Country life wasn’t designed by Walt Disney. Even though I’ve lived most of my life in the country, I didn’t realize how rough it could be until I started wandering through the woods on a daily basis.
My husband was walking in front of me and I saw his foot lowering, with a copperhead snake under his shoe. Although copperhead bites are rarely fatal, they’re painful. And they terrify me.
I couldn’t scream fast enough to keep my husband from stepping on the snake, but my scream did raise him straight back up off the ground.
I saw the snake flip around, and brush his leg. At that point, I believed I’d just seen my husband receive a poisonous bite.
But he didn’t act hurt.
“Don’t scream that loud unless there’s a snake,” he shouted.
“Snake.” I couldn’t get the word out fast enough. And I really couldn’t believe my husband had escaped a snake bite. I’d seen the snake hit his leg, but his shoe must have either trapped the head and he’d been hit by the tail, or he’d disoriented it so much it couldn’t sink its teeth in.
My husband never saw it. The copperhead had left the trail.
Even with the slithery creatures, the woods have given me so much that I can share my space with them the creatures that aren't Disney-esque. I have no choice. Neither of us plan to leave.
Sometimes it does feel as if I live in a magical world, and I’m very fortunate to have nature around me. I’ve learned to love animals more than I ever expected.
But even Walt Disney couldn’t have made me like the poisonous snakes.
Note: The picture above is from a location where I've seen several snakes. Even though I have some reptile photos, I cannot post one here. Even a cartoon snake would be a little unsettling to me on this blog.
My husband was walking in front of me and I saw his foot lowering, with a copperhead snake under his shoe. Although copperhead bites are rarely fatal, they’re painful. And they terrify me.
I couldn’t scream fast enough to keep my husband from stepping on the snake, but my scream did raise him straight back up off the ground.
I saw the snake flip around, and brush his leg. At that point, I believed I’d just seen my husband receive a poisonous bite.
But he didn’t act hurt.
“Don’t scream that loud unless there’s a snake,” he shouted.
“Snake.” I couldn’t get the word out fast enough. And I really couldn’t believe my husband had escaped a snake bite. I’d seen the snake hit his leg, but his shoe must have either trapped the head and he’d been hit by the tail, or he’d disoriented it so much it couldn’t sink its teeth in.
My husband never saw it. The copperhead had left the trail.
Even with the slithery creatures, the woods have given me so much that I can share my space with them the creatures that aren't Disney-esque. I have no choice. Neither of us plan to leave.
Sometimes it does feel as if I live in a magical world, and I’m very fortunate to have nature around me. I’ve learned to love animals more than I ever expected.
But even Walt Disney couldn’t have made me like the poisonous snakes.
Note: The picture above is from a location where I've seen several snakes. Even though I have some reptile photos, I cannot post one here. Even a cartoon snake would be a little unsettling to me on this blog.
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