Snake! - Day 124: 5 Minute Freewrite

in #freewrite7 years ago (edited)

Gopher_Snake_Pituophis_catenifer_02.jpg

Taken in Santa Cruz California, by Julia Larson. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Prompt master @mariannewest must have know this would be a Monday/Tuesday after the US President's Day Holiday. I spent my day off doing nothing. And now I must pay.

The prompt today is Snake. And I happen to have an easy tale to tell.

When I was roughly 3, my family would spend a lot of time at my grandmother's house near the Mexico border 100 miles east of San Diego. The ranch was a magical place. Grandma Kay had a collection of peacocks that would wander between the trees. It was a hot, dusty, place so close to the border. But the ranch was an oasis of sorts and never seemed unpleasant.

I remember wandering the yard and finding a place to sit on a chase lounge under one of the trees. I climbed up on the seat and pushed my way to the back. I was lying on the chase lounge when suddenly a big snake jumped up the end of the chaise. It bit my toe and left a purple mark on my foot.

My mother almost lost it and came running to my aid. My father went looking for the snake with my grandfather. He carried a large shovel around the yard. Finally, he found the snake.

I didn't know the difference about snakes back then. I knew the snake had a big head, was gold and brown, and really fast. I was sure it was a rattlesnake. It turned out to be a good snake, a gopher snake. Why it bit me, I don't know. Probably, being small, I just managed to sit on it!

They took me in the house for a bandaid and I must have fallen asleep because I found myself in my home. The next year my grandparents moved to Oregon and I never visited the ranch again.

My childhood was a serious of misadventures. I will tell you the time I nearly drowned when I have more time.


DQmdY7CAnmfSFJNPRVLakLK8mr8Z8FgNBzzoYLbLYqsQENv_1680x8400.png

Leave me a reply and let me know what you think. All feedback helps me get better.

Cheers! @wordymouth

DQmdH9oFNudU2pPyjrMh1pxFSCMyVTAtfwJ5tSyQ8GjPRzG.png

Sort:  

Thanks for the SBD! I am changing the format of the Children's Book Give-Away and its going to be EVEN BETTER.

Were you east enough to be in the desert? El Centro Maybe? The peacocks make me think that perhaps no.

My grandfather was a carpenter in El Centro. The ranch was in High Pass between San Diego and El Centro.

You are so lucky that it wasn't a rattler!! And that must have scared your poor mom so much!!!
Are you still in the San Diego area?
https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-125-5-minute-freewrite-wednesday-prompt-cinnamon

I’m in Las Vegas now. Lived all over SD County.

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.16
TRX 0.17
JST 0.030
BTC 70396.04
ETH 2523.14
USDT 1.00
SBD 2.56