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Hurrah! Only 48 hours without power! Just long enough to make a girl really appreciate her hot showers and freshly brewed coffee.

The hurricane hit Monday, as expected, but was a tad stronger than the forecasters had predicted. We lost some roof tiles and a few palm trees, but everyone's healthy and happy, if a bit wind blown.

Monday afternoon, after the storm passed, I caught George heading outside with my good Henckels chef's knife.

Me: What are you doing?

George: There's a coral snake in the backyard.

Me: Oh. And why exactly do you have my knife?

George: I'm going to use it to kill the snake.

Me: Not with my good chef's knife, you're not. Put it down.

George: Hon, I have to kill it. It's the most poisonous snake in North America.

Me: [dubiously] How do you know?

George: They taught it to us in Cub Scouts. There's even a rhyme: If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow. And I figured that was all I really needed to know, so I didn't bother to memorize the rest.

I eventually talked George out of using my good knife, and he rearmed himself with an alternate knife and a paint roller extension handle and headed outside to vanquish the evil serpent.

To be honest, I didn't really expect him to find the snake. And I also wasn't buying the whole "this is the most poisonous snake in North America" argument either. I mean, come on. It's ridiculous. Highly poisonous snakes do not live in suburban backyards.

Turns out I was wrong on both counts.

According to Encyclopdia.com:

The venom of coral snakes, like that of cobras, acts on the nervous system and causes paralysis; the mortality rate among humans who are bitten is high.

In. Our. Freaking. Backyard.

Ten minutes later, George came back in and announced that he'd successfully killed the snake. He stunned it with the paint roller extension handle, and then beheaded it.

Yes, that's right: he chopped the snake's head right off.

It was actually sort of gross and sexy at the same time.

I had no idea I was married to the Snake Hunter. Next thing you know, George will be hosting a show on Animal Planet.

Posted 27 October 2005 at 01:13 PM