Rattlesnakes

Tonight, I looked up rattlesnakes on Google.

I can’t think of much more terrifying than encountering a rattlesnake in the wild.  I mentioned my fear to the lady at the dentist office back in Washington.  She assured me that she grew up in Orange County and never once saw a rattlesnake.

I felt comforted.

A couple of weeks ago, a news story described a young mom who was pushing her stroller on the sidewalk in my area.  And she didn’t notice the rattlesnake until after she rolled over it with her stroller.

The rattlesnake struck.  That mean viper bit her on the ankle.

Her husband went all Lone Ranger and tried to suck on the venom with his mouth.  (He was clearly a victim of way too many westerns on television as a child.)

The ambulance arrived and carried the snakebite victim (a mom pushing a stroller!) to the hospital where she was treated.

(She lived.)

I, however, died of fright.

The end.

No, actually, I did not die but my fear of rattlesnakes has been renewed.  I am going to have to learn as much about them as I can so I can avoid irritating them so they do not strike me with their deadly venom.

This sign at the park where Grace practices soccer does not put my mind at ease.  Help.