Eating Lunch with a Reptile
One day I was going to eat lunch, as Wyatt would say, “I was staaarved!” So I went in search of something to eat. As I scanned the kitchen in search of something tasty and edible, on the counter to my astonishment there was an oversized snake slithering in my direction! Naturally, I was quite alarmed. I quickly leaped back. “What in the wide world!” I thought. I felt I needed to shout my astonishment from the top of some place very high. After my initial shock, I began exclaiming, “There’s a snake on the counter, there’s a snake on the counter!” I didn't know we were having company. Usually company is a much welcomed pleasant surprise for us, living on "Tumbleweed Lane" and all. Well, this visit was definitely a surprise but sure wasn't pleasant, nor welcomed! Luckily, Levi was around so I told him to take care of the creepy intruder. It was a struggle, but as usual Levi came out victorious with his weapon: a plastic bag. Why a plastic bad…I know not. I wished it a deathly fate, but they just set it free. As for me, after all that I decided I wasn't "staaaarved" anymore. The nasty blow snake was gone and so was my appetite! I ate a few crotons that were meant for my salad, but they just made me feel somewhat ill. So I didn’t eat lunch after all.
The experience has left me with an unrealistic fear that snakes are lurking everywhere, and are ready to strike! Actually, it wasn’t the first time we discovered a snake in our house, or the second in fact, it was the third! There was one in the shoe room once, and one in my moms closet. But one in the kitchen counter in the middle of the day, oh dear! So, watch out! If they can get on the kitchen counter, can’t they get just about everywhere?!?
Soon after this traumatic event, we went to the park with some friends. Someone yelled, “Snake.” As a result a bunch of people started being frantic. Then they explained that it was “Snake question mark not snake exclamation point.” So be sure to specify is it “Snake!” or “Snake?”
Also, I found it amusing after telling the story to a friend that she thought it was the snake that ate the crouton not me! Oh dear.
" There's a SNAKE on the counter! There's a snake on the counter!"
"It could creep out a bat!"
It was crawling all over the kitchen counter.
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Smelly, Furry, Bloody Mouse Blobs
That same day, my mom wanted us (Heidi and MaryLynn) to clean out the storage room, after the scaring event of the snake. I know, how much can we handle in one day? Geez. Yes, we were quite afeared that we would come across yet another snake. But come to find out, there were worse things ahead for us to encounter. Oh dear.
After delaying the ordeal for quite some time, we decided to face our doomed fate. We finally mustered up the courage to enter the eerie storage room. With gloves on (which were a chore to find), and Clorox disinfectant in hand, we thought we were knights ready to conquer the quest that lay ahead. We soon found that mouse droppings were more abundant than pepper on dad's Sunday baked potato, and the ghastly mixture of aromas from the droppings and cleaner were making the boys' work hats seem like pleasant perfume. Our bravery and confidence were slipping away, but we continued onward. While clearing the storage room, there was a black sleeping bag laying on the floor. As I went to grasp it, I couldn't help but fear a viscous snake bounding out of it, as a picture of the lunch visitor reentered my mind. As I did someone comes up behind me puts there hands on my back roars. I let out a scream then laughed as my heart slowly stopped racing. We were tempted to abandon our quest but pressed forward with wavering courage. Perfect timing indeed.
Heidi's adventures of cleaning the storage room was much worse! Here it is.
Heidi's tale. Poor Heidi. So, as if the mouse droppings weren't bad enough, there were more remains of mice, or at least something furry and gross! As we were moving, arranging and disinfecting, Heidi came across some blobs of things that had hair remains and blood. We call them "smelly, furry, bloody mouse blobs." As far as we can figure some mice must have somehow died and left some remains. It sure did smell of death, which almost killed Heidi as well. She was about to through up! (Hum, throwing up in the storage room? Sound familiar anyone....Bryant hehe! Another great story that it!) Anyways, the brave soul (Heidi) somehow was victorious over the smelly, furry, bloody mouse blobs. I feel kind of bad. I was cleaning and just kept laughing a lot as she was half gaging/ half laughing as she turned her head away and tried to wipe up the sfbm blobs. Good thing they didn't just come back to life and get her, then again maybe they were alive to begin with.
Coming close to throwing up!
Laughing
Perhaps our two stories are more related than we thought. Maybe our lunch visitor, The Snake already had lunch in the storage room, left us a little of it, (hence the smelly, bloody, fuzzy mouse blobs) and was coming to the kitchen in search of dessert! Hum, well, I didn’t want to be dessert. But I guess it could have eaten a few croutons if it really wanted to.As much as we usually like and welcome visitors, we would much rather have just eaten our own food and done it alone with out any visitors at all. Although that would have left us with out this great story to share with you.
And that is the joys of life with the Gardners. Indeed we have good times. Just wonder what is up ahead…? Well after this incident I hope for not so much excitement, or at least a different kind. But then again, with Wyatt around, There is always excitment lurking aroudn somewhere. Sometimes the excitement comes right up behind you and jumps on your head, literally! You may just know what I mean, and ouch it hurts. I know from experience!
May you live without ever having an "Eating lunch with a reptile" experience or coming face to face with a "Smelly, furry, bloody, mouse blobs."
Presents! We had a hard time at first trying to think of what to get her!
Anastasia, one of her most favorite movies! Now she has one all her own.
"Pop ice" as she calls them. Gale looks excited about them. He's eyeing them.
Cheryl loves to make apple pie! Mom found this handy dandy apple slicer/peeler/corer.
Looky there, it works!
Wyatt's photography skills! Cheese.
And....Levi pins him.
Chett and Gale watching the match. They just kept smiling and laughing.
Hum.
Returning
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