Capture the snake and let it go

Task # 10 involved cutting off the bottom part of the cloth shower curtain. It had torn and looked ragged. The scissors that I'd brought down to the pool area were ineffective. They cut paper not cloth. I trudge up the hill and then down the steps to the west basement get a pair of scissors capable of cutting cloth. Immediately, I see Timmy the cat going after a snake. I can tell right away that it is a baby rattler. It has a diamond head and only one rattle. The snake is cornered and the cat wants to play with it as cats do. Timmy ignores my verbal orders: "HEY TIMMY, GET AWAY FROM THAT" so quicker than a striking snake, I scoop him up. I carry him up the steps and get him in the house. Then I see Tooley, grab him and put him in the house with his bro. Back down the steps, little snakey aint going anywhere. I walk by it and step thru the doorway into the basement. Hmm, I think. How to capture this little poisonous reptile without hurting it? [The story that everone always repeats about the baby rattlers is that they are more dangerous because when they bite you they release all their poison. The older rattlers are more conservative and hold back.] I grab a shovel and a plastic storage crate that has the lid which jigsaws together. The capture is anticlimatic and effortless. I scoop up the young little critter with the shovel and drop it in the clear plastic box and then close the lids together.

Dayla is in her car in the driveway with her beautiful baby girl: Sienna. I show her the snake and she repeats the story about the babies being more dangerous... She says: "Your dressed for the part."

"Ohh, yeah" I say. I am wearing camo shorts, camo t-shirt and a camo jacket.

The next faze ensues as I begin the walk to where I used to sleep back in the woods, a good 13 minute hike from the main house. The traveling is simple until I get to my trail which runs up a now dry stream. The huge amount of rain, this past winter, has made this hike more rugged and I carefully make my way over various obstacles and debris. I vigilantly keep the lid closed and have to make a few leaps here and there where the water carved deeper into the earth. I stay focussed and am able to climb up the last incline and make my way thru the giant prickleys which now own that part of the abandoned trail.

Finally, the snake's freedom is returned as I but the container on its side and watch as it slithers out of it. Fully straight for the first time it looks to be 22 inches long or so. I turn around and put a few things into the container and depart.

Many items on the list, I end up working till past six. I eat salad #2 at Farmer and the Cook. Back on my bike, push the starter. It just keeps turning over and over but will not fire. Back in the store I see Morgan. "Hey Morgan, feel like pushing a bike?"

His shoulders hunch forward, he looks at his feet: "I'm kinda tired... I'll do it if you can't find any one else."

I split. He's the only candidate. So, now I am pushing this increasingly heavy bike down El Roblar. The hill that will give me the kinesthetic advantage is only a quarter mile away. I push and push and push trying not to hold Morgan's reticence against him. Finally, There's enough of a slope for me to start running and building up speed, hop on the bike, turn it on... sputters, almost. More pushing... try again... no dice. The third time will be the charm, steeper slope, engine roars to life, relief. Open the throttle, let it rip. I feel much better now.

Heather is a new member of Ojai. I run into her in Rainbow Bridge and our conversation lasts for a half hour. Some people belong in this town. She does.

The bike roars to life, the battery recharged from letting it run for a while. Almost too long. It was close to the red. I head up the hill. On a whim, I stop at another estate, checking to see if Robin is there. Maybe she'll want to check a movie. Anyway, she's not around but there's a bunch of Burning Man folks hanging out. Everyone's supposed to be signing up for various art installations and tech work. Somehow, I end up signing up. I doubt that I will actually stay at the OBOP theme camp but it will be nice to help out with preparations and hang with the crew.

Then, I hop in the hot tub with Robbie. His role on this estate is similar to the role I have here. He's in a tough position currently. The owner's way into squeezing the work out of him: carpentry, plumbing, electrical, miscelaneous - but does't want to pay. His rent is literally triple what he is working off and then when he has gone beyond his rent quota he's not seeing ju$tice. This is not sustainable or honorable. Ironically there are 3 other folks there who's deals are stellar. It makes me wonder about pecking orders, scape goats, middle, upper, lower classes and how they pervade human systems. I tried to present this situation as an opportunity for him to perfect his negtiational skills and stand up for himself.

This seems like a clear case of exploitation. Of course I only have one perspective. It is fascinating how this parallels my own experience here. Currently, I seem to have graduated from the predicament that my friend is in. I advised him to seek out other sources of income and make them his priority. This will empower him to have the confidence needed to generate leverage.