just had a close brush with a venomous snake- really freaking out!

[[sw...]]

ack, I need to get a grip since it all worked out in the end, but I'm having a little trouble because all I can picture is how easily this venomous snake could have bitten me and how really close it probably came since it was dark and my dog was barking and I was unwittingly just right up on it, less than a foot away, and it was in a very defensive posture.  

 

I live in a part of the country with venomous snakes, but well inside a city so I wasn't expecting anything of the sort.  My dog was spazzing out about something and man, I was right down there on the ground with it so close trying to see if there was some bug or mouse or something.  I never anticipated anything dangerous, but then I finally shifted where I was to get a different angle from the light and saw an the unmistakably fully loaded arrowhead of a poisonous snake that looked pretty unhappy about the amount of noisy attention my dog was giving it.

 

Anyway, I moved away and got my dog inside and called my next door neighbor who was still up and warned him not to smoke out on his front porch (a scant few feet away) any more, tonight, so no harm done to anyone, human, dog or snake.  But, I just can't get over how many times over that thing could have bitten me.  I'm so freaked out.  The worst part is that I tried calling animal control but they only deal with snakes inside the house, and not out, so I'm going to be living in fear of this for a while to come.

 

I'll buy that it may have been *as* scared as I am, but I'm not buying that it was *more* scared of me than I was of it.  I have enough problems with irrational fears, right now, I don't need this crap!

[[ok...]]

Wow, that sounds terrifying.  So glad to hear you and your dog are both alright.  That's that last thing you need when you finally get benzo free.  Once your nervous system returns to normal I'm sure you will be alright.  Must have been quite a fright.

 

Glad you're ok.

 

Kelly

[[St...]]

Ironic...

 

I was clearing some weeds yesterday and I moved some weeds to find that I was nearly standing on a dead rat, that sent me into a sprint down my driveway. 

 

Ok, not as terrifying but one thing I noticed was that my heart didn't start banging like it used to when I was on benzos.

 

Sweet, good to see you and you're dog are ok. 

[[sw...]]

Wow, that sounds terrifying.  So glad to hear you and your dog are both alright.  That's that last thing you need when you finally get benzo free.  Once your nervous system returns to normal I'm sure you will be alright.  Must have been quite a fright.

 

Glad you're ok.

 

Kelly

 

Thanks so much for the kind words!  

 

Since I posted I hopped online to look at pictures of local snakes (though it was so dark, I don't know how much help a picture would be, though I think I would pretty definitely recognize the shape of its head) but the plus side is that I discovered that our city has a reptile society that catalogs all of the snakes and lizards in the area.  I plan to call them first thing in the morning and maybe get an ID and additional info which would make me feel better.  Believe me, nothing would make me happier than discovering it's a non-venomous type that mimics looking venomous, but if it is venomous, I'd feel a lot better with some basic info, as well.

 

To be honest, at the moment, I am at least as freaked out that I up until now have not been afraid of snakes when I probably should have been as I am about this one, now, in particular.  I mean, that it something that just absolutely has not been on my radar and I may have done some fairly foolhardy things in the past, looking back on it (though I guess the point is to just learn from this and move on!).  

 

Anyway, I'm still stressed, but at least the adereline is starting to ebb.

[[sw...]]

Ironic...

 

I was clearing some weeds yesterday and I moved some weeds to find that I was nearly standing on a dead rat, that sent me into a sprint down my driveway.   

 

Ok, not as terrifying but one thing I noticed was that my heart didn't start banging like it used to when I was on benzos.

 

Sweet, good to see you and you're dog are ok.   

 

ha, I would gladly trade you! 

[[sw...]]

ha, looks like I might be ok.  I called the reptile society just to listen to the recording and find out what time they opened, tomorrow, but to my surprise someone answered the phone.  It turns out that they're 24 hours because they also work for the city to remove snakes that get into people's houses.

 

Anyway, it turns out that there is a very common local snake that does this thing where, when threaten, it can actually puff its head full of air making it look like I was describing and all venomous.  I had actually already read up on that snake on their web page, but they had omitted that info and only had pictures of it in deflated mode, so I had exluded it and moved on. 

 

He also assured me that there were no poisonous snakes within the city limits, so phew!  (And now that I think about it, obviously I more than likely would have heard about it if there were.  My brains are a little scrambled from withdrawal, right now.)  I'm actually down with snakes and am AOK with this one hanging out and controlling the pest population as long as it's not a danger to me.