It was late summer of 1993 in a small community outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I lived on a lonely road practically in the middle of nowhere with nothing but trees for company.

The nearest country store was a mile away, but it seemed further, especially in winter. My house was small but large enough for my needs. When you see it, your first impression might be that it is a typical country house. It had rickety steps leading up to a large deck. After you cross the deck, you may enter the front door. When you first went inside, you saw the living room and then the kitchen which were connected by a large arch instead of the usual door. My bedroom was to the right of the living room. It was quite large and contained a king sized bed and a baby crib.

My son was young, barely a year old. He woke me up fairly early, around 9:00 a.m. I first heard the tiny whimper, the one you ignore and hope your child goes back to sleep. Then the rustling of the covers became apparent and finally the cry that means get up and tend to me. I arose from my bed, noting that my husband had already left for work. I usually get up with him in the morning, but I must have been unusually tired that day. I went first to the bathroom to wash my face and take care of personal matters. My bathroom was directly across from my bedroom but out of sight of the kitchen. I walked through the living room noting the toys on the floor that needed to be picked up, and continued on to the kitchen. I went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of milk for my son. I figured that it would pacify him while I made breakfast. I turned around and happened to glance at the counter where the sink was located and immediately let out a scream. There, stretched out the full length of the counter, was a large King snake.

I knew immediately that it was a King snake because I had seen one before. The snake was so long that I could not even see its head. Its tail was apparent, hanging from the end of the counter like a dangling rope. I knew I was not in any danger since this particular snake was not poisonous. I never did like snakes, though, and this one was no exception.