We thought we had a poltergeist in our home a few years ago.
My aspie daughter (lover of all creatures bright and beautiful and the more unusual the better) had wanted to own a pet snake ever since she was a little girl. We had the usual menagerie – dogs, cats, hamsters, rats, fish, lizards, ducks, chickens, birds, a box-turtle and even a fire-bellied toad called Longlegs – but the one pet my daughter really wanted was a snake.
She begged me on and off for years but I was extremely loathe to let her have one in the house, not only for practical reasons (what if the cats got to it, for instance) but because, sorry to say, I really can’t bear them.
I felt this way about pet rats and the boys had to work on me for years before I relented. This is because I grew up in the Suffolk countryside and the only rats I knew were vermin the size of small dogs with teeth that would put you in the hospital with the black plague should one ever care to bite you.
I’ll give the kids their due though, when they set their little hearts on something, they did their homework, presenting me with all the facts and figures explaining how they would look after their rats, how clean/friendly/intelligent they were and what great pets they made. They presented their persuasive arguments so well I’m surprised they aren’t lawyers by now.
So relent I did and I have to say, over the years, I did grow rather fond of Blue and Snowy and their sweet little faces. It was their tails I couldn’t abide…
Sweet Blue, eldest son’s pet rat.
(c) copyright Sherri Matthews 2014
So it was that my daughter managed to persuade me in much the same way by blinding me with her heavily researched and impressive knowledge of snake ownership and assuring me that she wanted a corn snake, which is harmless, non-venomous and small, as far as snakes go.
Welcome Charles P. Snake, fondly known as Charlie. Now, I admit, as much as the kids loved Charlie and enjoyed letting him wrap himself around their necks, arms and torsos, I am afraid that I couldn’t bring myself to do more than touch the top of his little head with the tip of my index finger. That was as much as I could manage, bless him…
Charlie enjoyed getting into the ‘spirit’ of things at Christmas time…
(c) Sherri Matthews 2013
Charlie settled down into his new surroundings (a vivarium, which fit nicely in the corner of her room upstairs, far away from me…) and seemed happy and healthy. Even the cats, when their curiousity and crafty attempts to bat at the glass windows of the vivarium to get him to do something, anything failed, soon became bored and left him alone.
Then came the ghostly happenings in my daughter’s room. First, her bedside lamp had moved in the night and then she started to hear odd rustling sounds. Her nerves a little on edge as it was, she was really scared when in the small hours, she felt a ‘presence’ on her bed as her sheets seemed to move of their own accord.
Convinced that she was the subject of a supernatural visitation, she hardly dared look but found no logical explanation as to the origin of these spooky events.
Until, that is, the next morning when she made a startling discovery – the sliding window to Charlie’s vivarium was slightly ajar and to her horror, when she looked inside, it was empty. Charlie had disappeared, into thin air. Now, to her credit, she didn’t tell me any of this until after the fact. I had to laugh when, in gleefully telling the story to her grandmother, I heard her say:
“I knew then that it was Charlie who was making all the strange sounds and movements in my room but I didn’t dare tell Mom that he had escaped or she would have lost her mind!”
Well, I would have lost something, probably my life, if that snake had crawled on my bed in the dead of night, or worse, inside the bed. I can’t even imagine what I would have done if I’d known that a snake was loose in the house and couldn’t be found.
Thankfully, there is a happy ending: my daughter, desperate to find her beloved snake, eventually did so – curled up sound asleep inside one of her shoes at the foot of her bed as if nothing had happened.
After that, Charlie didn’t escape again and my daughter didn’t have to worry about me ‘losing my mind’. At least, not over that…and he brought great joy to her and those who are partial to snakes.
But sadly, Charlie has now slithered off into the great snake unknown where he can hiss to his little heart’s delight for he is no more. He will never again shed his slippery skin and he has eaten his last supper. We have to say goodbye to Charlie and my daughter is sad for her loss.
But she still has her African land snail. His name is Vladimir and he will now move into Charlie’s old vivarium now that it’s been cleaned out and filled with a few inches of lovely fresh soil for him to burrow into, as snails do, apparently.
