The incident involving the snake...

This afternoon I left the museum via the staff entrance on my way to lunch with my aunt.

It was very windy.

To get to my car, I have to pass a set of stairs that lead up to the elevated front lawn of the museum.

The wind gusted. A stick blew down the stairs in my direction.

Thinking that the stick was going to hit my leg, I turned slightly to avoid it. The stick moved with me.

And it was then that I realized that the stick wasn’t a stick.

It was a snake. A BIG snake. And it was coming right at me.


I simultaneously jumped, screamed and started running. I’m pretty sure I looked like a cartoon. And the snake? He chased (slithered) after me!

After what seemed like hours (but was probably no more than five seconds) the snake diverted into the bushes to hide from the dude on the lawnmower cutting grass.

It was only after some of the "fight or flight" panic started to subside did I realize that I had an audience. Five guys planting flowers at the building next door had taken a break to laugh hysterically at my ordeal.


Seriously. They were bent over.

Mortified and still shaking with adrenalin, I walked – head down – to my car, got in and drove away.

Meanwhile, the snake patiently awaits its next unsuspecting victim…

The end.