Sneaky Snake

Recently I was taking some trash out the side door of our garage when something caught my eye. When I opened the door I saw a snake curled up by the threshold inside the garage. It looked like it was sleeping in the warm sunlight that was squeezing under the door. I’m thankful I didn’t step on it. After I opened the door, I stepped back to get a better look. I called my wife and asked her to take a look at our sleeping intruder. She wasn’t very happy to see that we had a snake in our garage. She wanted to know how I planned to get rid of it. I decided to change clothes, put on some socks and shoes, and get my work gloves and a flat shovel. But, when I returned to the garage the snake was gone! Where did he go? Did he crawl out the open door or was he still in the garage?

Gary Richmond is a popular speaker and author. Before he joined the pastoral staff of a large church in Fullerton, he worked at the LA Zoo. He has written several books including A View from the Zoo and The Divorce Decision. When he spoke at a Men’s Retreat at the Forest Home Conference Center he also led an optional nature hike in the surrounding woods. He told us about a large Pine Cone that was called the Widow Maker and about snakes that are native to southern California. He emphasized that snakes play an important role in the ecosystem and how they restrain the growth of the mice and rodent population. He urged us to respect them and not kill them.

My wife was reluctant to go out into the garage until she was sure the snake was gone. The washer and dryer are in the garage. We might never have any clean clothes again. What should I do? I decided to try to capture and relocate our snake and not kill him. But I wasn’t sure if we would ever find him again. However, the next afternoon I saw him again curled up inside the garage side door. I needed to act quickly. I grabbed my work gloves and the flat shovel and quietly opened the side door. I opened the lid of an empty trash can. I used the flat shovel to quickly scoop up the snake and toss it into the empty trash can. I closed the lid and rolled the trash can to an undeveloped area about two blocks from our house. I dumped the snake into the bushes. I’m sure he was happy to be free after that noisy bumpy ride and I was very happy to have the sneaky snake out of our garage. Success!

Snakes and other critters share our community with us. Let me encourage you to watch your step. Exercise restraint. Treat them with respect. They were here first. You will be glad you did and they will too!

You can read more articles by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You – 365 articles and stories – one for every day of the year. Special Pre-Christmas Sale – two books for only $30 plus postage. Order a book for yourself and as a gift for a friend at markh@efreedb.org.