This morning we got a lesson on why one should never walk around barefoot in our backyard. We've had frequent and very heavy rains for most of the last 2-3 weeks. As a result, our back yard has turned into something of a swamp, and mowing the grass has been impossible. This morning marked two whole days without rain (or at least the monster deluges we've had recently). The grass in our backyard, which grows quickly under normal circumstances, was about 5" high, high enough to make US Open rough look tame. In short, it was perfect snake habitat.
With a lake in our backyard, copperheads and water mocassins are an ever-present reality. Sure enough, while bringing me a glass of water (barefoot, of course, as is her wont), Susan felt a water mocassin glide across her foot. Thankfully, it didn't bite her. She was standing still at the time, so the snake probably just saw her as another obstacle on it's path to the lake. Nonetheless, she was understandably quite shaken.
Of course, I wasn't about to speculate as to why the snake didn't attack Susan. I grabbed a piece of wood to club it, and then I chopped into four pieces with my neighbor's ax. End of threat.
Damn; I never had to worry about these things growing up in Minnesota....
