A Surprise Visitor

 |

"Where is that sewing kit?" I muttered as I opened cupboard doors in the little cabin at Camp Loma de Vida.

"You've got to be kidding! That wasn't there before!"   I didn't scream, though.

A little snake lay behind Terry's soap caddy. I wondered whether he thought the cord was one of its kind.

I walked next door where the men were working, and, trying to be calm, told Terry, "There's a snake in the cupboard!"

Terry, Don and Gary, carrying a cardboard box, came over to investigate. First, they moved Terry's soap case out of the way.

As it was a bit chilly, the snake was docile, and didn't move.

It was only the size of a garter snake, and had beautiful clear markings on its back.

 Then, using a broom, Don swept the snake into the box. 

He walked the box towards the bush.

"Take it far away!" I emphasized.

I found out it was a harmless Western Rat Snake, quite common, and non-venomous.

The adults can get to 4 to 6 feet long! And their colour darkens.

This must have been a baby, to able to squeeze through the hole near the pipe under the bathroom sink. 

Terry stuffed some insulation from next door, blocking off the space between the pipe and the side of the cupboard.

Once I found out it was just a baby, my alarm melted away. I even felt compassion towards the little snake, trying to escape the cold.

But I'm still cautious every time I open a cupboard door. It's a good thing there are only two cupboards with doors!

Even looking down at our rug makes me look twice! 😀

Return to Camp Loma de Vida

Exactly ten years ago we were at Camp Loma de Vida; it was only our second SOWER project in the US. Now we are back, on our 25th project! At first glance, nothing much seems to have changed. A few cabins have been remodelled, and work is ongoing in building a few tiny houses. A quadriplex cabin to be used as a dorm is being remodelled right next door to us, so Terry doesn't have far to go to work! 

What is different is that we don't have Baby B with us, our little 21-foot trailer. A description of her demise can be found in blogs written in March, 2020. We have been graciously given a cabin to live in for three months, one of the reasons we drove 3000 miles, chasing the warm weather. Very warm weather hasn't exactly materialized yet, but we're very grateful to say good-bye to the bitterly cold weather Alberta is having this month. 

Since we weren't told what exactly was in this little cabin, we brought very little, only the things we thought were the bare essentials. Besides, our Ford Escape is much smaller than the Expedition was.

Here are the things we were glad to have brought with us:

1. Our duvets, sheets, and our own pillows. These were a godsend when we visited friends in Yuma, AZ, as they were having a cold spell as well. What a comfort to snuggle up in at night. 

2. My Bullet machine (mini-blender) for my daily smoothies. 

3. A small porridge pot and a mini frying pan. 

4. Terry's new phone, which had to be bought in Yuma, because his died sooner than expected. That means we have a new North America plan, allowing us phone access in the US, as well as in Canada, and lots of data. And a new phone number.

5. Consistent Wifi in the cabin and elsewhere on campus. This is a HUGE blessing. I can carry on sending in my devotional messages, as well as being able to ask Google all my usual questions, AND Face Time with our family. 

6. And the laptop, of course!

7. Small quantities of basic groceries and staples from home, which I knew our son would not eat, and which would just get stale on the shelf. 

I'm thinking of investing in an InstaPot, which I've heard is a versatile and multi-purposed addition to an efficient kitchen. What else? We'll have to wait and see.

I'm not going to worry about what we don't have, because our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him.