Scorpions, Spiders, Skunks and Snakes

On Facebook I wrote, I Found a Scorpion in my bed--and I think that sounds like a title for a book.

At the Stiletto Gang I wrote about my encounter with the scorpion which was right there on the bottom sheet when I turned back the bed. They don't scare me at all, though I didn't plan on sleeping with it. I went to get my husband and show him. Frankly, I thought the ugly thing was dead. When he came back with me, guess what? the scorpion had disappeared. I should have killed it when I first saw it.

We shook out all the sheets, the covers--but no scorpion. No telling where it went. I couldn't see it anywhere so I went to bed.

On Facebook, almost everyone who responded to my post was aghast. Some thought I should have slept anywhere else but that bed. Others thought I should never given up looking for it.

The reality is even if the thing bit me I wouldn't die. It's a worse sting than a bee, but not fatal or even near fatal. My house is old with lots of cracks and crevices to hide in. Scorpions appear from time to time along with all kinds of spiders. I have no problem putting them out of their misery.

We used to have trouble with mice--but our three cats have taken care of that problem. Anyone who follows my blog knows that when our bathroom was being remodeled, the workers left the door to the outside open all the time and one of our closest became home to a family of rats. Pretty horrifying. Hubby and a grandson took care of them.

Though we have plenty of lizards that make it inside, never a snake even though there are plenty outside. Hubby used to haul the rattlesnakes off to an old barn we had on the property to take care of the icky critters in there, but the barn is gone, so I guess the rattlers will have to stay out of hubby's way.

And then there's the skunks. Every evening a skunk family passes through the yard and leaves behind their odor. A couple of the dogs have been sprayed and one time my poor daughter-in-law stepped out the back door of our house and a skunk sprayed in her direction. Fortunately, she didn't get the brunt of it.

When you live in the country, you have to put up with all these critters who got here first.

The funniest comment anyone made on Facebook about my encounter with the scorpion was made by my niece who said I did exactly what my mom would've done. That's true, nothing much fazed my mom except bad stuff that happened to family members.

And that's the saga of the scorpion--hopefully it will stay out of my way.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Comments

Mason Canyon said…
We live in the country too and scorpions are a way of life. We have had rats from time to time too. That is one thing I can't deal with. Give me a snake, spider, anything but a rat. Currently we're having problems with coyotes. Life in the country is never dull.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
M.M. Gornell said…
Marilyn, glad you're fine! I'm one of those folks (and it seems from the comments on facebook there aren't many) who doesn't kill scorpions, spiders, mice, snakes, etc. that come onto our property or in our house--yes we had a snake in the house once, slithered right past one of my sleeping dogs noses! Relocate them all- no kill policy. Fortunately, never been injured by any.

Ahh, Country life! (also fortunately the coyotes just pass through!)
Cheryl said…
We have extensive woods behind our property and they are home to a lot of critters. I think the worst thing we ever had in the house was a chipmunk. Our cat is a big hunter, and anything, and I do mean anything, that dares to step foot on the lawn is cat food. Bunnies seem to be his favorite, but he left an ugly looking beast on the front porch the other day. Looked like it might be a Fisher. I thought at first it was a Ferret, but I don't know that we have those around here.

Cheryl

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