Barefootin’

When I was growing up, once the weather got warm it was time to break out the shorts (despite the Casper-white legs) and leave the shoes behind. We lived on a dirt/gravel road, so there were lots of “ouch, ouch, ouches” the first few days. I did put my shoes on if I was heading into the woods or towards the train racks—you never knew what you might step on there.

In fact, you never really know what you might step on anywhere…and sometimes shoes are no help. While running through the woods I once (okay, twice) stepped on boards that had long nails sticking out of them. That was painful.

But this story is about something I stepped on while barefoot. One night I emptied the kitchen trash and needed to put the bag in the ancient metal can outside. My parents had their back porch light on, which illuminated the porch steps and the sidewalk leading to our driveway. But the trash can was around the corner on the other side of the porch—in the dark. It was on a sidewalk, so I wasn’t worried about stepping on anything. Big mistake! As I went around the corner and approached the can, I stepped on something soft (and maybe a little furry?). Suddenly I felt the crackling, snapping of a hundred tiny bones under my right foot. It was so gross! I jumped back, but it was too dark to see what it was.

After washing my foot under the outside spigot, I went into the house for a flashlight—and put my shoes on. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see what it was, but I had to. I was praying it wasn't a kitten or something like that. I went back out and found a dead ground mole there on the sidewalk—a present from our cats. Yuck!!! I had stepped on that thing with my bare foot!!!! If you don’t know what one looks like, please Google "ground mole"! {shiver} A few nights later I had a nightmare about that thing—it grew to 8 feet tall and chased me! LOL

Hmmmm, I’m not afraid of the dark, but I really like flashlights. I wonder if it's related to that night??? ;P

Happy weekend everyone!

Edit: Just to be clear, I didn't kill the thing. My cats killed the ground mole and left it there either as a present to thank us for feeding them OR as a warning that we better keep feeding them!