Three’s A Charm

Feeling like being run over by the proverbial Mack truck after getting the Covid booster shot yesterday, but thankful this is available for us old people. Our appointments at Publix had to be rescheduled from the previous day, because Grant had infections in two fingers and needed to see a doctor.

Before we went to South Florida, I created a garden tunnel of pig wire and my anti-bird netting. This was to keep the rabbit I’ve seen from eating my new corn plants. I weighted down the edges with bricks. When we came back, no bunnies in the corn, but a dead black racer snake was tangled in the netting.

My first thought was to lay the net out in the yard and let the ants eat away. That idea stank. Next plan, hang the net off the dock, so the fish could nibble. Good idea until I saw a big turtle investigating. I couldn’t face have it also caught. I hauled the netting up and only let a little part with the snake pieces hang in the water, then I obsessed all night. There wasn’t much snake gone by the next morning. 

So Grant kindly offered to de-snake the netting with a pair of garden shears. I’d hacked an iguana body out of our chain link fence in Fort Lauderdale, so I knew what a nasty job it would be. Yuck, but his turn. After a lot of time, he came in, stinking to high heaven, and reported it was 2 snakes, not one. So that’s 3 snakes I’ve killed with this netting. It is retired.

He got two tiny pokes, one in his thumb, the other in his middle finger, likely from the plastic but maybe snake bones. By Saturday, his fingers were both so swollen, he couldn’t bend them. Sunday his hand seemed better, so we thought he was on the mend. Tuesday evening big red lumps appeared at the distal joints, so Wednesday to the doctor, who prescribed heavy duty antibiotics and a return visit Friday. Since Grant has already had a hospital stay with cellulitis, I am anxious to prevent the infection from getting into his bloodstream.

Now we sit waiting for the doctor to look. Afterwards, we are going to Gideon Bakehouse to pick up the cookies I’ve ordered, then the library for the book I’ve put on hold. Then, home to bed.