath. Try and call La Vernia Fire Dept non-emergency number. No answer. Call husband. "Hon, we have a coral snake. Who should I call?" He tells me to let the cat get him. Ummm, no, I'm not taking the chance that the cat will either a) decide he doesn't feel like killing a snake today and let the highly venomous snake go on his merry way or b) get killed by the snake.
In the end the Wilson County Sheriffs Dept sends someone out. Turns out THREE deputies show up, guess there wasn't much happening today. When the deputy picked up the bin the snake turned out to be pretty much dead/dying from when I dropped the bin on him. Death by Rubbermaid! The deputy whacked him once on the head with his baton to make sure he was good and dead and then put him in an evidence bag to dispose of him. I'm sure the frazzled Yankee mom will be the topic on much laughter today.

P.S. The deputy asked if I wanted to keep it and put it in a jar of alcohol. Now I'm a pretty tolerant, cool homeschooling mom but I NOT that cool!