Snakes and such

Yesterday we got a company wide e-mail saying there had been a couple of snake sightings outside of our building. They calmly explained that although the snake was 5 feet long and non-venomous, it was still an aggressive kind of snake and might go after you and hiss a lot. I contemplated calling in sick today. I don't do snakes. Yes I've held one, and learned about them, and know they are good little critters, but snakes are just not my cup of tea.

Snake encounter #1: We had just moved into a house that had sat vacant for many months. The pool was in sad shape and needed serious rehabilitation. More of a cement pond thing. We got it up and running and it was my job to go out each morning and night and empty the skimmer baskets. One evening, with two little girls in tow, I reached my hand into the basket to snag a large lump of leaves, and something wriggled in my hand. I dropped it like a hot potato and then realized it was a teeny little snake about the size of a pencil. Putting on my best brave-mommy face, I grabbed the little bugger, showed it to the girls (didn't want to pass on my snake terror) then pitched it over the fence. I told the story later to my hubby, and when asked what the snake looked like, I described the pointed head that pinched in at the neck. With horror, he gaped at me. "That was a water moccasin, a very poisonous snake. What were you thinking?"

Snake encounter #2: I was weeding my flower bed one day, when I noticed that the soaker hose I had wound in amongst the plants was looking rather shabby. All stretched out and like it was about to split. I leaned down to pick it up and the hose moved. The HOSE moved, in my HAND. I landed about 6 feet away, on my feet in my best fight or flight pose. I ran to the garage and got a hoe, with which I snagged the thing and dragged it out of my flowers. It was 17 feet long (OK, maybe more like 4) and fat. It's beady unblinking eyes bored into me as it wiggled and twisted trying to get at me. It wanted to eat me (or maybe just escape) I hate to say that in my adrenaline induced psychosis I killed that snake. I was sure it was deadly. Later I learned it was a rat snake that eats rodents and is considered a good snake (is there such a thing???) Um, sorry snakey.

Snake encounter #3: When I first worked in Arizona, our lab was located in a temporary building with a wooden deck on the front. I worked with a fellow from China who also was new to AZ. One day he headed out, only to come back in the front door a minute later. He looked kind of flustered as he explained that "There is snake outside. It make noise at me". We opened the door and there, cooiled up on the deck in the sun was a large rattlesnake that appeared quite pissed. It seems that this fellow had stepped over it to leave, causing it to become defensive and begin to rattle. He was so perplexed by this that he stepped BACK OVER the snake to come inside and tell us. It's a miracle he didn't get bitten.

So snakes, I apologize, but I don't like you. Not good snakes or bad snakes or pretty snakes. Well, maybe stuffed snakes.....

Kitting update: I decided to buy a kit for a sweater. Take a lot of the guess work out of my first real project. Here is what I ordered. It's listed as Easy. Plus it was cheap ($16 on sale) I also ordered several 99cent patterns for easy projects.