Friend or foe?

Mum and I drive up to the farm. We pop a few things in the kitchen, then I put my riding boots on and wander outside.

I'm in that wonderful fuzzy world of my own, thinking about what I need to do when a sixth sense stops me in my tracks. Motionless. I've got no idea why I've stopped. Slowly, I climb out of my little internal world, and proceed to look around.

Carefully I gaze at the path, and notice a scaly abnormality. A snake. Lazily strung out across the path and part of the garden. My husband has seen him (or her, I guess) around here before. I take two large steps back and look for something to throw. I find a flimsy piece of bark. I throw and just manage to lightly touch the snake. He stays put. I stomp my feet. I find another piece of bark. Eventually, with all the time in the world, he moves along.

I run inside, boots and all, and show the slithering scaly reptile to my mother. I get an earful about keeping the grass short, and keeping the kids out of the grass. Even if it is short.