I didn't mean to....

I never even saw it. It was an accident. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.... A smattering of blood on our driveway marks the place where I ran over the rough green snake. I'd just gotten out of the car in our garage when I noticed a mockingbird standing statuesque in the driveway. 

 

"Why, hello, Mockingbird!" I sang out.

 

Then I saw what the mockingbird saw – a snake. Oh, a snake! 

 

My happy realization quickly turned awful.

 

I'd run over it.

 

I stood in the garage, shocked and grief stricken. I watched as its slim tail moved slowly back and forth on the concrete. I knew it wouldn't survive.

 

"Oh, I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!" My soft wails turned to cries, then crying. I couldn't bear to look at it. But finally I walked out of the garage and gently used a spade to lift it onto newspaper. I carried the snake into our garage, where it passed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I cried.

 

Come on, it's just a snake, some may sneer. Who cares?

 

Yes, it was just a snake. But not just any snake. It was itself like none other. Like you are only yourself, and I am only me. There is no one else like you or me. That little green snake slept last night in our gardens. It opened its eyes this morning and slithered off to search for a meal. It was on its way across our driveway when my wheels crushed its smooth body.

 

When I was a girl of four, a kind Sunday school teacher gifted me with a baby anole in a jar. I adored that lizard. I'd take the lid off, reach in for it, and then rock it on my finger. But one time, I twisted the lid back with the anole inside. Sadly, I didn't see that it hadn't gone all the way back inside the jar.

 

I killed it.

 

I sobbed and sobbed. Mother laid its little body beneath her red geraniums in a flower bed. When I saw my lifeless friend covered in ants, I cried harder. 

 

I guess at the age of 65, I really haven't changed. I love and honor all creatures, great and small.

 

Rest in peace, little green snake. 

 

Arkansas wildlife

Cassin's 17-year cicada

We took our annual trip up to northwest Arkansas this past week. Along the way, I took photos of interesting wildlife I met along the way. Take a look!

Metallic crab spider

Soldier beetle

Spangled fritillary

Genus Lucidota, a firefly

Zebra swallowtail

Silvery checkerspot

Some cute wildlife!

James rescued a HUGE earthworm on a sidewalk!

Hackberry emperor landed on me!

A woolly aphid

Odd caterpillar

Mother Nature has the most interesting and unusual cast of wild characters. When I found this little guy, I was really mystified. With help from iNaturalist friends, we identified this as a wedgling moth larva (Galgula partita). Here's what an adult looks like. Yes, I've observed the adults numerous times in our Wildscape. Cool!

My photo of an adult

Interesting ant....NOT

This little guy caught my eye last month (April 27). Looks like an ant, right? Wrong. It's a velvet ant, most likely Ephuta sp. (Velvet ants are wingless, solitary wasps.) I thought it was especially interesting to see how it held its abdomen up in the air as it crawled (see video).

 

 

New toad to me

Ever seen one of these before? I hadn't. James unearthed it from our mulch pile last month (April 30). Meet a western narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne olivacea). I got some photos, then James released it in the ditch. That brings our frog and toad species list up to five now: Blanchard's cricket frog, Rio Grande leopard frog, Gulf Coast toad, and Cope's gray treefrog.

Blanco fifth graders and spiders

Last Wednesday, I spent most of my day with fifth graders at Blanco Elementary School. I lightened up my "Spiders of Central Texas" slide program and presented it to four science classes. Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Blenden! I hope we make this an annual tradition. P.S. She told me later that day that her students were already saving and identifying spiders on campus! Time well invested, I'd say.

UPDATE: Look! Oh, my goodness, I'm so touched and very impressed! Mrs. Blenden's students hand wrote me thank-you cards for my spider presentation! Many of them told me their favorite spiders (jumping spiders mostly and a few wolfs) and what they learned. How thoughtful! I enjoyed my time with them very much. Thank YOU!

Day in the Park 2024

What a great day yesterday! James and I–along with Mary Jo H. (above with us) and many other Texas Master Naturalists from the Highland Lakes chapter–for the day hosted third graders from Blanco Elementary School at Blanco State Park. The kids rotated from station to station, which included my "Spiders" station along with monarchs, art, fish and a few others. A little drizzly but everything went fine.