Ugh... I can't think of a better metaphoric (I'm sure that's not a word but my brain is overloaded) way to end a tough week. Well, really just two days. Yesterday my dad went to the ER with chest pains. I spent the majority of my day in the ER awaiting news with my brother and mom. Thankfully, he is on the mend. He had 65% and 90% blockage of the arteries leading to his heart. He's still in ICU but he is stable and will go home soon.
Second on my mind was 911. I don't think any American can go through today without thinking of where they were and what they were doing that tragic day 8 years ago. I usually deal with stress by trying to avoid it. That's exactly what I was doing today. Trying to occupy my mind with prayer, good things and trying to stay out of the funk.
Actually, I was updating this blog which I try to do once or twice a week. As I was typing I noticed the sparrows fluttering and chirping on one bush in our yard. Then, more came, and more--all chirping, fluttering and making a fuss. So much that I called my daughter to the window. I was thinking, "What berries or food have they found over there?" Then I saw him. "A SNAKE!!!!" I yelled! I went into mommy mode. This being the 3rd snake this year I've killed, I told Pocahontas to watch him and sit on top of the picnic table--the snake was far away. I told her to scream if he moved. I gathered my "tools" quickly and ran back to form a plan. The last time this happened I used wasp spray to stun the snake. Then a shovel to hold him down. I had to call my son, who had been napping to bring a baseball bat which I used to pound the poor snakes head.
This time I couldn't find the wasp spray, my dramatic daughter was crying at the "evil thing!!!" but I grabbed every sharp tool I could find in the garage and set close by so she could hand them to me if I needed them. Well, as luck would have it my first swing with the shovel struck the lower part of his tail. I didn't want him crawling under the fence so I had to leave him pinned under the shovel that I was holding. I told my daughter to hand me the other shovel. As luck would have it the shovel she handed me had a shorter handle. She was screaming by this time because he was striking the shovel I had him pinned with. Daughter screaming, birds squawking.... AHHHHH! To distract her I told her to go in and call Daddy and tell him what was happening. Hind sight is 20/20.
By this time all the tension and anger was just rising inside of me. I had her screaming and crying in the house and this bird eating, child biting snake on the other end of the shovel I was holding. The poor snake never stood a chance... even without the wasp spray to stun him. He was striking and striking. I finally thought, "Okay, this may be a short shovel and a long snake but this is it--YOU'RE DEAD!" I start striking and swinging the other shovel with my left hand. I finally got a good hit behind his head, pinned him down, grabbed the tree trimmers and snip, snap, it was over. I'm still amazed at the things us mommies do when it comes to our children. It's not just poop, snot and throw up. We truly can list just about everything under our job description. Yes, this is the actual snake. We had to get a picture for our nature blog. First things first!
I came back to reality and I hear my daughter crying and yelling into the phone, "No, I don't think the snake bit mommy!!!" My poor husband! I went to the phone, hugged my daughter and reassured my hubby I was fine. The snake was dead and I had to leave to go get my son from preschool. All in a days work I guess.
