My heart is racing so hard right now. I took Eric and Jamie on a picnic. I made croissants, and got some delicious ham and cheese from Red. We took our picnic to the lovely little meadow that's just a short way from the ranch house.
We ate slowly, giggling, and gabbing, about everything and nothing. The boys are so adorable. I am grateful everyday to have these beautiful boys as part of my life.
After we finished eating we decided to walk a little ways to the creek. The day was brilliantly sunny. The temperature was absolutely perfect...not too cold, not too hot. We skipped rocks on the creek. Jamie caught a tiny frog and showed me how they hop. I did NOT tell him that in France we love to eat the legs of a bigger type of frog.
As I was giggling about that idea I heard Eric cry out. I had thought he was still beside me. Somehow as my attention was diverted he had darted away. I turned and my blood positively stopped inside. My heart also stopped.
A rattlesnake was shaking his tail back and forth. I screamed, "Eric, stop. You must NOT move!"
I didn't have a clue what to do. Rattlers can strike from quite a distance. I was afraid that if I tried to get a stick and toss it back into the brush it would still leap, at either child, or me!
Jamie, oblivious to the danger started to run to Eric. I screamed, "Stop Jamie. Stop Eric....DO NOT MOVE!" I am SO grateful that they are obedient boys.
Grabbing the biggest stick that I could find I reached the middle of that snake and screamed, "RUN AWAY ERIC AND JAMIE. RUN FAR AND FAST AWAY!" Then I tossed that rattling danger as far away as I could.
The boys were still running and I caught up to them. In the amazing manner of children the fear was soon past for them. I was spent, the adrenaline rush having moved past, and leaving me shaking, clammy, and cold with fear.
We gathered up our picnic supplies and I took the boys home. For the rest of the day I will be grateful for the relative safety of being INSIDE a home!
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