Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

Hi. :D ~ I was just looking at some photos taken last week while our family was traveling home from a wedding. We stopped all along the way and turned a 7.5 hour drive into around a 10.5 hour drive; it was AWESOME! :D (with exception to becoming SO tired and eventually quite anxious to get home)

One of the things that we always do when we travel through desert lands is stop to let the boys catch snakes. Our boys are especially talented with animals, and on this trip Devry caught another rattle snake. Yes - I do mean rattle. His father and I have both made the mental transition from freaking out over the things he does... to anticipating it with total confidence that he knows what he is doing; we are actually relaxed now and very impressed (but still cautious). His talent is truly amazing. I really need to do a post just on animal catching talent.

These boys of mine are positively awesome! :)

A little further down the road the boys stopped for a hike. Actually, I hiked with them for a bit but chickened out when I saw bobbed wire. Before I wandered back down the mountain (hill really, but mountain sounds so much cooler! :) I gave the camera to Miles and told him to get photos of our boys. I thought it was interesting as I looked at the photos to note their postures in comparison with each other in each of the photos. These two (as do many other twins) do so many things alike without even realizing it. The way they each place one hand on one leg in just the same way (and even at the same time.) The way each of them will place one thumb in a pant pocket without knowing that the other is doing it... and with perfect symmetry (the outside pockets only). Here are a few photos of them hiking and looking for snakes and rocks. You may enjoy looking for the mentioned similarities in each photo.

So many similarities... and yet so many differences.

Dausen and I were talking to each other after watching Devry fearlessly catch yet another rattle snake with his bare hands (he knows how to do it so they can not strike). He mentioned that Devry is sure to die of something like a snake bite or "spontaneous combustion." I have to admit... when he was little, I feared for his life. I could not believe that boy lived through each and every one of his bizarre antics; and I want you to know I really did try hard to watch him.

Speaking of rattle snakes, I just have to tell you about a rattle snake incident we experienced the last time Devry caught one. On this occasion, Devry actually brought home a rattle snake! Since the snake didn't kill him, he's lucky I didn't. When I insisted he get in the car to take "that thing" back into it's own terrain... Devry realized he lost the 1 gallon ice cream container he put the thing in inside our house. Then someone found an ice cream container... knocked over and OPEN. The next five minutes were fraught with contention and panic as we all frantically rushed around the house looking for a rattle snake, and hoped not to be killed in the process!  Then we prayed and spent the next 5 minutes calming down. Naturally, the snake was found... in another container which had the lid still on it! :D (we save icecream containers for bugs and critters... I don't think my boys will ever grow out of them). I was thankful that the lid was on, but was equally thankful that the experience frightened a little common sense into my ultra, overly adventurous son :)! Dausen is a good example; he actually uses his head with caution. :) Thank you Dausen. ;) OK, in all fairness... Devry really is very careful, too... just very daring as well. :O

It's late, so I'll stop writing now. Perhaps I will post some photos of some of the animals the boys have caught over the years... just for the heck of it.

TTFN!  Corine