It's that time of year again...

Yes...that's right. It's rattlesnake season again. I saw my first one on the road the other day. We were heading down the hill to Jackie's house for dinner, and there it was....huge...right smack in the middle of the road. A reminder that our delightful spring weather is equally delightful to the rattlers here. I have few "major" fears in life...not too much "rattles" me, so to speak (pardon the pun), but rattlesnakes are right up there on the top of my list! So are alligators and sharks....I can't even really give you an order as to which is scariest...I fear them all unreasonably much! So I start to tread cautiously and fearfully this time of year. And I work to make my sure my children have a healthy respect for the creatures that God saw fit to place here as desert dwellers. I chant constantly as they open doors to "look down before you step out" as so many folks find them curled up in the morning sun on their front porch. My front porch just happens to get a nice healthy dose of morning sun! I remind them NOT to reach under bushes and to not stick their feet in places they cannot clearly see. I urge them to keep to the sidewalks where a snake sunning itself would be more obvious. We have been in Arizona now for two years and 4 months and I have yet to see a snake (of ANY kind) in our yard or in my walking path anywhere. I like to think it's because I so consistently say the "snake prayer"....that God will just place a hedge of protection around our family as we move about in the desert and clear all ominous wildlife from our paths. I pray that the Lord will just place a barrier between our property and all belly crawlers...good or bad! I am okay with lots of other wildlife. I am okay with Gila monsters and tarantulas....even scorpions will get a thumbs up before the rattlers will! (But I don't want to find any of those in my house either!) Not too long ago, when we got our first wave of warm up weather, on the front page of the newspaper was a picture of a rattlesnake curled up in a cinderblock. I have to tell you...that that just freaked me out. And every year, even though I KNOW it's warming up and it's "the season"...it still always freaks me out to see pictures of them in the newspaper. It's like it isn't really snake season if noone sees one. But then BAM.... there's one on the front page of the Daily Star...and you know that if someone took that picture of that one...there are millions more...just lurking about. I have no idea what I will do when I finally encounter a real live one...out in the wild. I am just not able to appreciate this particular creature of God's design. When I see one on the road...I usually a) try to run over it and then b) make a U-turn, pull up along side Mr. Snake...and just try to determine that he has been properly...you know....squished. Sometimes it takes two drive overs to have absolute peace about the situation. Now I know there are many many snake lovers in this world who would be appalled by this writing....and I have to say that I am okay with that. Snakes are one of the few things in this world that make me feel as though this planet is simply not big enough for us to coexist. Soon enough though....the desert will heat up to sizzle and pop temperatures...and for a time, we will be safe from the snake threat...at least a little bit...because they will just be headed for the DEEP shade. I wasn't so worried about the summer heat of the desert when we were moving here. My only fear and worry was the snakes. Still pretty much the same. Love Arizona...but could lose the snakes! I don't think there will be any in heaven.