Monday, October 5, 2009

Warmth


It finally got cold enough for me to turn on the heat in our house. We heat the whole 2000 sf with a propane Jotul heater in the living room that looks just like a wood-burning stove, realistic logs and all; we have a slightly smaller back-up stove just like it on the second floor landing in the office but it never cycles on as the downstairs one is super efficient and heat rises.

I was preparing to lay down on the floor and reach up under the stove to light the pilot and get it started when a twitch caught my eye. This little beauty was curled up next to the hearth stone and the wall. Palpitations, and some startle and then I recovered and said, too loudly, "oh, how LUCKY we are to have a visit from this nice snake! Homestead Mama, could you get her OUTSIDE before I start the stove? She won't like the heat. Bay-bees, come seeeee the cute harmless snake! Want to pet it?" And then I panted away my adrenaline while the kids scared the snake with loving touches and it bit H-Mama a few times in irritation. (Tiny teeth, no harm done.)

I'm not afraid of them, but I don't want to be eye to eye with a snake unless I PLANNED it that way.

We carried on with our stove-lighting ritual of cookies and hot chocolate while it blazed it's glory into the night. I love my house, fauna and all.

1 comment:

Grandma said...

Oh my Lord! I'm so glad it was not me who was in the house at that moment as you know how Grandma just can't stand the sight of little creepy, crawlers in the house! The joys of living in the country. Ugg.