SNAKES in My Head...

You can most likely tell by looking at the pictures above…I have had better weekends. First, let me preface this story by telling you it is going to be L-O-N-G and that there are three things in the world for which I possess phobias:
1.Spiders (the really big nasty ones)
2.Heights-like being way up in the air without walls around me (i.e. on top of a building, sky diving)
3.SNAKES
*The one and only creature in the world that I will attempt to run over with my car AND back over again and again until I’m confident that it is dead.* Late Saturday afternoon, Kelly and I went to his parent’s cabin near the river to cook dinner with some friends. It had rained all day Saturday and was still raining when we arrived. Kelly immediately got out of the car and walked nearby to switch on power to the cabin. I got out of the car in a hurry to get inside out of the rain. I was looking over at Kelly about to say something to him as I was walking…not even paying attention to what was coiled up in the grass a step away from my sandal-clad foot! (It was literally, a STEP away! I’m not exaggerating!!) I certainly believe the good Lord is what caused me to look down right before I stepped beside that hideous monster! At that split second, I let out a strange combination of screams/shrieks/moans and cries while jumping about 5 feet in the air (certainly felt like it anyway). I hardly remember my feet touching the ground I ran back to the car so fast! It was right at this moment that Kelly saw our nicely camouflaged unwanted cabin guest. I’m pretty sure it scared him too! He said with a quivering voice “That’s a rattle snake…a BIG one too!” Yes people, a RATTLE SNAKE (7 Rattlers, I later learned.)He also had this nasty bulge on his side, probably from his last meal.
My legs felt like jelly, and I thought for a minute I was going to be sick. I stayed in the car while Kelly tried to find something to kill it with. Around and around the cabin he searched, and that snake’s head was lifted and watching him the WHOLE time. He finally had to go to a nearby cabin and get a big piece of wood to beat the thing to death. It still jerked around and moved long after it was dead. I sat in the car for about 30 minutes afterwards. I honestly think that was probably the most terrified I have ever been. Granted, I would have been scared silly even if it was a tiny grass snake, but HEY, look at this thing! Even before I almost stepped right beside it I was close enough that it could have probably struck if he had felt so inclined.
Last night, I woke up at 3am because I needed to go to the bathroom but all I could think about was “the snake”. I kept thinking that a snake like that could possibly in our bedroom and I couldn’t see it in the dark! (Crazy, I know). Then, I was thinking about it again today and shortly after opened the door to step outside. Someone had been by on the campaign trail earlier and stuck a card in between our storm-door and the kitchen door. When I opened the door, it slid down and fell to the floor. I screamed…loud…again!! Poor Wendy Gul and Zeek Zeekster didn’t know what to think! Perhaps I’ll get over it eventually. I must also mention that I was walking my usual stretch of road as I do during lunch each day about three weeks ago and happened to come upon a dead water moccasin! Yes, it was dead but still scared me. Nothing like Saturday though! I don’t know what’s up with me and these snakes, but I can tell you that I DON’T LIKE IT! If you have sympathized with me and read this long blog to this point, God Bless you and thank you for your time. May you never experience such a scare! ;)
* Additional note, the pictures were taken by Kelly. No way did I get close enough to take them. My one close encounter was enough!