I spent last night at my parents’ house. They live “in the boonies”. You can’t see their house from the road; they live in the piney woods of deep southeast Texas, very near the Louisiana border and just over an hour north of the Gulf of Mexico. Critters (deer, ‘coons, ‘possums, birds – from hummingbirds to eagles and vultures – fox, occasional wolves, wild dogs, cats and who knows what else wander the property at will.
About bedtime last night my dad mentioned that there is a snake wandering in the house. He said he thought it was a nonpoisonous species like a rat snake or whip. I don’t consider myself to be terrified of snakes. When given a choice, I will give then a wide berth, but I can hold them or let them pass nearby without freaking out. So I was keeping an eye out for a telltale sign of the critter.
Bedtime came and no snake. So I went to sleep. It was a little warm in the house so I had the sheet pulled down to my waist. After being asleep for nearly three hours, I felt something cold rub against my back. I didn’t move or even open my eyes. But my brain jolted awake and options as to how to turn over, grab the snake before it escaped (snakes can be very fast) and not get bit (nonpoisonous snakes still have teeth after all) were processing at the speed of light. Then it moved away and I heard a thud. So I assumed it had slithered off the bed and onto the floor.
I rolled over and was about to flip on the light when I saw the tail of my mom’s little dog going out the bedroom door. No snake – just the little dog. So back to sleep. I haven’t seen the snake this morning. He let himself in, so who knows maybe he has let himself back out. Or maybe he’s hibernating under the bed. Life’s an adventure. I hope there are no snakes in your bed tonight.