He is quite different to the snails that have eaten their way through my garden this summer, so I’m told. I do hope so but at least I have the comfort in knowing that should he escape, he won’t get very far. The cats aren’t the slightest bit interested, which is good.
Vladimir, the African Land Snail
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014
Charlie left his mark on this family, no doubt about it. His spooky trail of mischief during his adventure of a lifetime will never be forgotten, a fond memory amongst those of all the beloved pets we have lost over the years.
I would though like to think of one final twist in the tail of this story: Charlie was not just any run-of-the-mill corn snake – due to his unusual markings and colourings, he was what is known as a ‘Ghost Corn Snake’.
It’s nice then to know that Charles P. Snake lived up to his name
in word as well as in deed.
Goodbye Charlie, it was nice knowing you.
A View From My Summerhouse 
You are a more accommodating mommy then me, my friend. I cannot, I repeat, cannot, abide anything that slithers, crawls, skitters, etc. Luckily for me, my husband is anti any animal, so I get to blame him when my daughter, the only one in the family who wants a pet, requests one. She wants a dog or cat. We had a cat named Louie when she was very young. It was for me because I grew up with cats and missed having one around so my husband relented and we got one. Louie was full-grown and must have seen some traumatic events (I can relate) because he had to be put on valium to control his incessant peeing outside the box, which after much $$ spent at the vet, was ruled behavioral. Louie was also a mouser, and although an inside cat, had plenty of prey due to our house having many crevices and nooks mice had been using over its eighty year life. He dropped a mouse in my lap when I was sleeping on the couch. I screamed and lost my head for a bit, and decided that in addition to hubby’s constant on-edgeness, Louie had to go for my own sanity. I returned him to the rescue organization from whence he came, and we’ve never had a pet since. I regret adding to Louie’s trauma, but for us, pets are a bad idea.
Fondly,
Elizabeth
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Well pets aren’t for everyone Elizabeth and I would have freaked out if my cat had landed a mouse on my lap too. If I’d known that Charlie was loose in the house I would have lost it. But we’ve always had pets and for the most part (although we’ve had a few disasters too and had to return an out of control dog to the rescue people when I couldn’t trust it around my young children) they’ve been a wonderful, loved and loving part of our family. It sounds as if poor Louie certainly had his share of trauma if he was constantly peeing outside the littler box like that. That’s a really, really hard habit to break once it starts and very hard to deal with. Sometimes a pet isn’t a good fit for a family so it sounds as if you did the right thing for all concerned. But you never know…maybe one day you’ll find that perfect pet and get to enjoy the many wonderful benefits once again 🙂
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What a great story, Sherri! It is so hard to say good-bye to pets especially for kids. The only pets I’ve ever been really attached to, though, have been dogs through the years. Our little Brownie is 11 now. Losing her will be super tough for all of us!!! I’ll be thinking of your daughter. 🙂
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Ahh…I hope your little Brownie has a few good years in her yet Patsy. I was heartbroken when we lost Bonnie, our 14 year old collie/lab and then Willow, our 14 year cat. it is so tough isn’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed this little story, thank you! I felt bad for my daughter as it happened while we were away with my boys celebrating my birthday…but she is happy to have her African land snail 🙂
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Oh my word, Sherri! If Santa saw that snake, he’d head right back up the chimney…I know I would. I have a hard enough time dealing with snakes outside…on my table…yikes!
Seriously I’m sorry to hear Charlie has gone to the great beyond, but I’m happy Aspie has a new friend. I’m not sure if I’d want to sit next to him at Christmas dinner, but he’s kind of cute from afar. 🙂 What a great momma you are! xo
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Haha! Oh Jill, what adventures we have in this house. Never a dull moment. I have friends who I didn’t want to tell about Charlie for fear they would never come back again…! That view of him on the table was a sneaky one by my daughter when I wasn’t looking as a trick so I snapped a shot and then made her remove him, swiftly!
