Snake Encounter

What an afternoon! It all started with Abby wanting to eat her snack in the front yard. So out we went and sat on the step up to the front porch. We sat leisurely for a while, watching Sassy dash around in the front yard and commenting on how quickly the leaves were falling from the trees now. After a few minutes, Abby stood up and walked down the sidewalk. She walked a few steps and then turned to come back. When she stopped, she was standing on one of the cracks that all sidewalks have (dividers of sorts). I just happened to look down and what was in the crack? Nothing but a snake. Abby was standing on a snake!!! PANIC! Instantly, my mind started racing, and I mean racing. It went something like this, "Save Abby! But what if it strikes? Okay...stay calm. AHHHHHH!" At some point in this half a second I started thinking a little more clearly. My uncle, the snake expert, once told me to move slowly around snakes so as not to startle them. But this was my daughter's life at stake. I jumped into action. "Abby, come to Mommy." (Shakes head no). "Abby, may Mommy see what is in your cup?" (Looks at cup (oh no, don't shift your weight) and shakes head no). "Abby, please may Mommy have a grape?" (Smiles and moves toward me). I grab her!

It was not until we were safely out of range that I finally was able to see the tail and know that it was not a rattle snake. Still, a snake is a snake and the only good snake is a dead snake. We fetched a hoe out of the storage shed; I have since learned I was supposed to use a shovel. After safely depositing Abby and Sassy inside the house, both glued to the door for a better view, I returned to kill the snake. To make an already long story a little shorter, I was unsuccessful...probably because I was shaking beyond belief at this point...to the point that I missed the first time and obviously didn't do very well the second time either. So, on lives the snake somewhere in my flowerbed. And Abby, Sassy, and I are avoiding the front yard, possibly forever.

This picture is NOT of the real snake but is as close as I can find on the internet. Not that I could really even pick the snake out of a line-up at this point.