Bring an extra set of car keys to camp this week, and we'll tell you why in a second. Meanwhile, fire up for the first annual Ron Reid 'Kitten Caboodle,' a kitty giveaway game that replaces the Ron Reid Rattlesnake Roundup, normally held at camp this time of year.
Interest has waned at the Rattlesnake Roundup in recent years because the cold temperatures make it so easy to catch the otherwise wily snakes. The Kalamazoo YMCA also expressed some concern about releasing the snakes so close to the Kleinstuck Preserve.
"I think the 'Kitten Caboodle' is going to be a blast," said Reid, Kalamazoo's King of the Roads. "I've got 34 offspring of the strays that hang around the Road Commission maintenance barn, and I'll release them in the YMCA parking lot at 8:15 sharp. You can keep as many as you can catch."
To ensure the caught kittens' safety, campers should keep their cars' engines running with the heater on while they're out doing their morning run. They'll need an extra key to get in after the run. In years past, the snakes were left in cold cars and that kept most of them from escaping.
Charlie Broberg's brother-in-law, Tex Ferringer, demonstrates the ease of handling a rattler.
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