A Slithery Situation

From quiet homes and first beginning out to the undiscovered ends, there is nothing worth the wear of winning but laughter and the love of a friend.

Hilaire Belloc

Funny moments seem to invade my days without any assistance or nudges from me whatsoever.

One such incident happened when Eva was about one year old. It was early spring and I decided to take a walk around the lake that was located at the back of our subdivision home. Chuck was out of the country on business and I was in charge of the house and crew while he was gone.  

For all my readers that do not live in the South, I need to explain what happens in March. Spring comes early in the South (which I absolutely love). Temperatures can vary exponentially, but typically your days are going to be between 70-85 degrees, with added humidity creeping in. This brings all of our “no shoulder” friends out for sunbathing around water and rocks. Copperheads and Water Moccasins are two of the deadliest snakes that we have in the South and we have them in abundance, but as long as you know where to look and keep out of their way, you have nothing to worry about.

Typically, March is off-limits for walking around the lake but it was a delightful afternoon with the sun glistening over the lake and the enchanting green foliage beaconing me to be a part of it. I figured I would take my chances and enjoy this glorious day. I mean, what were the odds of running into a snake this early in the spring?

I got Eva strapped into her stroller while Samson jumped from side to side like the energetic two-year-old puppy that he was. Maximus being only four months old followed suit.

It was indeed a glorious day. Birds were chirping and flowers were budding. Throwing caution to the wind, we enjoyed every step; trudging deeper and deeper around the backside of the lake. About halfway around, I heard Maximus yelp and then watched him leap over something. I moved closer to see what it was and that’s when I saw him; one of our “no shoulder” friends was sitting there curled up, daring us to move forward. I quickly pushed the stroller forward to get out of the way of his second strike, realizing too late that I had locked myself in. We had a lot of rain that spring so part of the bank was overflowing with water; creating a marshy, swampy, muddy mess.

I had created quite the dilemma; backward meant facing the copperhead who was still staring at us and forward meant trekking through the swamp. I decided wading through the calf-deep marshy mud was a better risk than visiting with our friend behind us.

Maximus was fading fast. With no help in sight, I took Eva out of the stroller to make sure she was safe in my arms while I waded through this marsh pit. With one hand I carried Eva and with the other, I pulled the stroller behind me. The dogs were trying to bound through the mess as best they could. At this point, I prayed no one on the opposite side of the lake owned a pair of binoculars; mud doesn’t begin to describe what we were covered in.

Chuck, being in flight over the Atlantic Ocean was not going to be able to help me out of this pickle I had gotten myself into. I was, however, thankful I had brought my phone with me which allowed me to quickly dial up my dad and ask him about the severity of a snake bite to a dog. He assured me the poison would not kill him. It would only make him really sick.

With this information I continued trudging onward, making my way back to dry ground towards home. I happened to look down and noticed Maximus was struggling to walk. His foot had swollen to twice its normal size, and for lack of a better description, he looked delirious. About the time I was observing this, my phone rings. It was my dad calling back. Mom had clarified to him that it was not Samson but the puppy Maximus that had gotten bit by the copperhead snake. Dad immediately told me to get him to the vet as quickly as I could. He informed me that the poison would be a lot stronger to a pup than a full-grown dog.

After arriving back at the house, I loaded everyone up as fast as I could. Samson was running tight circles around the yard, barking and chasing his tail (I still can’t figure that part out). Eva was crying by this point. I wanted to join her but figured that would not help the situation.

I could hear Chuck’s words before he left echoing in my ears, “Keep the chaos to a minimum while I am gone.” I just shook my head and drove to the vet as fast as I could.

By the time evening rolled around, Samson and Maximus were resting comfortably on the back porch and Eva was sound asleep in her crib. I collapsed on the couch to the sound of my phone ringing. It was Chuck. He asked how my day had gone? I wrestled between detailed information or just a casual “fine.” I settled on telling him the details. The silence was traveling the sound waves as I sat patiently waiting for his response. When he finally spoke, he said, “I have been gone less than 24 hours. How have you managed all of that in such a short time.” I followed up with, “I don’t know babe. One thing led to another and before I knew it, there I was with the snake, the dogs, myself, and Eva in my arms.”

In the end, Maximus survived. Samson calmed down. Eva doesn’t remember a thing. And as for me, well, I haven’t changed much… I still keep Chuck on his toes.

Life is full of mishaps that need to be shared but never are. Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is wasted.” Many times, it is hindsight that shows us the hysterics. Find someone to share life’s humor with and enjoy the laughter together.

Welcome Home

“God has brought me laughter and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6

If you are enjoying these posts SUBSCRIBE, SHARE, and LIKE below!