An Unwelcome Visitor

Last night we had a little unwelcomed excitement. 

Since our home was vacant for quite some time before us, we were initially very careful to have everyone wear boots in the yard, unless they are swimming and walking to the pool, from the house, via the sidewalk.   We do this because of the unknown environment.  Snakes, poison ivy, spiders… we just weren’t sure what we would encounter at first.

Lately, we have eased up on that, amending it to wearing boots out in the pasture and not necessarily in the yard, since we haven’t seen any snakes. While there have been a few tarantulas, they aren’t harmful to humans. Hurtful, maybe, but not harmful.

The illusion of safety and flip flop wearing was abruptly halted last night as Kevin was filling Jasper’s bowl… He nearly stepped on a copperhead around 2 feet long by the back step water spigot- - - IN HIS FLIP FLOPS.

I came out to say good night to Jasper and make sure the chickens were locked down, and saw Kevin coming out of the garage with his boots on and a shovel in hand and I knew it something was amiss. 

I ran to get the flashlight and turn on the outdoor lighting, and we searched.  Nothing.  This was perhaps even more upsetting, because we knew it was still lurking around.  After an extensive search of the grass and bushes nearby, I went to finish getting Jasper food and water and returned to find Kevin pinning down the snake.  He had persisted and found it up against the house.  I guess the thing had immobilized when it sensed movement because it was exactly where we had been searching the entire time.  

The shovel was a flathead, and we didn’t want to risk letting him out long enough to attempt chopping, so I ran for the pellet gun and to lock Jasper away.  Kevin started to suggest that I hold the snake while he get the gun but I opted against that… I figured he was good.  Ha! I might get a hee-bee-jee-bee up my spine and accidentally let it free!  

After retrieving the pellet gun and Kevin effectively ending it, Kevin brought it on the shovel over to the back steps so we could bring the kids out to view and impress upon them why we do NOT walk around barefoot in the yard, and that we are back to muck boots… I know snakes don’t look for human contact and I understand they are only instinctually trying to protect themselves, but in my world, the only good snake is a dead snake and the kids are too young to know – so I’d rather them look at them all as bad and STAY FAR, FAR AWAY!!! 

I was proud of Kevin – he hates snakes as badly as I do.

I was proud of me too.  I didn’t scream, yell, or run for the hills.  That’s a huge accomplishment for me.   I’m the girl who hurled her biology book across the room when faced with the image of a serpent partaking of whole chicken meal.  I’m the girl who picks her feet up if we drive over or near one in the road.  I’m the girl who wouldn’t look at an image of a snake, much less a real snake carcass that was still wriggling with nerves.  

So, while this was a jolt of reality, a warning to continue to be cautious, I’m thankful for a hubby who is persistent and hunted down the venomous thing, and for safety that no one was bitten.