Unique Thank You's

[cornfed]

I had a terrible experience last night and would like to come up with a unique way to say thanks to the people who, in my mind, came to my house and saved my life!

I was sitting out on my patio/lizard love nest with a friend. One of my daughters friends/agent of the Lord showed up to pick her up (not realizing that she was to be picked up at her boyfriends house). When he got out of the car he announced that there was a huge snake approximately 5 feet from me. Having a severe snake phobia, I was immediately frozen with fear and immobilized. Sweating, trembling. You name it, I was there making an extreme fool of myself fetalized in a patio chair. My friend hauled ass into the house. I was unable to move. The boy in the driveway apparently also has a severe snake phobia so he was absolutely no help. He got back in his car and we communicated via a crack in his window. After much convincing, I had him run to a neighbors house across the street. Their sons came over and killed what was apparently about a 4 foot copperhead. Yeah, I'm freaked out still.

I have no idea what in me gave me the sense of entitlement that resulted in having these two very brave young men/agents of the Lord come rescue me out of this situation. I am certain that I am the butt of many jokes right now - especially given that I offered them a gun in my freaked outedness - at which point they pointed out that 1) I am unable to move from my chair to retrieve the gun and 2) they can't shoot a .22 on concrete under my car! Yeah, I'm feeling pretty stupid right now! It all made sense at the time, though.

I need to thank them in some way. Cookies doesn't seem like an appropriate method of thanking someone for saving your life and putting up with a complete psychotic breakdown, as well as risking their own lives. So, if anyone would like to help me think of an appropriate way to thank them on a very low budget that doesn't involve my body, then that would be great! They are about 18 and 20 and are brothers. I don't really know them except to say that they come to our house every year during duck season and deliver a series of dead ducks that my husband cleans and puts on the pit. Anyone have any good ideas?! I'm still not really thinking very clearly as I've just cleaned up a lot of copperhead blood from my patio and am having difficulty even venturing into my yard!

[Callendale]

Wow! That's a big snake! I wonder if it was coming onto the patio to have a lizard snack... Anyway, no gift ideas here -I don't have a clue what those guys might like, but I thought maybe you might like to relax with a "cold one" to calm your nerves! :D

[flutterby nut]

hehe...you've brought back me own traumitizing snake encounters...copperhead, blue racer, something 6 ft long, black, and very big...shudders :D...

if the first born isn't available, i recommend a gift card to the local theatre with enough to cover a summer blockbuster...

[Broacher]

Gift idea?

http://www.snakeskincatalog.com/wallets.html

[cornfed]

Callendale, that's hilarious! Thanks! If I knew they were beer drinkers then I'd get them some!

Both great ideas Broacher and flutterby. I may head to the indian store here in town and see if they have any snakeskin items. I don't know that I could touch them but I'm sure an employee would be happy to put them in a box.

[CMYK girl]

They are about 18 and 20 and are brothers.

itune/music download gift card
Amusement park gift pass
Movie tickets

And 18 and 20 year old guys really do love cookies.

You were blessed, sounds scary, I hate ants can't imagine 4 foot snakes in the yard!

[cornfed]

Yeah, I'm not venturing out in the yard anymore. We live in a subdivision called Rivers Bend. All of the streets wind around the Vermilion River...which is more like a bayou/swamp in most places. I know there are more out there. Things like this always occur when my husband is out of town.

My husbands grandmother used to love to tell me the story about when fireants arrived in Louisiana. I assumed that fireants were just a part of our landscape. I was surprised when she told me that fireants weren't here when she was a kid.

[Drazan]

Cookies & movie tickets!

Cookies to be a personal thankyou. and Movie tickets show your appreciation.

I'm not afraid of snakes, crawlies of any sort. However, what gets me is bees, hornets and wasps. I have to be armed with a can of RAID to go anywhere near them.

(( My friend had a 12 foot python named Bertha. She used to lay on the back of the couch and put it's head on my shoulder to watch TV. ))

Glad you're ok!!
Jade

[garricks]

Well, you already know how badgers feel about snakes. :D

Glad everything worked out for everyone but the copperhead.

[Tea]

Holy shi......

Yea...cookies and movie tickets! I like it.

[Grfk Dzgn]

WOW!

I know first hand what it feels like to get up close and personal with wild life. A black bear decided to introduce itself to me when I was out in the back woods of Lanark county (Ontario, Canada).