Yes, that snail is different again. Not quite sure what he does, if anything, but then they are supposed to have their merits. He is sort of cute isn’t he…in a strange kind of way, lol 😉 xo
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//We had the usual menagerie – dogs, cats, hamsters, rats, fish, lizards, ducks, chickens, birds, a box-turtle and even a fire-bellied toad called Longlegs //
Really? That lot is USUAL? You don’t own a cockatiel do you 😉
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Haha…no, but my daughter would love one and, in no particular order: a Peach Faced Lovebird, racoon, crow and and a chipmunk. So I suppose that when I said ‘usual’ I meant it seemed usual to us… and no, she definitely isn’t getting any more, at least not while living with us. I’m tougher now… 😉
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I don’t like birds in cages, it seems unnecessarily cruel to me, but a Peach Faced Lovebird sounds sweet. But a racoon? A chipmunk? Maybe she needs to go and live in the US for a while… 😉
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Well Jude, funny you should say that…more on that later. But you wouldn’t believe it, we have discovered a huge pet shop not far from us (also sells everything for ponds and that kind of thing) and they have a chipmunk for sale! No way am I telling my daughter that!! Also, apparently there are people here who have racoons as pets but I just can’t imagine it. It would wreak havoc and can you imagine with the cats? An absolute nightmare. I think she likes to wind me up truth be told, haha!!
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Ghost Snake would make an excellent low budget horror film! Great stuff Sherri 🙂
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Haha…love it, thanks Mikey! I would love to read your review of that film 😉
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Oh what a fun story! You certainly were brave allowing a slithery friend into your home 🙂 Thank goodness you found out only after the fact that he had escaped! It sounds as though Charlie had many happy years with you all!!
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I was very glad Heather to find out after the fact! Charlie certainly enjoyed his naughty adventure as a snake loose in the house 🙂
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My. My. My. I’m sorry to hear about Charlie, but he wouldn’t have been welcome in my house. Only cats and birds found their way into my house. You are one terrific mom. Not me. I would never have so much as closed my eyes before nightmares would come calling. You are made of stronger stuff I see
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Haha…well Tess I tend to think I’m more ‘Schmuck’ than anything else 😮 It did take years for my daughter to work on me I’ll admit and even then I was not really too happy. Still, it worked out in the end despite me having to pretend there wasn’t really a snake in the house and if I’d known Charlie had escaped at the time I probably would have lost my mind
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Gives me the heaves just thinking of his escape.
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I get goosebumps… 😮
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Funny how we see animals. Furry ones with soulful eyes, who are in some way like us, yes yes yes. Weirdly moving ones that seem sinister and could hurt us… I think many of us feel instincts against them. What sacrifices you made for your beloved kids!
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Yes…and I think what draws Aspie D to the more sinister kind of pets like that is because she finds them so fascinating (although she likes the cute furry ones too and in fact would also love a ferret or a weasel, ha, but there’s no way!). I drew the line at snakes for years but then relented thinking it would be good for her to have a pet she was totally responsible for (there was no way I would pick up the pieces of pet ownership as with a cat or dog as us mums so often do) and in the end I felt it was a good decision. 😛
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“There’s a snake in my boots!” Were you constantly checking your own shoes after you’d heard about Charlie’s escape?
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Hahah! Wasn’t that from Toy Story? I was indeed, for some time to come and must have asked my daughter every day for a long time after that to make sure that Charlie was in his vivarium
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You got it in one! It is one of Woody’s catch phrases. 😀
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Now that is impressive Sherri. We had a lot of bugs to add to the cats and dogs and tortoises. Rabbits and a guinea pig too. We try to pass over the school gerbil who we lost on the weekend we were due to care for it. Possibly the least popular with guests were the Indian whistling cockroaches. Rather cool we thought and the Lawyer loved feeding them the bits of fruit which they pulled under their bark at speed. Never a snake or a spider. The lawyer wanted them but the Vet, ironic given her chosen career, just wouldn’t have it.
