A 49 year old memory and today's memories.

I am never sure why certain memories just seem to work their way through my brain and appear at any moment of the day. This is one of them. This was in 1966 and we were on board the mighty Kitty Hawk somewhere in the vast Pacific ocean. There were two conflicting personalities in the outfit. One was a pizza-faced loudmouth Texan called Briggs. The other was kind of a wild easterner named Doer. Both were motor mouths that never shut up. This particular afternoon most of my sleeping compartment mates were in our compartment. The Texan, just by our bad luck, lived there with us; the easterner just stopped in to say hello to his buddy who also shared our compartment. Neither one liked the other, maybe because of the east-west rivalry thing still popular at the time or maybe it was the competition for speaking time; I do not remember. Their discussion turned into an argument and Briggs sucker-punched Doer. Doer took the punch and very calmly asked Briggs if he wanted to try that again now that he was ready for it. Briggs just climbed the ladder out of the compartment after giving Doer his best and Doer was ready for whatever would happen next.

That is the old and here is the new. Sunday I was looking out our dining room window when I noticed the bird water fountains were growing algae. I was still in my jammies but wanted to go out there with a little bleach to clean them up. I had not even finished my coffee so I was still in a daze. I bleached the first one and stepped toward the second one when I saw the snake. I jumped back and screamed like a little 10-year old. That was enough to ruin my day. I am not fearful of snakes, but I usually see them before they see me. Now this morning I walked out to the barn, being watchful for snakes as I went to put some aluminum cans in my recycling bin. I dumped the cans and walked back on the same path and BAM! I nearly stepped on another snake that was not there 2 minutes before. Again I jumped and screamed out loud. I am so embarrassed and this morning  Joyce was looking out the window and saw the whole thing. I did not have to tell her what happened. I know after May the snakes diminish, but wonder how I will get through the month.