Sometimes things just fall in your lap!

  Years and years ago, Momie (my grandmother-in-law) told me a story of how when she lived behind Mark's family home, a snake fell right in her lap.  She had a small mobile home that was parked in their backyard so she could be nearby yet have her own little place.  It was great.  She could sit outside under the large pecan tree and watch her grandchildren play in the yard.  While out there, she usually snapped beans, shelled peas or peeled her potatoes for the evening meal.  Momie was the typical little lady of the times that wore house-dresses and aprons.  One day while snapping green beans, a green snake fell from the limbs of the pecan tree and landed smack dab on her lap!  She let out a scream, grabbed the corners of her apron and tossed the snake right back up into the tree!  While she giggled about the incident years later, at the time, she was terrified!  She hated snakes so to have one in her lap was not to her liking!

  Today, a dear friend came to the Bayou.  She and I picked berries, walked the hillside and sat on the pier all the while talking a blue streak! Later we moved to the wicker chairs in the rose garden.  There, our conversation continued and we covered just about everything under the sun.  She made the off-handed comment that she did not like snakes. She understood the fact that they are needed on this old earth and did not have a problem with them as long as they kept their distance. She always kept her eyes open when walking.  Good idea!  But I responded that there were probably more snakes up in trees than most folks realized.  That said, the unbelievable happened.

  Just moments after I had made the statement, she was startled by something in the oak tree behind me. At first, she thought a bird flew from the tree but soon realized that a "limb" was moving!  "That is no limb!  THAT is a snake!"  I turned just in time to see a rat snake slowly moving from the oak tree onto the rose arbor that extended over our heads.  Yep, more snakes are climbing about those trees!

  I was really proud of Darlene as she helped me to keep track of where the snake was making its way through the rose canes and onto the jasmine. As I photographed the snake, she kept pointing to where it was going next. When I tried to remove the snake, she showed no fear but was rather fascinated by the whole ordeal.  She was great!

  Later after she left the Bayou, I heard the blue jays starting up their racket.  I knew our friendly snake had made it to the Black Gum tree outside of the rose garden.  When I checked, the rat snake was making its way up the tree to find another hunting area.  I guess any birds or squirrels nearby had better keep their eyes open!  That snake was on the move!