One less snake

Maria has insisted on driving the Subaru with the non-functioning air conditioning to work the last couple of days.

Not so bad when the temperature is in the 70s and low 80s at 7 a.m., but it’s been in the 90s by the time she heads home.

So both days, I’ve driven in to town, taken her to lunch and left the Lexus for her to drive home in air conditioned comfort after a long day of managing the office of a Jonesboro dentist.

While driving home yesterday after lunch, a bird caught my eye as it winged east to west across U.S. 49 at Brookland, trailing what looked like a piece of rope.

And then it snapped into focus and I realized it was a hawk with about a 12-inch-long snake in its talons. Good day for the hawk, bad day for the snake. I hope it was a copperhead or a timber rattler.

I’ll take it as a good omen.