Addendum to Hidden Villa Ranch Camp

One summer when Mother came to pick me up from camp I wanted to show her a place I especially liked. She stopped the car and we got out. Just at that moment I spied a beautiful gopher snake which I bolted toward and caught.

I cannot recall a time that I did not like snakes (though I never ventured near poisonous ones). “Oh! He’s SO beautiful”, I exclaimed as I ran my hands over him. His bright beady eyes stared at me thoughtfully. “Mother, I MUST take him home as my pet. PLEEEEEEEASE!”

Although snakes were probably not Mother’s favorite animal, she began the usual litany “If, and I said IF, we take him home, YOU must be responsible for keeping his cage clean, finding food for him……” “Of course I will if you’ll only let me take him home,” I implored.

Her brow furrowed and she looked away from me into the distance. What I didn’t realize at the time was her concern about my father’s attitude toward snakes. By the time she turned her attention back to me “Goofy”, my new gopher snake, was hanging around my neck looking very relaxed.

The three of us climbed into the car. I was in ecstasy all the way home. Mother got a box from the garage and I put some dirt, a branch, a water bowl and some cat food and bugs into it. We punched holes in a piece of cardboard and installed it on top with rocks, weighing it down.

Mother cautioned me to not mention Goofy until after dinner and not to wear him around my neck at first. “Let Daddy get used to him first”, she warned.

During dinner I kept willing my father to eat faster. He had never eaten THAT slowly before.

FINALLY Mother said something like “Jane has a new pet she’d like to have you meet.” I dashed to my room. In retrospect I imagine my father’s thoughts were something like “What this time?” Eyes gleaming (Goofy’s and mine), I returned carrying my snake. My attention was 100% focused upon Goofy, so I did not see my father’s expression. “Are you SURE he cannot get out of wherever you’re keeping him?” asked Daddy. Mother and I explained our precautions. Daddy sighed what was probably a very uncomfortable acquiescence.

For the next week or so of summer vacation Goofy and I were inseparable. My best friend across the street, Janet Gibbs, and I walked the entire neighborhood introducing and eliciting promises from everyone that if any saw him loose they would call me immediately.

Some of our neighbors shrank from me when they realized what I had around my neck. All sorts of strangled sounds came from their mouths and throats as they backed quickly away. To my surprise I began to enjoy the shock value the pair of us created.

I think my earlier account of Hidden Villa includes Goofy’s return to the wild that followed very closely upon his discovery in Daddy’s closet after he had been “missing” for about two weeks, a situation which caused my father’s frantic cleaning out of every closet and cupboard in the house.

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