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So you’ve had your fair share too then Geoff? We never did the school gerbil thing (did you ever find it?) but our neighbour’s rabbit died when we were looking after it while they were away…yikes! I have to say, and you know already how I feel about insects (even though I do think butterflies are so beautiful) but I detest cockroaches…and you say Indian whistling? I’ve never heard of such a thing! I couldn’t handle those. The worse thing about the lizards were the live crickets we had to get for them. And my younger son did want a scorpion once but there was no way I would allow that. Strangely, my daughter is terrified of spiders so we never had to worry about any pet tarantulas thank goodness. I’m quite happy with the two cats…and Vladimir of course 😉
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Ah the stick insects. How did I forget. Now they are beyond creepy They did escape quite often. Once a pregnant female bred in the wardrobe in the spare room – found by my mother in law – shame I was out because that would have been worth the entrance money. They say you can see the Great Wall from space; well I’m bloody sure you can hear her screams in space, even with a vacuum.
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Haha…Geoff, this is so funny I can’t stop laughing…absolutely priceless this .. 😀
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I will be back… 🙂
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🙂
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You are a braver soul than I. Yikes!!!
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Either that, or, as I said to Tess, a schmuck…yikes is right 😛
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You’ve got to hand it to children who do their homework before they go toe-to-toe with you about getting a snake. Surely you knew in advance that you were defeated, Sherri. 😉
But it taught them several valuable life lessons: snakes are not poltergeists; snakes make great allies and table adornments; and, getting a snake is proof that Mom loves you very much, regardless of how much she protests.
Good-bye, Charles P. Snake. Brava! Supper Mom, Sherri.
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I know, I know…I was on a hiding to nothing wasn’t I? I was merely holding out for as long as I could but I had already conceded defeat long before I admitted it 😉
Ahh….well, that’s so sweet Marylin, thank you, but you in the end I thought that it would be good for my daughter to have a pet she would have 100% responsible for as there was no way that this mum was going to step in (as we so often do with the furrier variety of pets) and it was a good decision. She had Charlie for years and enjoyed him.
Haha…yes, who knew that a corn snake would make such a great Christmas table decoration? He certainly did leave his mark, in more ways than one 😉
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Got a new hairdo now after seeing Charles P Snake on the table. 😀 I think it’s wonderful that you allowed your children to get to know so many different denizens of this old rock though. We had hundreds of those snails in the garden up in Zim – some of them quite massive too. They used to decimate my dahlias, the little buggers. XX
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Haha…yes, not what you want to see on your everyday table is it? Think I did the same the day I was greeted by this sight. My daughter put him there on purpose hoping to make me jump…which I did, of course, but then I had to take this photo. Needless to say, he wasn’t there long… 😉
xxx
Ahh…yes, they grow really quite big don’t they those land snails? I couldn’t believe it though Jo, it arrived through the post in a sealed box marked ‘Live Animal’!! No wonder our postman is traumatised is it? With the things that get delivered to this house I’m surprised we aren’t on some kind of surveillance, haha 😛
No more wild and crazy creatures though…and this time I really mean it!!!
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What a fun post, and sad at the same time! I’m fine with dogs and cats, and I’m a hypocrite – like most of us are – if I claim that I’m in love with nature. I truly respect your children because they are who they are, and it’s praiseworthy how they do their research. Your daughter’s interaction with her grandmother was really funny. Thanks for the post!
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I’m glad you got that Mahesh, thank you so much for that…I’m proud of my kids for knowing their own minds and for making informed decisions, even if they might not always work out the way they expected. Valuable life lessons I think. It’s very true though isn’t it? We love the cute, furry and soft creatures but not so fond of those that are slimy, slithery and look, well, not so cute. Yet…my daughter sees the beauty in the not so cute too. She would quite happily live in a zoo I think… 😛 So glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
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RIP Charlie. What unusual pets. I think I could tolerate a snake in the house but I’d draw the line at spiders.
