my very first snake presentation...

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Rat Snake Forum ]

Posted by Lucy on July 19, 2002 at 16:00:59:

Today i gave my very first snake presentation....it was for junior rangers, at a nature preservation park.
Actually Jeff Clark was to hold it...but he couldn't make it and told the park i could fill in for him...and i agreed...
BUT i was a tad nervous...for one, i only have been "into" snakes for about a year and a half myself...I'm also not really great at talking in front of people...and english is my second language and when i'm nervous...my english tends to disappear on me...
BUT i got well prepared.I decided to hold the "show" on CAPTIVE KEEPING OF SNAKES...and all that comes along with it...i prepared 4 nice handouts that covered about everything basic and then some...
So i got up bright and early (i'm soo not a morning person) packed everyone carefully into their rubbermaids, grabbed my handouts....and take off.
I decided to take a BCI male, BRB female, JCP female, Ball python male and female, male Borneo blood python and a female russian ratsnake...named Scarlett.
So i'm driving down the road...rehearsing to myself, trying hard not to be nervous....banishing thoughts on getting bit and bleeding all over the kids. With eyes on the road i reach down to change the radio channel...when something cold touches my hand..i yelp and jump..look down....and low and behold...its Scarlett!! aka. Houdini...
At least the good girl came to my hand instead of slithering off under the seat or god knows where...
SOOOOO, while i steer with my left hand...i grab her with my right hand and hold her to me...and little Scarlett (never one to sit still for long) goes straight around my neck and the headrest...straining to get away to explore some more...while i'm trying to hold on and keep her with me...Finally i see a little dirtroad and parking lot on the side...i tear into the lot and slam on the brakes (i was about to loose her) ...in front of a bunch of guys by a pickup truck.
I immediately try to untangle Scarlett from my face..neck, hair and the headrest...after a brief struggle I FINALLY get her off and wrestle her back into the rubbermaid...and put my purse on top of it.Looking up (all flustered still) i see those 4 guys staring at me with their mouth hanging open...literally...their eyes as big as saucers...the look on their faces was indescribable!!!So i give them a weak smile and get the heck outa there....hoping that the rest of the "show" will go better...
And i have to say, it went really good ....all snakes behaved wonderfully...the kids were well behaved, too..the parents asked some good questions and a few approached me afterwards, asking for more information.
I will definetaly hold more shows and presentation...and hope to get better and more professional at holding them...
But sitting here at home , thinking about it all...what sticks to my mind is the look on the faces of those 4 guys...i don't think i'll ever forget it...LMAO...!!
ps...i will also switch over to all flip top rubbermaids, and i'm thankful my scarlett didn't get lost..i would have been heartbroken...

Photo album

Follow Ups:

Good gawd what a cutie pie :-) Thane 07/19/02 (2)
- No argument here, Thane. ;-) Brandon_C 07/22/02 (0)
- BTW, loved the story. LMAO. n/p Thane 07/19/02 (0)
Re: my very first snake presentation... Marcel 07/19/02 (4)
- thank you Marcel... Lucy 07/19/02 (3)
  - Re: thank you Marcel... Marcel 07/19/02 (2)
    - well...they are only a little over a year old... Lucy 07/19/02 (1)
      - Re: well...they are only a little over a year old... Marcel 07/20/02 (0)

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: Today i gave my very first snake presentation....it was for junior rangers, at a nature preservation park. : Actually Jeff Clark was to hold it...but he couldn't make it and told the park i could fill in for him...and i agreed... : BUT i was a tad nervous...for one, i only have been "into" snakes for about a year and a half myself...I'm also not really great at talking in front of people...and english is my second language and when i'm nervous...my english tends to disappear on me... : BUT i got well prepared.I decided to hold the "show" on CAPTIVE KEEPING OF SNAKES...and all that comes along with it...i prepared 4 nice handouts that covered about everything basic and then some... : So i got up bright and early (i'm soo not a morning person) packed everyone carefully into their rubbermaids, grabbed my handouts....and take off. : I decided to take a BCI male, BRB female, JCP female, Ball python male and female, male Borneo blood python and a female russian ratsnake...named Scarlett. : So i'm driving down the road...rehearsing to myself, trying hard not to be nervous....banishing thoughts on getting bit and bleeding all over the kids. With eyes on the road i reach down to change the radio channel...when something cold touches my hand..i yelp and jump..look down....and low and behold...its Scarlett!! aka. Houdini... : At least the good girl came to my hand instead of slithering off under the seat or god knows where... : SOOOOO, while i steer with my left hand...i grab her with my right hand and hold her to me...and little Scarlett (never one to sit still for long) goes straight around my neck and the headrest...straining to get away to explore some more...while i'm trying to hold on and keep her with me...Finally i see a little dirtroad and parking lot on the side...i tear into the lot and slam on the brakes (i was about to loose her) ...in front of a bunch of guys by a pickup truck. : I immediately try to untangle Scarlett from my face..neck, hair and the headrest...after a brief struggle I FINALLY get her off and wrestle her back into the rubbermaid...and put my purse on top of it.Looking up (all flustered still) i see those 4 guys staring at me with their mouth hanging open...literally...their eyes as big as saucers...the look on their faces was indescribable!!!So i give them a weak smile and get the heck outa there....hoping that the rest of the "show" will go better... : And i have to say, it went really good ....all snakes behaved wonderfully...the kids were well behaved, too..the parents asked some good questions and a few approached me afterwards, asking for more information. : I will definetaly hold more shows and presentation...and hope to get better and more professional at holding them... : But sitting here at home , thinking about it all...what sticks to my mind is the look on the faces of those 4 guys...i don't think i'll ever forget it...LMAO...!! : ps...i will also switch over to all flip top rubbermaids, and i'm thankful my scarlett didn't get lost..i would have been heartbroken...

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Rat Snake Forum ]