It Doesn’t Bode Well.

Yesterday I drove the two miles into town. In the two miles I saw something that made me think this summer is not going to be good. In the two miles I saw four big snakes that had been run over and were dead in the road. Now for those of you that know me and know how I feel about snakes, this doesn’t bode well.

From some summers back when I was weed eating at the pond and a water moccasin slithered over my foot going into the pond, I’ve sort of been hesitant just walking around the edge of it. The last couple of summers I haven’t been too worried about it because I haven’t seen that many snakes. However, when I saw the four in the road, I thought OK they’re back and they’re going to be seeing if they can give me a heart attack this year.

The thing I thought about the most was George. He doesn’t know to be afraid of anything, and if he saw a snake he would run up to it and bark and sniff. For a long time I’ve just taken him out and let him run around in the yard. Now it looks like I’m going to have to put him back on the leash. I figure if I see a snake that my natural reaction is to run like hell. At least if George is on a leash I can drag him along. Otherwise without a leash I’m afraid poor George would be left alone out there.

It’s not just with the normal snakes around here anymore. I saw a news story that has heightened my concern. It seems that down in Florida they now are having trouble with Anacondas and Pythons. The news story showed a Python that had swallowed a six-foot Alligator. Both the Python and Alligator were dead because the Python had exploded somehow. Now in the last couple of years they’ve found a couple of Alligators in ponds around here. It seems now besides the normal snakes, I have to worry about Alligators and giant snakes.

Now back to George. When I let him out just to do his business or to run around without the leash, he has his own way of hearing me. When we first go out, he’ll stay on the patio. I tell him to go on or get out there and do something. He’ll just look at me for a second or two and then walk around on the patio. When I don’t say a word, he’ll look at me again and I swear it looks like he shrugs his shoulders, and then goes out into the yard. After a good while I’ll yell at him to come on in. He does that same look, turns around and just keeps doing what he wants. No matter how many times I tell him to come on, he gives me that look like “who the heck are you talking to.” So after awhile I’ll get up from the chair and open the door and go inside. George is never out of my site, but I’ve figured he must be thinking, “he’s really going to leave me outside.” So I open the door and he’s in like a flash.

Now for the last time, back to the snakes and/or alligators and George. I figure if I see something and start yelling at George, he’ll give me that look and he’ll go over to bark and sniff at whatever is out there. So my only alternative is to put him on the leash again. Although, I’ve wondered if I could get a litter box and train him like a cat? Maybe put grass clippings down in it or something.

All I know is that seeing four snakes on the road doesn’t bode well with me. At least though, I haven’t seen any Alligators or Anacondas/Pythons on the road…………..yet.