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Ahh…thanks Rachel. Now that’s interesting because my daughter is terrified of spiders, which after all of these other exotic types you probably wouldn’t expect. She freaks out if even a tiny one is in her room. So at least we don’t have to worry about that…no pet tarantulas in this house thank goodness 😛
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My Dear Sherri, You write well, but I think I have already said that to You! 🙂 Regarding Charlie, I suppose Your daughter had meant that Charlie would be Small at the time of his entering Your house. From the photograph, I would say that he must have been at least a metre long, and that is something, but not Small, not for me! Anyway, You are Brave. Love to You and the whole family, especially Your lovely Children. 🙂
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Dear Swami, thank you so much as always for your kindness 🙂 Yes, you are right about Charlie, he grew to about 5 feet long, but I think she meant small in that he wasn’t very wide and certainly not like a python or a boa…phew! Now that I would have a problem with, most definitely
Maybe brave, maybe a soft touch…either way, I’m happy for my children to have had the pleasure of all their beloved pets 🙂 . Blessings and much love to you too dear one 🙂
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Not a pet fan as you know Sherri, so I can’t imagine having a snake. Although, come to think of it, anything in a cage or tank is preferable to me than something which would shed hair or even worse on your sofa. We’ve just spent the weekend in Padstow where every other person seemed to have a dog. Consequently, rather than enjoying the wonderful views the place has to offer, we were constantly on the look out for where not to tread. Disgusting!
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Not your cup of tea for one minute Jenny! Not mine really, but I relented and actually daughter did a good job of looking after Charlie. A tank or cage is fine…until they escape, ha!
I hope you had a lovely weekend in Padstow, you had great weather didn’t you? That’s a shame about the dogs. Aren’t the owners supposed so pick up the mess in those bags and put them in those special boxes? I suppose it’s different along some of the more secluded walks…such a shame.
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Charles P. Snake certainly grew on me during the telling of your story Sherri and I’m sad to hear he is no more. What did you feed him? That would be the hard part if the rats had to then become food for Charlie. I hope he doesn’t now return to live up to his name. Hope Vladimir doesn’t get spooked living in his house.
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Ahh…thanks Irene, it is quite sad 😦 Charles P. Snake was rather endearing in a snake-like kind of a way…he had a cute little head! We fed him frozen mice from the pet store (defrosted in hot water beforehand, Charlie liked his mice slightly warmed up) and he only ate about twice a month. The assorted hamsters and rats were quite safe 😉 He was an easy pet to look after but daughter did it all. She knew from the outset that I wasn’t going to step in on this part of pet ownership 😛 Yes, that would be something wouldn’t it? If daughter experiences any further ghostly activity we won’t be able to blame him this time…or will we? Haha…hopefully Vladimir will be fine too 😛
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So sorry to hear about Charlie. I’m not a fan, but I’m fairly certain if I had kids I would relent as well. Especially if they are as well informed as your kids. And Vladimir–what an awesome name. You really have had all types of pets. I’m not surprised since you are such a great mum.
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Ahh..thanks TB, you’re so sweet. I was on a losing side with the kids, they knew how to get round me in the end 😉 Still, I’m more than happy that they got to enjoy their assorted pets over the years, they have many happy memories because of them and certainly learnt a lot of valuable life lessons…even when they did escape 😛
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Hi Sherri, our daughters had all kinds of pets also, but never a snake and never even considered it. I personally don’t consider anything without feathers or fur to be a pet, which is why I was shocked when our oldest granddaughter was almost four had an invisible pet snake, that’s right, invisible, but it seemed quite real to her. She took it everywhere and to keep her from talking about it in the store (people would have thought she was nuts.) I told her she’d have to leave it in the car or put it inside my purse, because the store didn’t allow snakes inside. When she finally out grew the invisible snake, she then wanted to get a real one or a tarantula mom said absolutely NO! She’s now eighteen and living in a dorm room at college. I’m just glad they do not allow pets of any kind.
