Snake Eyes in the Kitchen
Whoops!
You know it didn’t mean to, the black snake who found his way into our kitchen last spring. Still, you have to wonder at his or her decision-making. Consciously she or he wound its way from our backyard or garden, through the dog door into our basement, then after a right turn into the finished part, another left up a long narrow staircase before crawling into the kitchen, near the refrigerator, and thereby freezing as if…what?
Was this a bad move?
Am I in danger?
Why did I do this?
Was it that left turn at Albuquerque?
Is it a wonder to wonder if a snake is sentient? If it plans and schemes, and then recognizes its error, but can’t figure out how to rectify it because just as it dawns on him or her that, “uh-oh, now what?”, footsteps approach, a new form of thunder, and what to do about it/them?
Down the street, a few days back, a black rat snake had appeared in a neighbor’s kitchen. She’s in her upper 80s, and fortunately for someone — and especially for the snake — her son and next-door neighbor were visiting.
“KILL IT,” she cried, apparently proving that little old ladies have an instinct for bloodshed and vengeance.
