Sitting in the Grass
“Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own...”
I once had a special friend—not someone to have a conversation with, but a creature whose presence one could only appreciate, albeit at a distance. Since I had a very large lawn both in front and back of the house, there was ample space for leisure on those quiet summer afternoons, and opportunity for all sorts of creatures to pass through or find food undetected. However, nothing escaped the notice of my friend. Whether rodents under the porch, or even the infrequent rattlesnake that tried nestle behind a trellis, it—or I should say he—was always vigilant. At times, while I painted in my basement atelier, I could spot him through one of the windows as he took his “sunbath,” his well-articulated head almost resting against the glass. On a certain warm and sunny day, my family and I found him stretched out on the front lawn totally unperturbed by our presence. He even allowed us to measure his length, which turned out to be roughly seven feet. Now, you’ve guessed I’ve been talking about a snake, actually a King snake, a member of a rather honored species in that part of the country, in particular because it is a rapacious predator of vermin. His presence made my son and I feel safer lying or sitting in the grass over the course of several summers. He even became something of a celebrity among our friends and neighbors. The King would simply take it all in stride....
Painting by EMH—oil on canvas
I once had a special friend—not someone to have a conversation with, but a creature whose presence one could only appreciate, albeit at a distance. Since I had a very large lawn both in front and back of the house, there was ample space for leisure on those quiet summer afternoons, and opportunity for all sorts of creatures to pass through or find food undetected. However, nothing escaped the notice of my friend. Whether rodents under the porch, or even the infrequent rattlesnake that tried nestle behind a trellis, it—or I should say he—was always vigilant. At times, while I painted in my basement atelier, I could spot him through one of the windows as he took his “sunbath,” his well-articulated head almost resting against the glass. On a certain warm and sunny day, my family and I found him stretched out on the front lawn totally unperturbed by our presence. He even allowed us to measure his length, which turned out to be roughly seven feet. Now, you’ve guessed I’ve been talking about a snake, actually a King snake, a member of a rather honored species in that part of the country, in particular because it is a rapacious predator of vermin. His presence made my son and I feel safer lying or sitting in the grass over the course of several summers. He even became something of a celebrity among our friends and neighbors. The King would simply take it all in stride....
Painting by EMH—oil on canvas
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