Buttercups

There are snakes around these parts, and scorpions too. It's a frightening thought. I, on the other hand enjoyed a blissfully ignorant afternoon laying in the long grass with buttercups and red clover. Unfortunately, the locals have warned me of the wildlife and it's going to be a lot harder to enjoy, sans ignorance. They mentioned Vipers and Rattlesnakes.


Once upon a time I sat upon a hill in Yellowstone, USA to gaze upon the fresh moonlight, and much to my delight I found a soft spot in the cracked earth and spiked grass. The moon, the twinkle of the stars and me on the hill top - with a rattle. Minutes after finding this peace, a Rattle(snake) disturbed my rest. It was ready to pounce - or maybe I was just being warned. Rattle, Rattle, Rattle - I froze, two seconds and then ran. Heart stopping. I made it - obviously.

That was many years ago now. But, that fear still exists in me and I don't even want to know what a 'Viper' can do. I was told that you realize how many deadly snakes there are because in the heat many come on to the roadways to warm their cool blood and often die by the cars that whiz by. You think 110kms/75miles is fast, come drive around Europe for a while.

It was a sad moment when the french girls refused to follow me into my play ground and I had to face the fact that going it alone put my life at risk. But, that realization has come upon me before - usually with humans, not snakes and they are just as unpredictable. The difference is you decide to spend time with them.

Oh, Naivete.

I have been the grasshopper and, perhaps, I have been the snake. But, I don't believe I've been the scoundrel with the premeditated attack.

I went on a field trip yesterday.

One woman's life.
My life.
Is it reminiscent of your own?

My field trip was a job interview, which turned into a business meeting of the old school sort:

Aperitif (drink), not too stiff, local wine. Everyone's hobby here in France - drinking local wines. After that, around the corner for the plate, lunch - all right, it's the hours. Then a train ride? WHAT? I just took the train! LET'S TALK BUSINESS! Coffee, little tiny coffees while running this mans errands. TRAIN - groan. Then a look at his renovated, ready to be ran for business restaurant/bar, beautifully restored Maison Rouge - Red House. Where he lives, where I will be taken alone, on the side of the highway, maybe I'll want to come back and live here - in this room that is actually his room. WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF?

UMMMM, I gotta go. How did I get myself into this this time. My vibe was "he's not malevolent." But, I cannot say I was off his wish list. He'd be categorized as a snake. Completely unpredictable, definitely not a scoundrel but, I got pretty close to panic. It took me many hours to realize why I was angry. I, once again put myself into a less then safe situation.

Promise to self - lets not do that again.

My instincts said 'this one's all right.' And, ladies I checked in a hundred times. Wisdom tells me, 'why test the knife?' Actions say, 'anger like this is not to be dismissed.' I was the Scorpion yesterday - constantly ready to bite. But, could I really have protected myself? Was I just another dear in the headlights - cunning to be dismembered.

You may ask yourself, "Where was Atticus?" It was a job interview, remember. And, it was a costly little field trip, more like a rip-off adventure. At least this time someone knew where I was - kind of.