Snakes

I read www.thepioneerwoman.com every day. Her blog makes me laugh, cry and learn new things daily. She has a great photography and cooking section complete with some fabulous recipies not to mention some good homeschooling information as well.

Yesterday she posted that her hubby played a trick on her by putting a fake snake next to her bed and then having her reach down to get his pillow. I just about wet myself reading it not because of her story but because of a memory that immediately came to mind.

Robert and I were busy in our house with normal day to day goings on about three summers ago when all of a suddon my then 79 year old grandfather came barrelling through our back door. He was all sweaty and out of breath. I thought he was going to tell me something had happened to my grandma but all he could get out was my phone wasnt working. I finally calmed him down and got out of him what the problem was. hehe

He was sitting in his recliner watching tv and reading his newspaper when a six foot long water moccasin came slithering under his recliner and through the house. He in sheer panic reached for his phone and started dialing my number to come for help but was so upset and excited, he couldnt get the number dialed. He finally after coming out of his catatonic state managed to RUN out of the house and down to mine to get us to help him.

When we got back to his house the door was opened, some chairs were overturned and I couldnt find my grandma. I yelled for her and she yelled from her bedroom that she was fine. However you could tell that she was in a panic and freaking out beyond any panic that I have ever heard in her voice. Aparently when she realized the snake was in her room Grandma screamed and ran for her bedroom, slammed the door and got up on the bed. Now this was a site I tell ya...LOL My 73-year old four-foot-ten grandma standing on the bed with sheer panic in her face.

All this over a snake? I am not afraid of snakes and Robert has a healthy respect for them but doesnt care for them much. I had pet snakes both as a child and an adult. They are beautiful creatures that do a good deed for the earth. They eat RODENTS! After some searching we finally found that poor snake. Robert caught him and beheaded him much to my protest. I thought he should be taken to the lake and set free but Robert didnt feel like he could wrangle the thing without being bit at some point. I prefer to keep my hubby healthy as opposed to the poor snake.

Its a day I hope I never forget. The moral to the story is... dont leave your doors open when you live in the country! It was such a beautiful day and Papa was tired of getting up to let the dog in and out every five minutes so he left the screen door open just enough... to invite in the critters!