Snakes and Juncos

Two  things are happening out front of the house.  Hungry garter snakes and junco's nesting in the periwinkle.  Today Tom comes in and tells me that the parent junco's were defending their nest and pecking at the garter snake.  I came right outside.  The junco's had discouraged it, and it wasn't near the nest, but out in the sunshine sunbathing, I guess.  I went after it... it saw me and tried to slither away. I stepped on its tail, caught him right behind his head, and picked him up with my right hand, giving his body support with my left.  Tom said, "Take him up to the top of the hill"... but I did better, I took him all the way to the lake.  He was busy exploring the boat launch area when I left.  Bear was none the wiser, but enjoying the solo walk with Mama.  When I got back, a few minutes later Tom points out another snake.  This one we are calling a she.  She's bigger, and I hate to rid the area of all snakes, so we're keeping an eye on her, but I think she's soon to join her partner up at the lake.  My junco's in the meantime are going back and forth bringing their chicks fluffy things in their beaks.  In the country there is wonders going on just everywhere.

TOOTH ACHE

Having a toothache can be an experience.  You learn a bit about what a person with migraine headaches goes through if we figure feeling that ache all over one's head.  I realized that last night when I woke (again) with my tooth aching like its root was being drilled into.  That happened a few years ago, and that's why I was looking to find out that it was a sinus infection instead.  It was torture when I had my first and hopefully last root canal.  But this turned out to not be sinuses, and however painful, I've found it can be controlled by Aleve, and when that wears "thin" I can use Tylenol as they can be used in tandem.

My heart goes out to people with migraines.  That ache was unbearable.  It's good to get a perspective on pain, and if I was to get a charity asking for a contribution through the mail, I'd give to it if it was for science to research the end to migraines.  And... While they're at it.  Research better ways of doing a root canal than the torture I went through back in the 90s when I went in to a dentist with a dull ache only to find I had an abscess under my tooth, and had to endure torture that the novocaine could not touch.