St. Patrick, thanks a lot!

I've been asked to actually employ this strange venue, as in "write something." Well, I'd like to give a Shout Out to St. Patrick while we're still in St. Patrick's day. I have had a St. Patrick experience. This morning, I saw a large black blur race by my studio window. I opened the door, stepped outside and saw my black cat, Pancho, crouching by the door. This is weird, as he's a wild cat and would normally keep his distance from me as I am a "ssstink human." I immediately noticed an unpleasant smell, not the usual cat stink, but something I hadn't smelled in years. Snake. Very slowly I turned my head and beheld a huge black snake coiled up directly under my mailbox and mere inches from my feet. Hm.

Pancho was determined to attack him, and was probably the reason the snake was there. He'd chased him there from the wilderness of my overgrown yard. Of course, the snake struck and barely missed both of us. I lift-kicked poor, dumb Pancho away and took a good look. It's been a while, but I'm reasonably sure my serpenty visitor was a Rat Snake, and a pretty big one. Since I wasn't completely sure, and the mailman was due to arrive soon, I sent him on his way, with a twig and some helpful words, ("Go on, snake.") back to the overgrown bushes and ferns. Off he slithered. Pancho was pretty mad, but I can't afford vet bills at all now.

So, thanks, St. Patrick. Thanks for kicking all the snakes out of Ireland and forcing one of the refugees to find a home in my yard.

OK. That being said, please visit Truth Out on my links bar. If you're like me, this stuff will make you burn up, shake your fist and plot. If you're not like me, you won't believe it and will think it all a silly fable. Man, I wish that were true.