This weekend the annual Big Spring Rattlesnake Roundup is taking place. Compared with the recent annual roundup in Sweetwater, this one is a much smaller festival. There is nothing wrong with the one in Sweetwater, but it is so famous that it attracts thousands of visitors. And at peak hours it's hard to maneuver for a good spot in the crowd. No problem in Big Spring.
Snake charmer and rattlesnake showman extraordinaire, Jackie "The Texas Snake Man" Bibby, was the show stopper last year, but he wasn't present this time. They said he was in Italy, however Brownwoodnews.com spotted him in Brownwood, Texas, last weekend.
The Big Spring show was a thrill nonetheless. Plenty of close-in parking, no big crowds to block the view, plenty of refreshments, and freeze dried rattlesnakes available for purchase. How long do those things last, I wondered. "Keep them is a dry spot," I was told by a vendor, because moisture can seep in and cause them to deteriorate. "If they are kept in a dry place they'll last a long, long time."
And most importantly, there were lots and lots of live deadly rattlesnakes, all safely secured behind barricades, and an entertaining group of showmen and women defied death as they demonstrated their fearlessness. And now, some photos:
Previously:
Rattlesnake fest in Sweetwater;
Rattlesnake Roundup in Big Spring;
Head em up, Move em out - the Rattlesnake Roundup; and
Rattlesnake meat. It tastes like ....
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