Not Exactly What You Want to See Before Leaving on Vacation

Look at this sky...little puffy clouds. Sunshiny. Mostly blue.

So you can maybe imagine my surprise and small panic when I looked outside and saw this puddle on the patio. I got a pit of anxiety and fear in my tummy, wondering where the big giant leak that caused the puddle originated. Was it the pool filter? Part of the irrigation system? Something else?

When I stepped outside, I heard the gentle pitter patter of falling rain. Rain is always a welcome sound, but it was especially comforting this afternoon. There was one single solitary gray cloud hovering over the house.

That was just the beginning of the pre-trip jitters, however. I got Nicco ready for swim, packed up the swim bag, loaded the kid in the car, and as I walked to my door, I heard a nasty, angry hissss. That is NEVER a welcome sound, unlike the pitter patter of falling rain. I looked down and an itty, bitty snake was standing up defensively, backing itself into a corner in the garage. I called my husband, because even though it was very small, I don't want a snake in my garage, and I don't know what snakes are poison, and I certainly wasn't going to capture it myself. He arrived about 20 minutes later, my hero, and saved me from the vicious little monster.

sticking out his tongue

 

Attack mode...he's going after Patrice's hand. If you look closely, you can see his tail sticking up. He was shaking it...He didn't have rattles, but his behavior was very much like a rattler.

Nicco thinks he looks like he's smiling here.

I caught him mid-hiss. He was not happy.

Caught! I took him to the pool to dispose of him. You know, far away from my house. He was curled up in the bottom of the jar, doing his best to hide all the way to the pool. I'm sure he was terrified. I almost felt bad for him. But not quite.

The thing that really freaks me out about our slithery, slimy little intruder is that he has a mama somewhere. And I don't know where.