Bob Cats, Snakes and Quiches, Oh My!

  I spent this past weekend with 4 of my most precious treasures! These four ladies lives have intertwined mine for over 30 years. We met at the river home owned by one these girls and did what we like to do best: laugh and eat! 

  I did my utmost to not obsess about what I was eating, because honestly, it just didn’t matter.  These times are so rare and so perfect that I wouldn’t even consider messing it up with diet worries.  We ate breakfast casseroles, BBQ, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, quiches, s'mores and who knows what else!  All naughty and all fabulous!!!! All made perfect by the mere presence of these wonderful friends!

  We couldn’t help but compare ourselves to the movie “The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood”!  It was that kind of weekend!  We stayed up late, gathered around a fire, awoke earlier than we would have liked (because that’s what you do when you get older), showered when we felt like it and sat until our legs went numb.

  The first morning we made much ado about bob cat tracks near the house and decided it was best to not wander far. So we did another thing we do well,….nothing.  It couldn’t have been more amazing.

  Sunday morning, Laura and I decide to take a quick nature walk down one of the trails that leads to the river.  I wasn’t dressed for any serious adventure with yoga pants and flip flops. Laura's clothing choice was the same except for boots. We were really cute.  We made our way to the river and spent a few minutes contemplating the meaning of life (or maybe she talked on the phone and I threw sticks in the river).  At any rate, it was most peaceful. 

  After a few minutes we decide to return to the house.  As we were exiting the trail, I noticed a rather large snake lying on the ground. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was something profound like, “Hey look! A snake!”  She whirled around and yells toward the house “Krystal, did you put a fake snake out here!” No answer of course. Then we realized it was indeed real!   I was 100% sure this snake was dead. Laura was 100% sure this snake was alive!  She began screeching at me to move back! My response was to continue my firm stand on the “dead snake” theory.  In fact, I bent down a couple of times to get a closer look and continued to state “looks dead to me”.   “Step back NOW!!!” turned into “That’s a rattle snake!” and “Someone get the 9mm!”  Now I’m yelling “where am I supposed to go?!”  Because a gun is about to enter the picture and I wanted out of there yesterday!  Let me add that I am also in possession of a 5 foot piece of drift wood that for reasons still unknown to me, I refuse to put down.   I finally make my way around the snake and come up from behind to give it a poke so that I can prove that this snake is indeed "dead". The only thing I prove is that this is definitely not a dead snake!

To quote another movie, "Twanda the avenger!"

  While all of this mess is unfolding, Mindy is sitting quietly reading the newspaper. She later tells us that it was not unlike the sound of your children playing outside and all is well, then the sound changes and you know something is amiss! When she hears “9mm” and “snake”, she decides her aim would be better with a shovel so she runs to the garage, but only finds a sledge hammer.  

  As I high tail to the house (leaving Laura to fend for herself apparently), Mindy runs past me with the hammer and charges head long into the woods and makes quick work of one large snake! Wow! Don’t mess with Mindy. 

  I ask you, "Does it get any better than this?"   All of this added up to the most perfect weekend one could ever imagine!  Can’t wait to do it again!