Spirit, Quest & The Pirate
OMG, I was just walking into my
kitchen last night to fix something for dinner when I saw a black snake come out
from under the refrigerator and head toward the laundry room. My first thought
was shoes. After putting those on I gingerly ventured into the edge of the
laundry room and looked around. No snake. Of course there were a lot of places
to hide. I closed the pocket door and went to find some snake hunting
equipment, namely the broom, a flashlight and a fly swatter. I know, but I
have not been on many snake hunts and I was kind of at a loss for what I needed
in the way of equipment. I am really afraid of snakes. To understand my state
of mind just figure how a reasonable person would react to being confronted with
a Black Mamba in her house. My fear has no basis in reality I was just brain
washed from earliest childhood to be afraid of snakes. Ok, it was a garter
snake, but it was two feet long .... well maybe 18 inches anyway. Size and
species does not matter when it comes to snakes in my house.
I was in the opposite end of my kitchen trying to get a grip, when I saw the snake come under the edge of the pocket door and then turn around and go back under the door into the laundry room. I opened the door, broom and flyswatter in hand. The snake had disappeared. I went around, through the dinning room, living room, entry and hallway. Quest was calmly laying in the hallway watching the snake that was just beyond him in the laundry room. He had no visible interest whatsoever. I suppose I should be happy to report that the reptile aversion training we did in California (because of rattle snakes), apparently worked well. Somehow, I gathered every ounce of courage I could muster, and I walked toward the snake with the broom - it went behind and maybe under a wicker cabinet that was near the washer and dryer. I opened the door to the garage, which was right next to the wicker cabinet. I envisioned a broom thump on the cabinet and the snake peacefully exiting that door into the garage. It did not happen. I hit the cabinet with the broom which set the dogs off barking like crazy. After I calmed them down, I pulled out a stool to sit on while I kept watch on both sides of the wicker cabinet, the garage doorway and my feet. I waited. Then I saw a small snake head peak out from under the wicker cabinet. It was the wrong side - away from the garage doorway so I hit the cabinet with the broom and it went back under the edge. This went on a couple more times during the next couple hours.
As it approached midnight I realized I
needed a plan. I could not spend the rest of the night on the stool in the kitchen. I gathered up some more snake hunt equipment: a roll of gorilla
tape (much like duct tape, but stronger), and some clear tape, Carefully
maneuvering the wicker cabinet while holding the broom poised in front of me, I
slid the cabinet into the doorway, broadside. Nothing happened. Now the back
of the cabinet (where the snake went under it), was facing the open garage
doorway. Next came the tape. I taped the bottom edges of the wicker cabinet -
front and sides, to the floor. I taped the edge of the cabinet to the door jamb and I pulled the
door tight against the cabinet on the other side and taped it in place. I also taped the
bottom edge of the door and the crack of the door at the hinged
side.
I cannot say I felt good about it,
but I felt about 80% sure that the snake would exit into the dark garage after
all was quiet. I did not think he would come back back into the house. I hoped
that if he did he would not like dealing with the gorilla tape. It was after 2:00 AM.
I went to bed, taking my broom, and my flashlight. I abandoned the
fly-swatter. When I got ready to get in bed I put my shoes right at my bedside,
for a moment, then thought better of it and put them on top of my night stand. I
searched my bed for snakes and finally just went to sleep without reading as I
normally do. Amazing, but I did not dream of
snakes!
This morning I went into the kitchen searching as I went. At the laundry room door I carefully checked the tape - that had not been breached as far as I could see and it had no snakes stuck to it. So far so good. I made a tour of the other rooms on this level. I unplugged and rolled up electric cords to lamps and anything else that appeared "snakelike". I just did not want to look at them. I cleared the top two open shelves of the wicker cabinet. I was not about to open the two little cupboard doors or the drawer on the bottom. I decided to have a cup of coffee and try to muster up some courage. I called my daughter, Laura. She was sweet and very sympathetic even though she was laughing hysterically part of the time. I am very proud to say I did not pass on my snake phobia to her.
I told her my next action was going to be moving
the cabinet over the threshold and into the garage while armed with my broom
and trying to insure that the snake did not slip under the edge of the cabinet
and come back in the house. Laura wisely suggested that I first put on my boots. I
liked that idea until I had to get my boots out of the closet where they have
been since last winter. I put a sock on my hand and made sure no spiders were
in my boots before putting them on. Laura made a lot of suggestions that
involved the use of the word "slithering". I requested that she please stop
using that word. She had another laughing fit, but I could tell she was trying
to control it. I would have liked to open the big garage door to get a little
more light on the subject, but the opener was in my car. I could not reach
the door opener button in the garage, since the cabinet was blocking the
doorway. The other door to the garage is through the pool house and of course
this time I had methodically locked all five sliding doors to the pool house
after we finished swimming yesterday.
I decided I was as ready as I would
ever be. I was wearing my boots, long pants and my sleep T shirt. I decided to
go change that - since it would not look very good in case I died of fright.
The dogs knew something momentous was going to take place and they were milling
around the cabinet. Spirit and Quest were fairly calm, but Pirate was occasionally making
little yip noises that were driving me crazy. I carefully eased the
cabinet over the threshold and I could hear the tape losing its grip. Just then the doors to
the bottom shelves popped open - heart failure - no snake, more gorilla tape. I continued easing the cabinet into the garage - not easy when you are holding a
broom and flyswatter. Then it was out and no snake in sight. Just a little
bit further so that I could reach the door opener. Yes! door open. I shut the
door to the laundry room and called Laura again.
Yippee!
Feeling pretty good about it. Can't
say I am really comfortable yet. I don't plan to do my exercises on the floor
or really use the floor much at all, for anything except passage from one room to the
next. I have taken off my boots and am wearing closed shoes - no sandals. The
broom is in a very handy spot, as is the flashlight. I had to go to therapy
(not mental, honest) it was for my wrist. I left the garage door open a little
so the snake could go back to nature where he belongs. I have not seen him. I
may never bring the cabinet back into the house. I may never be able to get my
laundry soap and softener out of the cabinet, but I may not have snakes in my
house and that is worth a shopping trip for new laundry supplies. I am
exhausted. I have one more scary job. I need to move the cabinet from the area
right in front of the door to the other side of the garage, out of the way. I
have been telling myself I was allowing the snake plenty of time to get out of
the cabinet and leave the garage. I guess I have really just been gathering
courage. Wish me luck! This should be a snap compared to the previous 18
hours. Betty & the Snake Hunt Crew, Spirit, Quest and
Pirate
