Guess Who Came To Dinner

As a newlywed I was very excited about hosting our first barbeque.  Our property at the base of the foothills had just as much cactus as it did grass so we set up on the cement patio between the house and the garage.  We had just framed out an addition to the garage so I tried to disguise the stacked lumber with flower pots.

 Everything was going great until I happened to glance up.  The largest snake I had ever seen in my life was stretched out across a large beam about eight feet high and practically above the heads of the guests.  Within seconds many things raced through my mind, not the least of which was how it got up there and would it come down to join the party.  Although the markings were similar I was pretty sure that it wasn’t a rattlesnake because of its size.  It was as large as some boa constrictors I had seen so I didn’t even know if it was native or an escaped pet. 

The only word that I managed to speak, or rather squeak, was snake!  Within seconds everyone had scanned the ground around their feet and stood to prepare for a quick exit since rattlesnakes were not rare in that area.  I pointed, still lacking the appropriate words to tactfully introduce the uninvited guest.  My husband immediately climbed up the stacked lumber, grabbed the snake and pulled it down right in front of everyone.  Apparently, I was the only one in a state of near panic because after a short discussion about what a big Bull snake it was my husband took it behind the house and the party continued.  Not wanting to appear cowardly I did my best to remain composed.

 Later I asked what he had done with the body, assuming that he had killed it as he would a rattlesnake on the property.  He explained that Bull snakes were beneficial and kept the rodent population down so he let it go out back.  Somehow, for me anyway, that did not make up for the fact that it was 6 feet long and could climb up the side of a building.  I was grateful that our guests were locals because I couldn’t even imagine the panic that would have ensued if the folks from back home would have been there.  Sensing my uneasiness he suggested I give it a name and treat it like a pet.  I secretly named it after him because I wasn’t sure at that moment which one was going to be sent to live in the backyard if it showed up at one of our barbeques again.on

We're Not In Kansas Anymore John Boy

A light snow was falling as we made our way up the steep mountain slope.  My fiancé led the way to the place near the top where he promised we would find the perfect Christmas tree.  We saw deer and Elk and the view became more spectacular the higher we climbed. He seemed to know every inch of the mountain and I couldn’t help feeling like I was living an episode of the Waltons. 

 Apparently he had become used to the fact that I babbled when I was excited because he patiently answered all of the random questions I asked as we as we climbed.  How high did he think we were, where the deer went when it snowed, what kind of pine trees were they, and so on and so on.   We did find the perfect tree and just as he started to chop it down the wind shifted and the snow started to come down with a vengeance.  In the short time it took to fell the tree, the snow had already covered the ground.  He said not to worry because going down was always quicker than climbing up. I was laughing and chattering as we made our way down but I could only see a few feet ahead in the blinding snow and found myself sliding more than walking.  My Walton’s episode had begun to feel more like a natural disaster movie, so I decided I’d better be quiet and take things a little more seriously.

Suddenly he stopped, looked back at me and then stood looking down the slope scanning it from right to left, before he started down again.  When we finally reached the truck I asked him if he stopped because he lost his way.  He said no and explained that he was taught that when you find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, and conditions change drastically, you should always stop and get your bearings before continuing.  I couldn’t remember anything changing drastically before that time and was sorry I asked when he told me it was because I had stopped talking.

The Romance of Nature

The crackle and pop of the gravel, underneath the tires, was amplified by the dense silence. It was an hour before dawn and we were traveling to our favorite hunting spots on the family farm.  It was not only silent but eerily dark.  Darker than usual because clouds covered the legions of stars that normally blanketed the country sky.

We navigated only by our headlights which seemed to be cut short by the darkness.  Suddenly the gravel appeared to take on shape as the lights revealed a huge Whitetail buck standing in the middle of the road.  It barely glanced at us as we slowed to a stop.  It was the rutting season and he only had one thing on his mind.  We could see her at the edge of the light in the field next to the road

Before we knew what was happening, a second buck appeared out of the blackness.  The first one swung around and the battle began.  We turned off the engine and lowered the windows listening to the sounds of the antlers as they cracked together and the grunts and groans of the combatants. It was thrilling and mesmerizing.  Wild life realized far beyond the two dimensional scenes of a nature documentary.

