Okay, anyone who knows me, even a little bit, knows I have this problem with 'nakes. I don't even like to type the whole word....Anyway, rather like that great aunt you have who abhors cats and is immediately covered with any feline within six miles once she sits down for a visit, I seem to be a Pied Piper for 'nakes. In Nepal I saw not one, but TWO varieties of cobras. That's right, cobras. I have seen a krait----in downtown Kathmandu. Rattlesnakes beyond count. Garter 'nakes abound at my weekend place and are always scaring the liver out of me. It now appears that Paradise (aka North Captiva Island) is teeming with indigo 'nakes.I saw my first indigo 'nake within hours of arrival. Sped, and I do mean sped, across the road in front of my golf cart. And this morning there was on UNDER THE HOUSE, right where I was walking BAREFOOT. (Need I point out I will not be doing THAT AGAIN???) I should also point out that the houses here are elevated so you can walk and drive around under the house. No doubt for hurricane damage control. Hurricane Charlie did a lot of damage here.
So, okay, I try and deal with my fear. I made, forced myself, to go to a 'Nake Farm in Thailand and actually touched a cobra (that was being firmly held by a handler----and yes, it was insane of me to do so and I will NEVER do that again, EVER!), with my index finger, on purpose. I try to remember that 'nakes serve a valuable purpose and occupy an important niche in the ecology of habitat. They eat rats, for example. But, still.....they are 'nakes and they scare the liver out of me.
I got online and read about indigo snakes. The poor things are endangered. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW063
If these very speedy, very endangered non-venomous scary 'nakes don't stay away from me, I might not survive my visit to Paradise. I mean it. They scare the liver out of me!
And, yes, Dear Reader, I am immensely grateful it wasn't a coral snake, or a rattler or even a cottonmouth. Thank you, God!
The images of the indigo snake are not mne but copied from Google.
2 comments:
You must be dying. I KNOW how much you hate snakes. : )
You know, I was supposed to go to a conference on your dear little island, but the hurricane changed the location to Coral Gables.
I love it here even more than I hate 'nakes. That says a LOT!
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