Happy Wednesday, Scouts. Welcome to Edition XII of Scout & Tell.

We’re going back in history for our featured article this week. The people who homesteaded these lands were in a constant barrage of danger and today’s article is fraught with just that.

Plus, we’ve got Halloween celebrations starting this week. There are PLENTY of parties and fun events happening + a fruit-named dog that’s nearly-guaranteed to steal your heart.

I’ll see you out there,

Rattlesnakes made her famous. The rest of her life is the better story.

Kate Slaughterback had a routine. Duck hunters kept blasting away at the pond on her homestead near Hudson, Colorado. 'No Hunting' signs or not. She would wait for the gunfire to stop, saddle her horse, pack her .22 and ride out to collect whatever they'd left behind.

October 28, 1925 started like all the others. She and her three year old adopted son, Erie, would saddle up and ride out.

However, itt did not end like the others.

When she opened the gate at the pond, a rattlesnake was coiled and ready. She shot it. Three more slithered out and she shot those too. Then they came from every direction.

There was no time to reload, so she grabbed whatever was handy. Accounts disagree on what. The Greeley museum says a No Hunting sign. Cowboy State Daily says a fence post. Kate herself called it a club. Those may all be the same piece of wood. She swung it for about two hours while Ernie stayed on the horse.

When it was over, she rode home and stopped to tell a neighbor, who rode back with her to collect the snakes. They counted 140. Some ran longer than three feet. They hauled the snakes home in three washtubs, and Kate hung every one on her clothesline to dry.

Word quickly spread of the event. A reporter came to see the snakes and helped her drape them over a fence for a better shot. It ran on the front page with a nickname the reporter coined: Rattlesnake Kate. The Associated Press carried it to New York, and the story landed in papers in England, France, Germany and Mexico.

Kate decided to cash in on the fame. She took a few taxidermy classes, then made a dress.

How many snakes it took depends on who is counting. Cowboy State Daily says four big skins for the bodice and 43 for the skirt. The Greeley museum says more than 50. Wikipedia says 53. Pick your number. It was a flapper dress, the style of the decade, and it came with shoes, a belt and a neckband in matching snake. The rattles became earrings, necklaces and bracelets. She mailed her design to the U.S. Patent Office.

Then she went into the snake business. Kate hunted rattlers, penned live ones behind her house and sold stuffed snakes to tourists, with skins going for $2 and rattles for $1. She also sold venom to a Los Angeles research lab.

The snakes were not the roughest part. Her first winter on the homestead, a fall from her horse broke her arm, and the startled horse kicked her and broke her collarbone. In 1932, lightning hit the gatepost as she opened the gate, and she lay unconscious for nearly five hours. A Dust Bowl windstorm blew away nearly 50 of her baby chickens.

During Prohibition, accounts say, she hid a moonshine still in her goat pen, betting that the smell of goats would cover the smell of the booze, while others say the bootlegging was just a rumor. Money stayed tight either way and she sold all but 80 of her original 640 acres. 

Then, in 1952, she started building a four-room house. 

By herself. 

It took five years, and she lived in a converted chicken coop the whole time. Kate weighed barely a hundred pounds. She poured the concrete, framed the walls and roofed the place alone. When it was finished in 1957, she celebrated with a brand-new potbelly stove.

In September 1969, Kate gave the Greeley museum her dress, her accessories and the rifle she used on the first four snakes. She was hospitalized soon after and died on October 6, 1969.

The dress hangs in a climate- and light-controlled case at the Greeley History Museum, alongside her rattlesnake shoes and accessories. 

Kate is buried in the Platteville cemetery. At her request, the headstone says, simply, "Rattlesnake Kate."

Learn more about Kate and other fascinating stories at the Greeley History Museum: https://greeleyco.gov/museums/visit/greeley-history-museum/

This house has brains. A Z-Wave system runs the smart locks, lighting, outlets and HVAC. Oh yeah, the finished basement is wired for 5.2 surround sound. It overlooks open space in Wellington and it's $40K under its July asking price.

TLDR: 4 bed / 3.5 bath, 2,027 sqft, 7,746 sqft lot, built 2001, $449,900. Contact: Christina Mueske, milehimodern - Boulder, (970) 999-4239

Meet Melon! All 35 pounds of her are a sweet, high-energy 7-month-old pup looking for a home without young kids. She's done well meeting other dogs so far, though any resident pups should meet her first to make sure it's a good match. She's already crate trained, with house training and leash manners still a work in progress.

Melon is available for adoption at the Greeley Adoption Campus, with a $250 adoption fee. Find out more about this good girl at the NoCo Humane website.

The Fort Collins Tarot Meet Up Group gathers one Saturday afternoon a month to read, talk and practice on each other. Recent sessions have walked through the Major Arcana card by card, studying symbolism and comparing decks. Brand-new or years deep, you're welcome, and nobody has to read for anyone. Bring your cards, a notebook and a snack to share.

