Snakes!!!

Oh, how I hate snakes!!

Part One:
About 3 weeks or so ago, we were all playing in the backyard. Taylor was driving Brooklyn around in their little Jeep and I was trying to guide them safely around the fire pit and between (as opposed to right into) the support posts for the deck. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I noticed something right by my foot. I look down and let out a few choice words (glad I have no immediate neighbors within hearing range) as I realized it was a huge black snake! Yes...seriously it was about 3 feet long and about a foot from me! (My neighbor Heather tells me it was just a garden snake and it is harmless...I am not so convinced!)

Justin hates snakes also...but being the man of the house and my hero in this situation, he got the snake and threw it into the woods behind our house. Unfortunately, he came back into the house telling me that he saw two more snakes in the woods as he was throwing the original one back out there!

This discovery brought about a few realizations for me.

1. I no longer felt completely safe in my backyard and was no longer unafraid of the woods there, which I had walked all through for over one and a half years with no previous sightings!

2. By screaming and showing my fear I managed to make my girls afraid of snakes also. (Temporarily not wanting to play outside and having snake nightmares). Yeah, I know...good job mom!

3. I actually have a lot of neighbors who are not afraid of snakes...the little boys in the neighborhood actually want them as pets! Good to know.


Part Two:
I went for a run on Saturday morning and was actually enjoying being able to exercise without my kids slowing me down or harassing me for some vital need. As I am making it up the huge hill just a little ways before my house I am just lost in thought and not really looking at the ground. Then, once again, I look down and all the sudden there is a REALLY HUGE snake...once again about 1 foot from me! I do my traditional scream and jumped about 3 feet away in one bound. Seriously, this was a big snake! It was probably 3-4 feet long and white with different colored diamond type of design on it. Plus, it was about 2 1/2 inches wide. I was so scared and ran quickly home to get Justin and take a picture so people would believe me.

Of course, the snake was gone by the time we drove to see it. Then that night I went to pick up my babysitter and guess who was making its way across the road...yup, the same snake! On my way back up to my house I am thinking, good I can show my babysitter and she can prove that I am not just seeing things. Of course, it is gone again! Unbelievable! But, I found out later that night that one of my neighbors saw it and took it home. Now it is in the walls of their garage...scary! I am glad that my husband doesn't like snakes!