The first sign I noted on arrival was a warning about rattlesnakes. A hundred years ago Henrietta King, bothered by all the rattlers, offered a nickle bounty for every set of rattles. Within a couple months she was surprised to have paid for 10,000 sets of rattles. Poor folks had a new job - killing snakes. She lowered the bounty from five cents to three cents. Before the year was up the count reached 100,000. She lowered it again to two cents, but ended the bounty when an out-building was full and the count passed 250,000. The oppressed reptiles were never wiped out and from the looks of the ranch and 32,000 square foot ranch house Henrietta's bank account did not suffer unduly.
Note the insolent deer placidly grazing in the front yard of ranch house.
The out-buildings, like this stable, were brick construction because of the fear of fire.
Our time is about up in Bayside. Our next stop is a condo over-looking Lake Conroe (north of Houston) until just after New Year's. Then we will spend the roughest two months of winter in Puerto Rico. First in Punta Las Marias, then the second month in Biascoechea.
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