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I admit it, I'm a sissy By bcooper in Daily Commute August 27, 2010

Tonight one of my biggest fears came true - I was greeted by a really huge snake on the sidewalk to the house as I attempted to go inside.

Let’s make it clear right up front - I hate snakes or anything that resembles snakes. I hate snakes worse than I hate mice and spiders. I know they are beneficial to nature, but I also know they are creepy, slither, can bite and possibly kill. They give me the creeps.

As I walked across the yard tonight from the car to the front door, I was looking in the grass to make sure I didn’t trip on the hose my husband left out to water the lawn, when a frog jumped in front of me. I jumped too.

Then as I got near the sidewalk I noticed a curvy stick near the far edge of the walkway and knew it wasn’t a stick. I stopped, stared at it and then it moved and I moved back toward the car.

I got into the car, thought for a second how I was going to get into the house and I realized I couldn’t - the keys to the back gate were in the house. The garage door opener is in the garage (no remote).

So I did the next best thing - called Gary as I’m driving out of the driveway. I wasn’t staying there as long as there was a snake present and the hoe was in the garage - which I couldn’t get to.

Fortunately Gary was coming around the curve as he answered the phone and met me at the end of our short street.

He asked what type it was, I said I don’t know I didn’t get close enough to see. He asked how big it was, I said “about a thousand feet” - yes, an obvious exaggeration on my part, but any snake is a big snake to me.

I was brave and held the flashlight as he got his long tire tool from his tool chest, but quickly gave him back the light as he started up the sidewalk. I made it about halfway up the sidewalk behind him when I heard him say “oh, a copperhead.” I stopped.

As he hit it a few times and I saw it move away from him, I made a quick retreat to the protection of my car.

Call me a sissy. I admit to it.

Gary looked in the shrubs for it, but couldn’t find it.

The snake, which was really about a foot long, had made its escape. It is still alive somewhere in my yard or nearby.

As Gary went in the front door, I called out to him to open the garage door so I could get into the house - you see, we have a really nice garage, but no remote to open the doors from the outside. I know it is kind of useless, but it was one of those things we were going to take care of “later.”

Well after six months of putting it off, later has just arrived.

Chances are the snake will not return, but for the next few days I will not use the front door to come and go. And I will own a remote garage door opener by the time I return home from work on Friday.

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