Garters

One of those days filled with distractions. The last was when the old lady who lives just up the hill from us called to say she was having trouble with snakes. I popped up with a branch grabber to see what was up. The larger of the two snakes she had been pestering was hiding in plain sight on a stone wall, so I just grabbed it by the head, which was more action than she had bargained for and put her into a bit of a tizzy. I am not without my principles, so I wouldn't follow her plaintive request to kill it. I am afraid I would have had no hesitation in administering the chop if it had been a proper venomous number this near the homestead, their heads pickled in alchohol have certain medicinal qualities on stings and whatnot that I would trade some bad karma for. This is a kind of garter snake I think, it is venomous, but the fangs are very short and toward the back of the mouth. My main fear was that it might force me to have to burn my glove as I think they also emit a nasty odor from their skin if they are distressed. I can still recall the scent of a grass snake I clutched when I was a kid. New mown hay times five million. I leave the snakes to do their stuff around our house. I think they take their fair share of mice and other chaps with prominent teath. I tried to persuade herself that there was no harm in the little squirmer, but in the end it just seemed best that they be parted, so I trotted away with it and dropped it down the embankment to where the bamboo grows along the river. A homely spot for a snake.