Snakes and Such

I don't know why, but I've always felt like I need to spot a snake before I consider that Spring has officially started.

I realize that some of you don't particularly care for snakes.

I might even shimmy right out on a limb and venture to say that some of you consider your feelings about snakes as something akin to , oh I don't know, A HATRED.

But I'm not one of  those.

No, I kind of like them.

Now don't get me wrong.  I don't want to be surprised by a snake.  Like the time the Copperhead was cozily snuggled in the stack of newspapers on the little table in the OLD farmhouse.  And especially not like the time the 4 foot Black Runner was coiled up in the tea kettle on the stove in the OLD farmhouse.

No, I am not one to particularly enjoy that type of serpentine surprise.

(For those of you that are, at this point, totally and completely grossed out, let me assure you that the OLD farmhouse was considerably different from the NEW farmhouse in that the NEW one is really FAN-CEE and all with real walls and floors and windows that close and running water and such.)

We are living large if I do say so myself.



But the snakes.  They are interesting, don't you think?

And slithery and graceful.

You have to admit that there's just no other creature quite like them.


So anyway, now that you are perfectly clear on how I feel about snakes and can rest easy that you no longer have that as a lingering question in your mind - I mean, now when you wake up in the middle of the night and think - 'You know, I wonder what Lu thinks about snakes,'  well then by golly, you can answer yourself.

I overshare.  I do.


But here's the announcement.


Spring!  It is here.


Yesterday The Chief and I were picking berries.  Well. I was picking berries and The Chief was trying to hurry me along so he could mow the area where I was picking berries.  I was crossing over a cattle guard and there was the longest rat snake you've ever seen.

Really Long.


And I got very excited and JUMPED! UP! AND! DOWN! and yelled to The Chief,  "Chief! Chief!  It's a SNAKE, CHIEF!  it's a snake!  It's SPRING, Chief, it's really and truly SPRING!

It's a snake!


And The Chief never really looked up from what he was doing and said, "OK.  I'm gonna mow here now."

And well, I find this kind of comforting in a way.



Even though seasons change, some things always stay the same.


And for me, right now, this is a good thing.


Happy Spring, Y'all.

Lu