No Snakes in Sight.
Living on a prairie farm, we kids had to make our own fun.
The entire day, at least the good parts of it, between weeding the garden and doing dishes, became one big open plain of adventure for the 5 of us.
We often went our separate ways…the boys to the barn, the sheds, the shop, the creek where no fish were ever found…tadpoles, maybe. Fish? Never.
Sometime Duff would head out to her fort, sometimes to her blanket with bottle of baby oil, bikini and blazing sun.
…Noni spent time with her babies and books.
I found the old tire swing or a tree with deep shade to settle in for some daydreaming or craft time.
But sometimes, if the adventure was promising enough, we’d team up.
Like today.
Standing on the rails of the front yard fence like 5 chickadees on a power line, (or cormorants on a log) we gather together and watch the commotion in the lane.
Hm. Car driving in…
Then comes another car…and another.
From our perch we wave to the neighbour ladies as they get out of their parked cars wearing bright smiles, bright clothes; stepping lightly towards the house.
Hm. Mom’s having a tea party.
Like I said sometimes we team up.
It must’ve been the boys’ idea.
Even so, outside in the hot summer sun, perched on the rail fence, eager for high adventure, we all agreed the plan they hatched was a good one.
As the resident goody-two-shoes, I was most likely to get any supplies asked for. I was sent in.
“Mom, do you have a basket and towel I could use? I want to collect some stuff.”
She told me where to find what I needed.
With a polite ‘thank you’ I grabbed the goods and ran.
Around the house, past the west veranda, through the caragana hedge, down the path, I ran to find the Team.
Behind our 2 storey farm house, hidden way back in the bush was an intact out-house…a well used, fully stocked, clean two-seater.
A few yards east of the out-house was a hollow in the ground. This hollow, filled with rocks, dirt and lime, overgrown with wild grasses, marked the spot where the original out-house had stood some 35 years earlier.
This hollow is what the garter snakes called ‘Home’.
‘Home’ is where I found the Team.
Unparalleled garter snake wranglers, the boys had already cornered the prey.
Efficiently, they gathered up the cool bodylines and wrapped them in the towel lining the basket. A small flat rock with a few wild flowers was laid on top, making sure it was obvious that the ‘gift’ was hidden in the towel below.
One brother holding the basket, the other brother restraining the gift, girls in tow—Team Kotzer made its way back around the house to the front door, through the porch, right up to Mom sitting on her chair at the kitchen table with all her friends.
The boys pass her the basket.
“Ahhhhh.”
I still remember her smile…you know the one. The smile that declares to the world…”See how amazing, sweet, kind, wonderful my kids are?”
We smile so broadly, you’d think our teeth would pop.
Mom picks up the wild flowers. She lifts out the rock…we always bring her wild flowers, we like collecting rocks. Nothing strange there.
She opens the towel.
WOWZA!!!
I’ve never seen a room clear so fast.
Chairs crash over.
Tea cups clatter and spill.
Arms and feet charge out of the kitchen, bodies bump through the archway to the living room…feet pound up the stairs. Bedroom doors slam above our heads.
Did I mention women panic, their throats open and screeeeeaaaaammmm?
The kitchen falls quiet and still.
Then, like an engine suddenly blasting to life, Mom yells her way back into earshot, making our position quite clear.
It’s not good.
We scramble on the floor, snatching up the snakes…(good thing we counted them so we’ll know when they’re all retrieved) and remove them from the house.
We come back inside, not a snake in sight.
Trying to quell the laughter in our bellies, we almost-solemnly line up in front of the kitchen sink to receive a chorus of tongue-lashings from hell, delivered woman by woman, all of whom apparently hate snakes.
Who knew?
Ya, we could have guessed, but man, was that fun.
Like I said…
It was a typical summer day for the 5 of us.
Living on a prairie farm, we kids had to make our own fun….
Hope you get to make some of your own fun, day after day…now go and hug a mother.
PS
Leave the snakes outside.