As quickly as it began it was over and the second buck retreated into the darkness. The victor wasted no time claiming his spoils. She had waited patiently for him and like the end of an old movie, the scene faded to black as we continued down the road giving them some privacy.  Driving away, I realized that from the moment the battle began we had hardly spoken a word.  We were silent observers capturing time, not with a photograph or a video but with a shared memory that was ours alone. 

Surprise - Its Kujo

               My husband surprised us one day by bringing home a litter of puppies from the dog trainer.  She wanted to socialize them by having them around our kids and dogs.  He figured out that I couldn’t resist them once I saw them and he was right.  We enjoyed that same surprise a couple of times.  The puppies only stayed for a few days and everyone loved playing with them.

                One evening when he returned from training he stood at the door and said that he had a surprise.  The kids were all at afterschool activities so I thought I would get the puppies all to myself for a while.  I waited eagerly by the door but when he came back he wasn’t carrying a large box full of puppies.  He had a full grown dog on a leash.  He walked the dog into the house and started explaining that she had been abused by the people who bought her and could not be retrained as a hunting dog because she had become gun shy.  If he hadn’t taken her the trainer was going to put her down. 

The first thing she did as I reached out to pet her was growl, and show her teeth.  That was all it took.  I told him to turn around and take her back because I would not have a dangerous dog around the kids.  The second thing she did probably saved her life.  She dove underneath the kitchen table, crouched down and started to shake with fear.  Her initial greeting wasn’t aggressiveness it was self-defense.  I had never seen a dog so terrified and it broke my heart.  We agreed to put her on probation for a month under my exclusive care so the kids would not be in danger. She would jump and tremble if someone snapped the lid on a jar or make any kind of loud noise.  When she finally allowed me to touch her I made sure to comfort her after anything had frightened her.  Slowly she learned to trust me and would look up at me for assurance instead of hiding and trembling.  We became fast friends and eventually she was a member of the family enjoying affection from everyone and giving it in return.

I know my heart broke for her because I remembered many times when I was afraid and how it caused me to lash out at people and to isolate myself.  She was able to get over her fear when she knew that someone cared for her and would be there to comfort and protect her.  Just as I was able to get over my fears when I realized that God would always be there for me.

When I am afraid, I will trust in You.
Psalm 56:3       

Toast Anyone? or Actions Speak Louder Than Words

              My first home as a newlywed was a double wide trailer parked on six acres in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.  The first thing my husband did after we moved in was describe the magnificent log home we would someday build on the property.   The second thing he did seemed a little odd at the time.  He spent about twenty minutes talking about fire safety and how mobile homes were tinder boxes that could be consumed by fire in just a few minutes.  I was soon to discover exactly how serious he was about the subject.

 Just a few weeks later I was making breakfast in the kitchen and a small flame shot up from the top of the toaster.  I unplugged it and went on with my business thinking I would have to clean out the crumbs later.  Suddenly another flame jumped up and I realized that something inside it was seriously burning.  I called out in what I thought was a calm voice, that I had a small fire in the kitchen.  Before I could say or do anything else he was there.  He had made it across half the length of the trailer in just a few seconds.

                Without saying a word he grabbed the toaster by the cord, threw open the door and stepped out onto the cement slab that was our temporary patio.  He swung it around his head like a lasso and then smashed it onto the cement and into a thousand pieces.  Walking back in the house with no hint of emotion in his voice he said, “Fires out” and went back into the living room.  I stood stunned trying to figure out what had just happened.

He came back into the kitchen a few minutes later with a sheepish look on his face. Apologizing he told me he would clean up the mess outside after breakfast.  If I hadn’t listened to his speech about fire safety the message sent by the flying toaster came through loud and clear.  He never had to say or smash another thing.