The Snake on My Neighbor's Garage (Video)

I have already posted this to Facebook, but wanted to put it up on my blog too.

This weekend I heard a lot of excited yells and then a pounding on my door. It was two of our neighbor boys all excitedly wanting to speak to my oldest daughter Lexi. There was a snake.....it was huge.......and I couldn't make out the rest.

Now these boys have seen snakes fairly often around their house. This house is a duplex directly across the street from our house. I used to see snakes often at my house when I was a little girl. I loved catching them. I always wanted to keep them as pets but somehow they always seemed to disappear. (thanks mom)

Anyway, I wanted to see this so called "big snake" for myself. So I went over and indeed it was a pretty big snake. We believe it was a bull snake. Bull snakes resemble rattle snakes. They TRY to. I read about it a bit and they will put their body into an S shape to try and resemble a rattler getting ready to strike. I have some pics of this snake doing just that. They hit their tail against something to sound like a rattle. A rattlesnake's tail will be pointing up and rattling. A bullsnake's tail, you'll notice is down because it has to tap something but apparently it's convincing. I never heard this snake do it.

The funny thing is this snake is just resting in the cracks on the brick wall. He was over 3 foot long stretched out. My hubby is guessing it was close to 4 feet. He got it down and managed to drop it off into a field outside of town. We have a field near our home so I am sure he came from down there.

The thing is we NEVER see snakes at my house. I haven't ever seen one. I think my beautiful Husky Sasha must just scare all the creepy crawly creatures away.....and then some. She's caught birds in the air and well......they met a not so pleasant fate. She likes to play. And she isn't growling or mean when she does it. She's just playing. Unfortunately it's not playing for that bird! I'll take it. I am glad my Sasha keeps the snakes away because I know my girls would be scared if those things were in our yard. They may think it's cool on the neighbor's house but I have a feeling if we saw them around here very often the girls would get scared to go outside.

I grabbed my cellphone and got a short video. And yes, I am the one saying I think it's pretty cool towards the end. It WAS cool! :)

Gabbi Counts in Spanish and Yes I am Speaking in My High Pitched Mommy Voice!

Dedicating This Post to Kodi

Thinking a lot about an online friend today. So sad. Read her story by clicking the picture above. This woman lost custody of her daughter due to vicious lies told by her ex. She was threatened through e-mail yesterday around 3:00 p.m. She posted a comment about how if "anything happened to her in the next few days" we would know what happened. She was afraid of her ex. The courts had given her daughter to this man. She had little visitation and became very depressed. She was fighting and raising money to go to court. Last night about 5 hours after the threatening e-mail Kodi passed away. It is believed she took her own life, however I find the circumstances VERY suspicious. Read her story and show her family some support during this unbelievably hard time.

Food Allergies? Fast Food?

Gabbi has that milk allergy and it sucks. I end up taking food with us wherever we go and I literally DARE the staff to question why I bring in outside food. Seriously I am more than welcome to give them the scoop but I doubt they want to hear it all. haha Usually no one bugs us about it. She's just 2 after all.

Anyway I wondered what kind of fast food she could eat if we were out. I really am not a huge fast food fan. I prefer a dining experience but sometimes we need something quick but we never know what she can eat. The fries at McDonalds have milk. The nuggets have milk. Insanity!!! BUT the chicken strips do not. I have never had the guts to give them to her. Cross contamination in places like this is a concern. It is a milk allergy though not a nut allergy. She gets very sick from anything that has milk in it. But I am not sure if a little cross contamination would make her sick or not. I would want to be very careful. Some people don't get how serious her allergy is. It's bad. So I have to be really careful. I found this list:

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_ingredients.html

That link lists all of McDonalds ingredients with allergens listed in bold at the end of the item. How nice! It needs to be frequently checked because ingredients can and DO change often. Don't take any chances.

So hope that helps some of you out. Now I am off to start a Pathophysiology map. =/

Crabby Old Woman

This is something we've been shown in class a few times. Chokes me up really. So beautiful!

What do you see nurses,
What do you see?
What are you thinking,
When you look at me?

Do you see
A crabby old woman,
not very wise
uncertain of habit,
with far away eyes.

A person who dribbles her food,
and makes no reply
when you say in a loud voice,
"I do wish you'd try"

A woman who doesn't seem to notice
the things that you do,
and forever is losing
a stocking or shoe.

A person, maybe resisting at times,
lets you do as you will,
with my bathing and feeding,
and handing me my pills.

Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes nurses,
cause you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am,
as I sit here so still,
as I rise at your bidding,
as I eat at your will.

I'm a child of ten
With a mother and father
and brothers and sisters,
who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen,
with wings on her feet,
dreaming that soon now
a lover she'll meet.

A bride soon at twenty,
the heart gives a leap,
remembering the vows
that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now
I have young of my own,
who need me to build
a secure, happy home.

A young woman of thirty,
my young now grow fast,
bound to each other,
with ties that should last.

At forty, the young ones are grown
and soon will be gone.
But my man stays beside me,
so I don't feel so alone.

At fifty once more,
babies play round my knee.
Again we know children,
my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me,
my husband is dead,
I look at the future,
and I shudder with dread.

For my young ones are all busy,
rearing young of their own,
and I think of the years
and the love I have known.

I'm an old woman now,
and nature is cruel.
Nature makes old age
look like such a fool.

The body is crumbled,
grace and vigor depart.
There is now a stone
where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass,
a young girl still dwells.
And now and again
my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys,
I remember the pain,
and I'm loving and living
life all over again.

I think of the years,
all too few, and gone to fast,
and I accept the stark fact
that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, nurses,
open them and see,
look a little closer, nurses...
Please....see the real ME.

Author Unknown

This anonymous poem has been attributed to several sources. It is generally described as having been found among the possessions of an older woman who died in a geriatric ward of a hospital.