Monday Musings...Herpetology Hic-Ups...

There is nothing as eloquent as a rattlesnake's tail.

 Indian Proverb, Navajo

I never said I was Dr. Doolittle.


Never.

But I do have a soft spot for small fuzzy little creatures. And I do see the majesty in the prowess of the lion and of the tiger. I can appreciate the gigantic grace of the blue whale. I hear the music of the song bird and I love the comedy of the chimpanzee.

I can appreciate most all of God's creatures.

Except for one species.

Just can't do it.

Nope.

While I was at a luncheon on Saturday, we apparently had an uninvited guest on our front porch. One of the neighbor boys showed up to play. Our babysitter saw him standing just off the porch, down a ways on the sidewalk, not moving. She opened the door for him and asked if he wanted to come in. He nodded but stood still, transfixed.

Because there, sun bathing on my porch, was this uninvited creature.

A three foot long snake.

Curled around my flower pot.

Shiver. Shake.

Bleh.

I don't do snakes. There is no latent herpetologist in my blood.

Now, before you get all defensive for snakes, you must understand my position. While I am a Southerner by heritage and heart, I was raised for most of my childhood in the high deserts of Southern California, right outside of Los Angeles. And the high deserts of Southern California is snake nirvana.

Anything venomous and viperous resides in the sands, burrowing amongst the tap roots of the Joshua trees. One of the most deadly snakes in the world, the Mojave Green, boasts the deserts of my childhood as home. It is an aggressive, mean snake. It did not read the guide book about snakes being more afraid of you than you are of them. Did.Not.Read.That.Sentence.

We also had the western diamond back rattler and a whole other assortment of reptilian vermin.

Snakes.

Bleh.

Shiver.

I may have to rip out all the flower beds around my porch...and the front yard. And I may want to put in concrete all around.

With beds of nails as landscaping.

Now, come on. I know you've got one too. A phobia saddled on one of God's creatures, be it rodent, reptile or bug. You've got something that makes you squeak. Be brave, step up, write a post on this topic and put the url of that post, along with you name, in the Mister Linky's box below. Or simply put the name of your nemesis in the comment box. Let's all shake, shiver and roll together, shall we?