Chris Stanley on wed 22 aug 01
All this has got me remembering another classic from my recent past. I got
a phone call at work from my wife one day, she was screaming at the top of
her lungs that a rattlesnake had slithered into the house. My wife, my son
(age 6), my daughter (age 1) and the freaking wonder mutt were all standing
on top of the couch afraid to move, attack, or do much of anything except
scream. My analytical questions regarding the issue of whether or not the
snake was really a rattler were met with vocabulary that would turn the
toes. (Yes, they were screaming so loud that if the snake had rattlers there
would have been no way to hear them!) The snake had coiled itself near the
back door and was staring them down like the captive prey it wished they
were. By the time I got home, the snake had left the house through the
same door that it had probably entered. Heck, I cannot blame the snake for
leaving. I wanted out after having to listen to them also! Now I am not
sure it was a rattlesnake. We do have them here, but they are solitary
creatures. We do have rat, or gopher snakes that get mistaken for
rattlesnakes and only after death is the mistaken identity realized. I am
not a snake hunter. They are amazing creatures, but a rattlesnake in the
house is not a good thing no matter how much you love nature. Funny damn
thing, but I have never read any poetic homage's to pit vipers. It is kind
of like those folks in Florida swimming with the sharks, I am sure communing
with nature is good, but there is a point where nature likes to remind us
that we should be a wee more careful.
Chris
PS. The wonder mutt discovered a scorpion the other day out in the shed.
Now she is even afraid of dust bunnies in the house. The turtle had babies,
the hundreds of lizards are doing fine and occasionally we even see a horny
toad. Peace to all.
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