Late Night Visitor

Of the many things I love about living in the country, the vast variety of Critters is at the top of the list. Among them: Red Tailed Hawks, assorted owls, quail, songbirds, woodpeckers, turkey vultures (which, by the way, are very handy to have around; they'll clean road kill off the street in less than an hour. Way quicker than any county worker will. Nature's sanitation workers.), all KINDS of insects, and, of course, snakes. We have rattlers, and garter snakes, and some others I don't know the names of. The rattlers are the only ones that concern me, mostly because Sophie is such a curious little scamp. I'm pretty sure she'd want to know what it is. And that would not end happily. But I digress...

I don't much worry over Mother's creations. I trust Nature and all its splendid diversity. Even the spiders don't bother me. However, just because they don't bother me, doesn't mean I want them in my house. I don't kill them. I trap them and bring them back outside where they belong. I like to think they appreciate that. Sometimes, though, they can startle. When that happens, it helps to not react. If one can manage that...

Last night, right in the middle of Jeopardy (oh yes. you KNOW I watch Jeopardy), I saw Sophie pawing at something right in the doorway of our French doors. She likes to lie there, half in, half out of the living room. It's a good spot from which to watch the beautiful, wild world. So, I'm watching Jeopardy and Sophie jumps up and starts pawing at something I can't see. At first I thought it was one of Pavo's fluffy butt feathers. It was too dark to see clearly, so I grabbed my flash light and shone the beam on the mystery invader. Sophie moved away (very unusual for her) and I asked her to sit/stay. She did. When I saw what it was, I was more than grateful I'd looked before picking it up.

The poor little guy must've been pretty scared because it didn't move a muscle. I told Sophie to stay put (again, she did. thank god for a smart puppy!) while I dashed into the kitchen for a bowl. Grabbed a greeting card off my desk and went back to see if it was still there. YES! I carefully placed the bowl over the Critter and slid the card underneath. I watched to see if it jumped (they do that when they're scared). It was still as a statue. Said a little prayer and went outside to find a good spot to set the little fella free. Opted for the mass of oleanders about fifty feet from the house. I watched as it first sat there, and then scurried off into the bushes. Another prayer for all of us...and back into the house where Sophie was sitting right where I'd left her. Good Girl, Sophie! GOOD GIRL! 

After I had a little giggle over the whole thing, I closed the door (I might not be scared of them, but I sure don't want to sleep with them either!) and sat on the floor with Sophie, telling her how happy I was that she listened. How happy I was that she didn't try to eat it (she does that sometimes with the ginormous beetles that cruise around), how happy I was (am!) that she's here to alert me to furry, eight-legged visitors. She gave a huge wag and a smooch. 

And then...she got cookies.