Where the Wild Things Are
The sun was already setting and the soft glow of twilight was taking over when I exited the main building of the Work Ranch this evening, walking over to the parking garage. The garage is a rather inconvenient five minute walk away. The walkway, covered, mind you, curves away from the building so you don't see it in the pretty pictures of the building's prairie home inspired facade. Think Frank Lloyd Wright if he built an office park building. Of course, Wright wouldn't create a company logo in the stone above the main entrance.
I was leaving the building late after working out in the basement gym, so I was a bit tired, and still tied to my iPod. I took the stairs rather than the ramp that goes to the flagstone walkway that goes between the two man-made springs and then off to the main walkway which has plants on either side. They have native Texas plants like sage and whatever creates more ragweed to put in the air. There's really no surprise that many people enter the building sneezing.
I'm of course, certain that our company owns stock in the manufactures of Claritin, Alevert, Benadryl, etc. For our shareholders, naturally.
When I reached the place where we rejoin the covered walkway I noticed that there was a snake. It was a rather large snake...probably about three feet long. It was black and yellow. It had come out of the brush and bramble and was now partially on the gravel and on the flagstones. It scrunched up a bit as I had nearly passed it, noticing it in the last second.
I wasn't so much scared, but a little more perplexed. I wasn't sure what type of snake it was. It didn't look like the Water Moccasins and Copperheads that I've seen before. I just stared at it a bit. It stared back.
There's plenty of animals out on the work ranch. Only the longhorns are officially approved by the company, as they are a taxbreak. The other residents include ducks, mice, turtles, rabbits and a rumored bobcat. We almost always see hawks making lazy circles over the pond from our windows on the fourth floor.
Then I noticed that a woman was coming down the walkway pulling her file case on wheels. I warned her about the snake and she looked and started moving back with a clear look of terror. As she moved back, the wheels on her case turned and grumbled on the concrete getting the notice of the snake. The snake quickly turned around and swam back into the bushes.
After it had disappeared, we both continued our walk down the way and the woman thanked me and explained her fear of snakes. I for some reason wasn't, even though I didn't have much to defend either of us should the snake actually been more threatening. I'm just thinking he was looking for a warm flagstone to spend the night on.
Still, I wonder if I can use this to get hazard pay.
I was leaving the building late after working out in the basement gym, so I was a bit tired, and still tied to my iPod. I took the stairs rather than the ramp that goes to the flagstone walkway that goes between the two man-made springs and then off to the main walkway which has plants on either side. They have native Texas plants like sage and whatever creates more ragweed to put in the air. There's really no surprise that many people enter the building sneezing.
I'm of course, certain that our company owns stock in the manufactures of Claritin, Alevert, Benadryl, etc. For our shareholders, naturally.
When I reached the place where we rejoin the covered walkway I noticed that there was a snake. It was a rather large snake...probably about three feet long. It was black and yellow. It had come out of the brush and bramble and was now partially on the gravel and on the flagstones. It scrunched up a bit as I had nearly passed it, noticing it in the last second.
I wasn't so much scared, but a little more perplexed. I wasn't sure what type of snake it was. It didn't look like the Water Moccasins and Copperheads that I've seen before. I just stared at it a bit. It stared back.
There's plenty of animals out on the work ranch. Only the longhorns are officially approved by the company, as they are a taxbreak. The other residents include ducks, mice, turtles, rabbits and a rumored bobcat. We almost always see hawks making lazy circles over the pond from our windows on the fourth floor.
Then I noticed that a woman was coming down the walkway pulling her file case on wheels. I warned her about the snake and she looked and started moving back with a clear look of terror. As she moved back, the wheels on her case turned and grumbled on the concrete getting the notice of the snake. The snake quickly turned around and swam back into the bushes.
After it had disappeared, we both continued our walk down the way and the woman thanked me and explained her fear of snakes. I for some reason wasn't, even though I didn't have much to defend either of us should the snake actually been more threatening. I'm just thinking he was looking for a warm flagstone to spend the night on.
Still, I wonder if I can use this to get hazard pay.