Man, I love fall. After a long, hot summer, the cooler days are always welcome.
But cool weather is just one of the things I love about the fall. Obviously, hunting is the big perk of the season. Once September rolls around, there’s always a critter to go after until well after the leaves come out and green up the scenery again.
But there’s another reason fall’s my favorite season. As the days and nights get cooler, some creatures dive deep in the Earth and disappear for several months. Snakes are among these cold-weather burrowers.
I don’t miss snakes when they’re gone. Not at all. I like being able to head out in the field in late October and know running across one of the slithery little rascals is unlikely.
I’m not afraid of snakes. Well, at least my brain’s not afraid of them. The trouble is, my brain hasn’t been able to convince my autonomic nervous system that snakes aren’t much of a threat to me. When I see one, my body reacts on its own, and the next thing I know, I’m perched atop the closest tall object, screaming like a little girl.
The only drawback to the lower temperatures in the fall is that snakes look for warm places to curl up for a few months. Once in a while, that warm place happens to be a house or an office building.
One year when I worked at Game and Fish, a skinny little garter snake thought he’d spend the fall and winter in the cozy confines of my office. Needless to say, his idea of comfort wasn’t compatible with mine.
My office mate, Judy, was also opposed to snakes cohabiting with humans. Surprisingly, the two of us kept our screeching to a minimum, and we managed to transport the trespasser back outside with the help of a large cardboard box.
I hope no snakes come into my current office this fall. If they do, I won’t be in the building much. When the snakes come in, I go out.
