A Copperhead Snake.

    I'm telling you, it really truly was a copperhead.  Of course, I have no picture to back up my story because Hon took my camera with him on his visit to see his aunt, but you believe me.  Right?
    It all started this past Wednesday.  I went to let one dog in and two dogs out.  Roxie was sitting back a ways from the steps, but clearly wanted in.  As I was opening the door Eldest said through a window, "Mom, there's a garter snake out there."  I'm thinking yeah, right.  Well, when I opened the door I could see it sticking it's head up.  I walked down a few steps, thinking it would go away and there was not just the garter snake, there was another snake, too.  I went back up to the door quick.  I asked Eldest to look out the window and tell me what kind it is and he said it's a milk snake.  I figured no big deal.  I wasn't happy about it, but it was just a milk snake after all.  It didn't want to leave so I got the broom and poked at it with the handle.  How can I put it nicely...it wasn't happy at all about me poking it.  Then it stuck up this little yellow-ish looking tail and started flicking it back and forth.  After that Eldest says through the window, "Hey Mom, I wouldn't poke at it like that.  It's not a milk snake, it's a copperhead.  He looks angry."  Well that just creeped me out - it was bad enough that a snake of any kind was right there where the dogs go in and out, but a copperhead just gave me the willies!  I was lucky both it and the garter snake decided to move on after I stopped poking at it.  Problem is, they went under the steps.  I was wondering if they were just roommates or if it's possible to have garterheads.  Hmmm.....
    When Hon came home I told him about the snake.  I even looked up the difference between copperheads and milk snakes beforehand so he didn't think I was yanking his chain.  Of course, being the He-man he is, he tried to lift up the cement steps with a metal bar, but they wouldn't budge, so there was no telling where it was.  It did, however, give me a reprieve from taking Toby's food out there for him to eat and mowing the grass in that particular area the rest of the week.  Ahhhh, a bonus!  
    The snake was not seen for days.
    Today when Hon left and I hadn't seen scaley hide nor hair of that snickety snake I decided it was time to put my big girl panties on and go out there.  Besides, I couldn't keep sending the kids out, could I?  I popped my head out, looked to the right, looked to the left - no snake.  I took Toby's food bowl out, turned around, and there that sucker was...right next to my Jack in the Pulpit plant.  I said to that copperhead, "Hey!  That plant came from my mom who got it from my grandma - it's like a family heirloom!  Your lucky I won't go in there and get you because of that!"  Then I ran in the house and left Toby to finish eating.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure I scared it.  I'm now letting the dogs out the other door until Hon gets home.  Then he's going to have to do something about that creepy snake.  I don't know what, but I know it's not going to involve him putting it in a pillow case that has a hole at the bottom to take it far far away.  And that, my friend, is a story to tell on a cold winter night when I'm reminiscing about things.