You're an artist cornfed. Give from the heart, lay some artwork on 'em, perhaps create something about the whole episode. I'm sure you're inspired!!

I'm off to the beer store, gotta find that Copperhead!!

[cornfed]

Given that I wanted to give them a gesture today and felt that I was running out of time, I went to Barnes & Noble and got them a dvd of "Snakes on a Plane." Apparently, this isn't nearly as big of a deal to them as it is to me. They were surprised that I felt the need to thank them with a gift!

According to their dad, a few weeks ago one of them was dropped of on a swampy island with a few other guys as part of their fraternity initiation. They were left with only water for two days. My neighbor had brought several wildlife survival items with him. He apparently not only killed several water moccassins, but also skinned them, cooked them and everyone was well fed during their initiation! Now that's one seriously manly individual! I'm totally impressed and happy to have them as my neighbors!! I still feel like a freak, though!

[flutterby nut]

nah!...if you didn't wet your pants you still have some dignity left intact ;)

[Broacher]

I don't want to play serpent's advocate here, but the naturalist in me can't help but feel sorry for that ol' copperhead. I'm not saying it wasn't right to kill it in this situation, only the thing is just doing what it's designed to do.

As for snakeskin, if you do buy a wallet, do have a feel. It's a very beautiful tactile surface.

[cornfed]

I totally get that on an intellectual level, Broacher. But, the paranoid, freak of nature, petrified part of me had absolutely no interaction with the intellectual part of me. I am all for these snakes living elsewhere...however, my patio is not the place! I do get what you're saying, though.

[WannaBrie]

I hear you on the fear thing, cornfed. I am not afraid of snakes, but palmetto bugs absolutely freak me out. I start sweating and freaking out. Sucks that I live somewhere where I see so many of them! Glad to hear you came through your close encounter OK. I think its great that you wanted to thank those boys for helping you out.

[flutterby nut]

indeed...i love praying mantis...very interesting, cool creatures...but having one skitter up my arm while i'm pruning the rose bush is juuussst a bit much!

[eugenetyson]

I'm with ya on the fear of snakes.

Nothing says thank you like pie.

[Red Kittie Kat]

I don't really fear snakes ... my phobias are spiders and huge Texas cockroaches :D


But this story brought my memories of an encounter with a Copperhead rushing back ... it was a little too close for comfort http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/smilies/blink.gif


I concur with every one else's ideas .... but I bet they would still love a basket of goodies ... you know young fellows .. they love chips, pepperoni, beef jerky, cheese ... all that sort of stuff :)

[eugenetyson]

I concur with every one else's ideas .... but I bet they would still love a basket of goodies ... you know young fellows .. they love chips, pepperoni, beef jerky, cheese ... all that sort of stuff :)

We're a simple folk really. Easy to please. Even get a pizza and starters ordered for them one night. If I was sitting in my house and I got a surprise pizza delivered it would be best day EVER. (Don't forget the chicken strippers :) )

[urstwile]

Chicken strippers? :D

[eugenetyson]

Chicken strippers? :D


Oh you just can't beat a chicken just tearing off those feathers to the tune of Heaven in Your Eyes by Loverboy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYXNAj4y6Oo

[Red Kittie Kat]

Gawd there is a blast from the past :D

Whoaaaaaaaa Whoaaaaaaaaa


:D

[eugenetyson]

Good ould Top Gun - best movie ever. But moving off topic now so I'll stop.


I was reading up on the Copperhead Snake. There is no website (to my knowledge) that hosts information about snakes without showing a picture of them. I can't look at them they make me feel sick.

But anyway, Copperhead snakes stay still when they feel they are in danger. They don't move. If they feel threatened it moves its tail side to side. This is a warning that it may strike. It only uses a bite as a last resort when threatened. The bite is venom but it's not life threatening. You do need immediate medical attention though and it's supposed to be really painful. It's recommended that if you're not a snake handler you should not approach the snake.


I looked up this to get rid of snakes
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070522210901AA4Y5SY

Hope it helps

[budafist]

18 and 20 year olds definately like cookies!

Since you suspect that you might the butt of some jokes now, why not make something a bit lighthearted out of it and make long cookies with frosting so that they look like snakes?

[JMV Design]

I HATE snakes!!!!

I have 2 fears. In order, they are:

1. Snakes

2. Carnies. Circus folk. Nomads you know. Smell like cabbage. Small hands.