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Hi Donna! Wow, what a story! Sounds like your granddaughter had the same thoughts as my daughter about the kind of pets she wanted 😉 I have this lovely image of your granddaughter carefully placing her ‘snake’ in your purse while you did your shopping…you found the perfect way to solve that little problem. A very wise Grandma you are Donna! I’m so glad too that my daughter never wanted a tarantula (she is scared of spiders thankfully, which is a surprise) as I would have been absolutely terrified of that getting out. I figured the snake at least would stay put…haha, how wrong I was! I’m just so glad it didn’t venture outside her bedroom and it’s a miracle the cats didn’t get to it! My middle boy wanted a pet scorpion once. Now that I absolutely drew the line at that. Ironically, both my adult boys now have cats (and would love a dog again one day when there are more settled, as would my daughter) but for now, we are content with our two cats and the snail. I’m hoping it stays that way, and for your granddaughter too…peace reigneth 😉
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Eek! I fret over whether there might be a spider lurking in my slipper for my unsuspecting toes, but a snake? I’m pet intolerant 🙂
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Haha.. well you can imagine how I felt can’t you Jo when I found out about Charlie’s ‘Great Escape’? My daughter was right, I probably would have lost my mind knowing that we had a snake on the loose…but, surprisingly, she is terrified of spiders so at least I never had to worry about having to deal with a huge, furry tarantula wondering about the place. I’m afraid that my tolerance only goes so far… 😉
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You are an awesome mother! I have not yielded to the request for a snake and don’t ever imagine ever doing so. At least you can think of him fondly! 🙂
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Well the thing is Lilka I’ve had my share of pet, how shall I put it, ‘misadventures’…! I don’t know about being awesome…more like ‘schmuck’…but I’m glad that we can have fond memories of Charlie’s spooky adventures 😛
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I have to smile at the number of common pets we are sharing…
Not so much anymore now that baby #4 is on his way to college.
In all honesty I won’t miss all of these pets.
I prefer dogs and cats to snakes, rats, hamsters…
And you know what the French do with snails…
Thank you, Sherri, for sharing so many family things with us.
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Haha…you and me both Evelyne…sounds like we are definitely on the same page when it comes to our children’s beloved array of pets 😉 And as for those French snails…I do believe I’ve tried one or two and they were rather tasty I seem to remember… 😛
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A lovely and fascinating tribute to Charlie. I’m not sure which pet I would like the least, a snake or a snail. 🙂 I’m so happy for you that Charlie didn’t find his way into your bed, Sherri. 🙂 xx
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I know…not an easy choice is it? But both are interesting in their own way…at least in my daughter’s eyes! Thank you Sylvia, and me too…I seriously think I would not have survived to tell the tale 🙂 xx
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Sherri! What a wonderful story! I really enjoyed it. You are a very very special mom. I could not have given in to my daughter’s request to have a snake. I just couldn’t have. You are right, the memories must be great, but………loose in the night? OMG! I love Charlie’s real name too. He did his job on this earth. And did it well. Your daughter could be a lawyer indeed. (I am shuttering)
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So glad you enjoyed it Hollis, thank you, but I think I’m just a bit nuts 😉 I couldn’t bear to have another snake so I’m glad my daughter is happy with her snail. I know…can you imagine? A snake, loose in the house? At night? Thank goodness I didn’t know about it at the time…doesn’t bear thinking about. Ahh…yes, haha, Charlie certainly did do a good job in more ways than one and it’s nice to at least have a funny family story to tell. 🙂 My daughter certainly is very good at putting forward her case in no uncertain terms 😉
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You are more of a saint that I thought! I don’t think I could have agreed to ANY of those lovely pets of yours. I did agree to a guinea pig which resulted in having 3 of them. Ron the fish was nice too. 🙂 I have seen the rats you speak of in Puerto Rico. In fact, one of those monsters ran past me touching my leg along the way. I.almost.died.
It is so sad to lose a pet (not lose like in your bedroom, that’s horrifying) no matter what it is. I am glad your daughter has Vladimir to keep her company in her room.
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Haha…oh Maria, far from it, honestly!! Think it’s more likely that I’m nuts! We never had guinea pigs for some reason…and funny how they increase in number like that isn’t it? Ron is a great name for a fish 🙂 Oh yes, those rats…so you know well of what I speak. They are monsters aren’t they? I’m getting goosebumps just thinking of your horrible experience…you must have screamed! I stood on one once while on top of a haystack and like you, thought I was a gonner I was so horrified.
