Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Snake

Monday when I walked into the hall I had a surprise. Right there on the floor by the bathroom was a snake, which had clearly been killed in an encounter with my cat.

It was on its back, had blood about the head, and a big gash in its belly.

I took its picture, then decided to flip it, thinking maybe to paint an ATC later, making it seem more alive.

I grabbed it by the tail, with only a bit of kleenex to protect me from snake boogers, and flipped it quite easily. It really did look better right side up, if one ignored the blood on its head and the bump of the belly gash. I took the photo, then I went off to put my camera away.

When I came back, I did an immediate U turn, and fetched the camera once more - because that dead snake was moving down the hall toward my living room! I took its picture as it turned the corner.


Then I got a paper sack and a pencil. I nudged the snake into the sack with the pencil; then took it outside and set it free amid the weeds under the fence.

When I returned an hour later, there was no sign of our friend. Perhaps a bird got it - or perhaps it slithered away to a safer place.