Single Woman vs. Snake in Dining Room

     As I prepared to go upstairs for the night (last night at 9:45), a good song was on the radio, so I started to dance around the dining room. Then my eyes beheld a slithering snake on the floor about 3 feet from the french door. Oh no! What to do? (I'll stop here and say it was about 12 inches long, about the size of my little finger in diameter, but his head kept coming up like they did in those snake charmer scenes when I was a kid.)
This was what came to my mind.


1. Cover with a pot cover? No, Mamma did that for a mouse one time.
2. Smother with salt? No, that's what I did for slugs in Texas.
3. Squirt with ammonia? No, that would damage the hardwood floor and might upset him.
4. Douse with clorox? No, that, too, would damage the floor.
5. Call the fire department? Can't find the number. Too nervous.
Aha, call my sister. She'd call a friend of hers. She called me back and told me her friend suggested I call "311" and ask for animal patrol. If that didn't work, call 911. I did the 311 call. Nothing. I called 911 and explained the situation. "Is he aggressive?" 
"No."
"Is he outdoors?"
"No, he's in my dining room."
"Dining room??"
"Yes."
She would send someone over to help.


Sister called back. She was coming over, but before that, put on her L.L. Bean boots. I went to put on my green gum-rubber style boots. All the time, watching Sammy Snake slither around trying to get out the door to the patio. He first slid into the space at the bottom of the door and the threshhold, but I could still see him. Then he slithered up the door between the door and the frame. At times I couldn't see him but then his head would poke out. I tried to do the dishes to make use of the time I was having to stay up, but I really wanted to know where he was at all times.


My sister arrived and felt my lounge-around-the-house-cotton-shirt was too short. I agreed. She went up to get me something longer and the doorbell rang. I let my sister's friend and one of his boys in, grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around my waist. The guys took my broom, opened the door, and scooted said snake out! Whew!! 


There we girls were with boots on and me with a blanket around me looking pretty foolish. The "boy" is a visiting young man from Japan and my sister told him my get-up wasn't "normal" American garb! It was his 30th birthday and we all got a good laugh over the incident.

Thank God for sisters and friends.

Spring: White, Green, and Pink

Sunday, March 25, 2012,
..... outdoors on my garden-patio, admidst the bursting leaves and flowers, sun on my back, listening to chirping birds.... the prettiest day since I've lived here.


I'm in the beginning of spring. Well, more accurately, nature is in the beginning of spring and I'm an excited observer. Living in southeast Texas for 30-plus years pretty much separated me from spring. Well, not really, but the spring I'd known in New England. Charlotte's spring is beautiful and colorful and a complete surprise to me. This is what spring should be. This is one of the reasons I moved here and I've not been disappointed. In fact, as I already wrote, I'm excited!


First of all several trees on my street bloomed into white flowers in about three days. Then as I drove down other streets, I'd see one-after-another pristine white trees and they reminded me of maids of honor walking down the aisle with their bouquets. What a sight!


Then two of the trees on this patio began to bloom with greenery just this week and yesterday's rain helped them open up last night, so this morning, when I looked down onto the patio from my windows, I couldn't see all the bird feeders and I realized the trees were filled with leaves. Tiny leaves, yellowish green, and oh so fun to watch open up. Just now, I'm seeing shade on this patio. A new thing.  And now one more tree is turning pink with delicate, spikey flowers on each branch. Maybe it's a bush that went wild, but it's a "tree" now and it's beautiful. Some birds are talking from it right now. 


Which brings me to something I've just paid attention to today. I knew the birds that come to feed here, like black sunflower seeds, but they are pricey, so last time I bought food, I bought two bags...one of sunflower seeds and one of a  mixture. On Thurs., when I filled the feeders, I put the mixture in. BAD choice! Over the weekend when I had my brother and sister-in-law here, I wondered why the birds weren't flocking here, as usual. I figured it had to do with the rain, or that I was in and out more, and not paying attention. Today when I came home from church, I realized the feeders were practically full, and THEN caught on. They didn't like my menu choice! So I put sunflower seeds in and now they are probably spreading the word, but won't come to eat while I'm out here. The sun's getting hot on my neck, so I'll go in soon when I finish this. 


I wanted you to know how much I'm getting filled up on the beauty I see here now. God is putting on a show for me and I appreciate it immensely!
I hope you have a beautiful show going on outdoors where you live. Enjoy it. Appreciate it. Thank God for it.