Yes, I’m glad too about Vladimir…and it’s nice knowing he/she? is highly unlikely to escape any time soon 😉
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Charles P. Snake is the greatest name I have ever come across, the assortment of pets you’ve had is impressive although I would be afeard of a snake. I’m no Indiana Jones, except for the hat and whip but that’s another story…
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Haha! And don’t even ask me what the ‘P’ stands for…I have no idea! Daughter came up with it. As for Indiana Jones…are you absolutely sure? The hat and the whip? Why Ste, I would love to hear that story one day… 😉
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Ahhhhh….bless. I do love snakes and it was with great joy one day when Larry called and said, “Guess what I have for you?” and I hopefully said, “Snake?” and he said “Yes!’ much to my joy. No diamond rings for me but reptiles and critters win my heart every time. It was a beautiful huge King snake. I got to hold him but do not like to keep snakes in captivity for the very reason that Charlie demonstrated, they do love to escape. We found a home for the King snake. I am so glad to hear Claire had many years of enjoyment with Charlie. And yes I LMAO imagining what would have happened if he had ended up with you one night!!! Thank you for another great read-thouroughly enjoyed it! RIP Charlie who lived up to his name! ❤
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Now I am finally getting a chance to catch up here and you know the reasons why my dear friend….and yes, so lovely to read your message here about Charles P. I know how well you love snakes….and I love this story!!! Did I know it before as I can’t remember it, but it’s wonderful! I can just picture you and Larry and your face when he produced the King snake. I remember seeing them slither across the road when we lived in Shandon. Of course, the kids loved it… ! Hahah….yes…Cambria re-enacted only a million times worse…can you imagine!!! You would have heard the screams right across the pond! Thanks Diane, so glad you enjoyed this little story about Charlie’s ghostly adventures…and yes, may he be at peace and not continue to live up to his name, lol 😉 ❤ xoxo
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Poor Charles P., well at least he had the chance to make some mischief on his ‘great escape’. I do like snakes and rats and, well, virtually any creature really! Though we were a little paranoid this week when we visited some Roman remains to find signs all over the place telling us that adders were active in the vicinity and warning us about what would happen if a dog was bitten – Winston was on a short lead that day, though I was a little disappointed I didn’t see an adder in the distance 🙂 My great escape story was when I looked after my flatmate’s hamster who somehow managed to escape his cage and get into the walls of the house. We could hear him scratching around but couldn’t get to him. I was devastated, as you can imagine, but fortunately her dad came round and cut a hole in the wall to free him!
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Ahh…thanks Andrea! Charles P. certainly did get up to some mischief and I’m happy for his no doubt enjoyment of it…for a snake 😉 I’ve never seen an adder have you? Glad your Winston was safe though, that must have been quite a worry…and I love your great escape story as it had a happy ending with your flatmate’s dad cutting a hole in the wall, that’s amazing! And that the hamster was okay after that! But I can imagine you must have been very upset, so it’s nice to know it all worked out in the end for all concerned. Phew! 🙂
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Yes, I would have been haunted by that poor hamster if it hadn’t worked out in the end! No, I haven’t seen an adder, so I would have liked to as long as it was well away from Winston!
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😉
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Aw! My children have been floating the let-us-have-a-snake-pet trial balloon for the longest time, and I am not biting. I am mortally afraid of snakes and I will lose not only my mind if a snake as much as touches my little toe. The mere thought gives me the heevie-jeevies.
Having said that, I must say that, based on the number of times you allowed yourself to be persuaded by your children to get a rather unconventional pet, I must say that you are one loving Mama who is prepared to let go of her opinions for the love of her kids. Well, either that or your kids have such finely honed debating and persuasive skills. 🙂
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Oh Imelda, I feel your pain! I still can’t believe I relented because I feel just the same as you…and I have to say I’m glad that we are snake-free now although I was sad for my daughter to lose her beloved Charles P…
Haha…well, you are very kind and I appreciate that but I think that as much as I love my kids you have hit the nail on the head with your last sentence 😉
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Hi Sherri – I am behind on your posts – so I am starting with this one – and RIP to Sir Charles!
and I just loved how after reading about him – well you moved right into the snail – it was an unexpected happy transition… and Vladimir – great name – ha! and glad he is not the garden eating type –
ok, I shall be back later to catch up = peace
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Hi Y…no worries, I am just the same. As soon as I get caught up I get behind again
Glad you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by when you can and glad that you got to meet Vladimir. You just never know in this house and yes, glad he isn’t going to eat my garden 😉 See you soon… ❤
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