Contact: Meetup

☕ October Coffee & Convos @ The Neighbor - Thu 9-10:30am - Free, casual networking for purpose-driven business owners and leaders. Details here

🎃 Pumpkins on Parade @ The Gardens on Spring Creek - Thu-Sun, 5-9pm - Timed-entry Halloween walk with giant pumpkin art, games, and nightly live entertainment, $15 adults, $10 kids, and free for ages 4 and under. Details here

⚽ CSU Soccer vs. Boise State - Thu 6pm - The Rams host Boise State, with individual game tickets at $8. Details here

🏐 UNC Volleyball vs. NAU @ Bank of Colorado Arena, Greeley - Thu 6pm - The Bears host Northern Arizona, with general admission $6-$15 and reserved seats $18 (fees may apply). Details here

🎸 Perth, Arkwave, Wastebasket & School of Rock Band @ Sound Bar - Thu 7pm (doors 6pm) - Four acts share the bill at Sound Bar, including the School of Rock regional house band. Details here

💃 Salsa Night @ Scrumpy’s - Thu 7:30-11pm - A free salsa lesson every Thursday, and a wristband gets you a complimentary 10oz pour and happy hour prices all night. Details here

🍂 2026 Loveland Harvest Makers & Food Festival @ 1750 Savage Rd, Loveland - Fri-Sun, 10am-6pm - A free three-day festival of food, crafts, and local vendors. Details here

🥒 Pickling Vegetables @ Larimer County Extension Office - Fri 12:30-3:30pm - A hands-on workshop on refrigerator pickles, water bath canning, relishes, salsa, and chutney. Register by Wed, Oct 21. Details here

🪴 Propagation 101 Class @ Stem and Roots - Fri 6-7:30pm - Learn to grow new plants from nodes, corms, and single leaves, $31.72. Details here

👖 Denim & Dazzle @ Lilah Blue Boutique, Windsor - Fri 6-8pm - A casual night out in your favorite denim and a little sparkle, $17.85. Details here

🦇 The Wonderful World of Bats @ High Plains School, Loveland - Fri 7-9pm - Dr. Rick Adams shares what makes bats so fascinating in this donation-based class from the High Plains Environmental Center. Details here

🎻 Mishawaka Square Dance w/ The New Pleasant Valley String Band @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre - Fri 8pm (doors 7pm) - An all-ages, all-levels square dance on the indoor stage in Bellvue, $9.50 to $28. Details here

🎤 Emo Homecoming @ Sound Bar - Fri, doors 7pm - Local bands play your favorite emo hits, and you’re encouraged to dress in your best homecoming attire. Details here

🎧 Yheti b2b Toadface with Dank Frank & abasin @ Aggie Theatre - Fri 8pm - Yheti and Toadface go back to back, with Dank Frank and abasin in support, tickets $25 plus fees. Details here

🥬 Greeley Farmers Market @ Downtown Greeley - Sat 8am-12pm - Free to browse local produce and baked goods on 7th Street, with the season running through October. Details here

🪱 Master Gardeners: Composting 101 & Vermiculture @ Berthoud Community Library - Sat 2:30-3:45pm - A free sustainable gardening session on composting and worm bins. Details here

🏈 CSU Football vs. San Diego State @ Canvas Stadium - Sat 4:30pm - The Rams host San Diego State in Fort Collins. Details here

🎃 Halloween Costume Party @ CrossFit DNR - Sat, doors 6pm - CrossFit DNR throws its annual Halloween anniversary party as it turns 16, at 2716 S College Ave Unit B. Details here

💕 Spooky Singles Social @ The Neighbor - Sat 6-9pm - A costume contest, games, live DJ, and facilitated conversation for NoCo singles, $39-$49. Details here

😂 The DOSE: A Psychedelic Comedy Show @ Avogadro’s Number - Sat 7:30pm - A Mishawaka-presented comedy night at 605 S Mason St, $25-$35. Details here

🎸 Stray Cat Lee Rocker @ Rialto Theater, Loveland - Sat 7:30pm - The founding Stray Cats member brings his upright bass and rockabilly hits to Loveland. Details here

🎶 sunn O))) with Gentry Densley @ Aggie Theatre - Sat 8pm (doors 7pm) - The drone-metal pioneers play an all-ages show in Old Town. Details here

🎷 Third Turn Residency with Junglefowl @ Sound Bar - Sat, doors 5pm - Fort Collins jam trio Third Turn blends rock, jazz, funk, and reggae, with Junglefowl joining the bill. Details here

🎧 Halloween Rave @ Sound Bar - Sat 9pm-2am - The 4th annual rave has two stages, indoor and outdoor, and costumes are encouraged. Details here

🎤 Karaoke @ Scrumpy’s - Sat 8pm-12am - Weekly karaoke night for seasoned performers and first-timers alike. Details here

🥕 Fort Collins Farmers Market @ Harmony Rd & Lemay Ave - Sun 10am-2pm - The Sunday market in the Ace Hardware parking lot runs through Nov 8. Details here

🥾 Volksmarch Fundraiser @ Stodgy Brewery - Sun 9am-3pm - Larimer County Farmers Alliance hosts a noncompetitive 5K walk with farm stops at Belafonte Farm and Well Fed Farmsteads, a polka brass band, and a $25 ticket at the door that includes a drink token and medallion. Details here

🥚 Pysanky: Ukrainian Egg Decorating, Halloween Special @ Equinox Center of Herbal Studies - Sun 11am-2pm - Learn the traditional folk art and make spooky-themed eggs, $42.39. Details here

👻 Halloween on the Promenade @ The Promenade Shops at Centerra, Loveland - Sun 12-3pm - A free family event with Colorado’s largest bubble tower, ghost scavenger hunt, face painting, costume contests, and adoptable pets. Details here

🐶 Paint by # of Your Pet @ Breckenridge Brewery Fort Collins - Sun 2-4pm - Paint-by-number portraits of your pet with Love You Buddy, from $31.19. Pet photos and ticket sales close Oct 19. Details here

🎤 Singer Songwriter Showcase @ Sound Bar - Sun 6pm (doors 5:30pm) - Eight local artists play acoustic sets alongside art vendors, from $14.19. Details here

😂 #IMOMSOHARD @ The Lincoln Center - Sun 6pm - Comedians and moms Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley bring their web series to the stage, with mature content possible, $62 and up. Details here

🎭 Late Night Frights @ Aggie Theatre - Sun 8pm (doors 7pm) - An 18+ Halloween drag show hosted by Miss Jewdy and Yung Raccoon, presented with R Bar. Details here