Plumbing Job

My water bill was through the roof last month.  When I called to complain, the lady said they have new fangled meters these days and they can to an analysis on the usage and tell if something was amiss.
She called back later and said that in fact, I was using almost twice the water that I normally use and that it was constant throughout the day. This can only mean one thing - WATER LEAK!!!!!
My pipes have been spliced a few times during the thirty years we've lived here, so I knew pretty much where to look. The last issue we had was under the deck, so that's where I started. After twenty minutes of digging, I unearthed the pipe and it was not leaking.
The second place was out by the apple tree where the old stand pipe once stood. The moment I stepped on the sharp-shooter shovel, it sank to the hilt, and I knew the leak was there.
I turned the water off and started repairs when I realized I needed a new fitting. I turned the tool shed upside down but I didn't have an extra fitting which was the right size.
I went to plan B which is to look in the barn and Sharky's old truck. Sharky was Jilda's dad and he was a plumber from way back.  Whenever I need a tool or some other obscure part, I can go to the barn and look through the bins, buckets, and shelves where he stored such things, and more often than not, I find what I'm looking for.
I didn't find it in the barn so I decided to look in his old blue Ford pickup which is parked behind the barn. I opened the door and scooted in the passenger side and started going through to boxes and sacks in the floorboard of the old workhorse. I casually looked where the driver normally sits and there was a snake that looked as long as flagpole.
You could say I exited the truck quickly, but that would not capture the level of haste I used to get out. I bumped my head, my knee, and both elbows. I didn't soil my britches, but I swear I came close.  I said cuss words that I'm sure has me on the highway to hell.
I'm not sure if it was a rattlesnake or just an old chicken snake because I didn't take time to make the proper ID, but either way, I prefer not to intrude where I'm not wanted.
I left my wire pliers, in the cab, but I think I'll leave them there till maybe December. It should be cold enough then the send the critter into hibernation.
I went to the hardware store and bought a sack of fittings just in case I have an issue in the future. If anyone wants a great deal on an old Ford pickup, just let me know.