The story behind the rattlesnake rattle pendants

I grew up in the woods of Arkansas; the same town as my daddy, his daddy, his daddy’s daddy (you get the picture) grew up in. It’s a town built on logging and that’s exactly what most of my family did. As loggers they were deep in the woods every day and encountered lots of wildlife. Snakes are prominent in rural Arkansas.
My dad sported a couple of big,deep, oval scars on his calf. He’d been standing in the water (fishing) when a water moccasin bit him. This was before I was born. He didn’t go to the doctor. Eventually, the local doc came by to check on him.
“Well, ain’t much I can do for you now. You didn’t die, so you’ll be fine.”

Country life was often harsh and tough. As much as my dad loved nature and being outside, he did have to kill a snake or two in his day. He taught me to leave the nonvenomous ones alone and avoid the venomous ones, but when he came face to face with a rattler, he’d kill it if he felt threatened.

Daddy died way too soon and I went through his heaps and piles of belongings (generations of belongings!). There were a couple of old rattlesnake rattles. One was enormous. It would have weighed too much cast in metal. The other was a lovely size and shape, so I decided to cast it in bronze.

The rattle was old and delicate, so, as I feared, it was damaged when I removed it from the mold. Luckily, the mold was perfect and I was able to use it for the wax casting.

I think Daddy would be tickled to see not only me wearing the pendant, but others who have bought it from me or who have been gifted it. It's a glimpse into one of his many adventures in his life.