When I married Jeff almost 39 years ago, I did not know everything about him, but I did know that he had had a boa constrictor for a pet at one time during his wild childhood. Jeff has a brother who is only 18 months younger. The Simon boys spent a lot of time out in the woods along the bayou. Stories include the time they fished out a shark from the bayou. (Little did they know as young boys that sharks don’t live in the bayou; obviously someone’s throw back from fishing in the Gulf.) But that story is not the one I want to tell today.
Calm in every situation would aptly describe this hero. He sat next to me for hours and hours during natural childbirth…3 times…and never lost his cool calm demeanor.
Susan may not know this about him, but she does know that he cares about reptiles. Susan and Jeff go way back to days when she lead summer library programs, and Jeff would collaborate on ones on canoeing and camping and fishing all through the local Optimist Club. And she may remember (she sent me a photograph once) of a library workshop he brought our middle daughter Katherine to when she was four-years-old, and how Jeff showed particular interest in the snakes. Nevertheless, she texted on Sunday morning, and I sent my hero away to save the day.
I am deathly afraid of snakes. Jeff has tried many times to get me over my phobia, and often I’ve become the source of a snake joke. Needless to say I did not personally attend this snake rescue. In fact, I’m having trouble posting the pictures. I refuse to post the one of the three rescued snakes happily wriggling in the bottom of a trash can.
My calm hero was able to patiently cut away the mesh entrapment while Susan held the snakes’ heads. I don’t know which was braver, but combined these two people should win a prize. The snakes were not released in our backyard, thank you very much. They are happily in someone else’s yard.
Here is the text of a thank you email from Susan:
“Thanks again for coming to the rescue yesterday-I don’t think I could have done the extraction solo, the task needed experienced snake rangers comfortable with very close contact! Certainly you handled the snipping far better than I could have, didn’t see any fresh blood! Excellent work.”
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, my, what a story!
Now, this is a feel-good story for the news. Your husband’s patience is amazing, Margaret. I looked at that snake with tongue outstretched and thought what a team Susan and Jeff made.
Goodness, I could never ever get so close to a snake like that. They are definitely heroes!! What a unique story!
Wow, Margaret! What a powerful Bayou story. In the beautiful telling you had me spellbound. So glad you dared to post the photos too. They add so much.
Glad there are folks willing to step forward for snake rescue missions, but I’m not one of them. I could not get that close to a snake. Hooray for heroes of the day, Susan and Jeff!
Absolutely fascinating. God bless your husband and Susan and anyone who’d undertake a snake rescue mission (and the Marys who photograph such). I am not a fan of snakes although the shy little earth snakes who live in the beds around my house do have something of a winsome quality. I suppose I could say I’ve developed a healthy respect for snakes – a remnant of my grandfather, who told me never to kill black snakes because they eat rats and mice. I also saw him kill copperheads…everything is relative… nevertheless, I am amazed that you wrote this, Margaret! Talk about getting out of one’s comfort zone! It is a magnificent slice.
I love this. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Wow, what a great story! You hooked me at the first sentence and kept reeling me in. Great details! Great photos! We don’t have all the poisonous snakes that you do in LA so I understand your fear. The one poisonous snake we do have is a rattler snake, which just happens to like the area in the Adirondack mountains where we usually hike, though I’ve never seen one in the forty years I’ve been hiking. Little garter snakes often wriggle across the path in front of you, but that’s about it. There are also milk snakes that look almost identical to rattler snakes. Sometimes the rattler snakes swim in a popular lake called Lake George, but I’ve never heard of anyone being bit. However, one time when we were swimming in a non populated area of Lake George, I saw a large snake swimming and I made everyone get out.
Having a snake hero close by is quite wise. My son is our snake whisperer here. I love the way you captured the outcry and thank you for your storytelling of this heroic adventure.
That’s pretty darn impressive!!! Actually, I’m not sure if I’m more impressed by his snake handling abilities or his ability to remain so calm in times of stress. Jenny
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