PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Pastoral
Dotty, Doug, and Pickle are visiting today. Dotty and I prepare soup and salad for lunch; Finn takes Doug and Pickle out to show them livestock babies and gardens.
Pickle lifts a rock behind the back barn and a coral snake bites her. Pickle’s scream echoes into the open kitchen window. Dotty and I follow the sound.
Finn and Doug flank her. Finn pulls out his pocket knife. I run for the patch of lathyrus, pick, and chew it as I run back. The slice, suck, and spit done, we pack the wound, then race the car to the hospital.
[100 words]
Note: this is fictional. Do not try this remedy for that snake bite.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the enduring host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao Talk 
A very realistic story Li.
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Thank you, Sadje. I think if you live amongst nature you need to know what to do in an emergency. I think they saved her life!
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You’re welcome! Very v true my friend. Survival skills are very important
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Love the names Dotty, Doug, Pickle, Finn. I’m biased though, Finn is my son’s name.☺️
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Thanks, Melissa. I just gave my granddaughter the nickname Pickle on Tuesday when she was telling me how much she liked pickles. Finn is a great name!
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The train of names gives it a lovely nursey rhyme feel.. I’m sure they’ll put Humpty back together again
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:) Thank you for the lovely comment, Neil.
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The pastoral sense of relaxation did not last long – nature is filled with danger!
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Thanks, Iain! Everybody thinks living out in the country is a breeze. I’m here to set the record straight ;)
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Country living needs special knowledge if you are to survive those unexpected critters that bite ya.
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Indeed, James. And those vicious plants that give one nasty rashes.
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When one is far enough from the hospital, these quick actions could be the difference between life and death! My dad had a friend whose nickname was Pickle :)
Nicely done!
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For sure, Dale. And I just nicknamed my granddaughter Pickles on Tuesday. It’s a cool nickname.
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Aww. How sweet is that?
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She was going on and on about some pickles she ate and I thought that would make a good nickname for her :)
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Haha! We have more than a few pickle fiends in our family. Surprising none of us got the nickname!
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Pickle accidentally got herself into a bit of a pickle. Hopefully, the action taken will save the day!
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I think it will, Bruce. Thanks much.
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We’ve lost a lot of that knowledge, unfortunately. Snake bites are no joke. (K)
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Ugh snakes. I hope they make it to the hospital in time. These things happen when one plays in nature.
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I hope so too, T.
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I’m very impressed by the resourcefulness and composure of the narrator. As you say, if you live in the countryside you need to know how to survive in the countryside – it’s not the idyll it can be made out to be, lovely though it is.
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Sandra, I think this isn’t Mr. & Mrs. Finn’s first rodeo with snake bites. Thanks so much for reading and your comment <3
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That was so full of tension Lisa good write 🙌
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Thanks, Ange <3
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Danger lurks everywhere in the countryside as I know only too well from my childhood! It’s important to know how to deal with it – and they clearly did!
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Keith, thanks, and I’m glad you know how it can be. My worst threat here is poison ivy and it’s bit me many times (will I ever learn?) but I’ve seen quite a few snakes out here also. There is only one poisonous snake in MI, the Michigan Rattler, and I’ve had 2 close encounters with them. One was while walking at one of the State Parks and it was along the trail and started rattling. Another was when I was walking around a vacant house that was for sale. They didn’t have to tell me twice!
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Took me a line or two to identify the characters here, but I love the nickname Pickle. Seems like she found herself in one with that snakebite, but hopefully the country wisdom saved her. I wish someone would give me some country wisdom to soothe poison ivy rash. Knowing my luck whatever I chewed into a compress would make my mouth swell up instead!
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Jen, thanks much :) Yes, she did, and yes, she was blessed they knew what to do. I can totally relate to the menace of poison ivy. Cannot imagine the nightmare from chewing any of that!!!! The best remedy I have found for poison ivy (besides avoiding it like the plague) is immediately putting dishwashing liquid on the spot and thoroughly rubbing it on the area to pull the oils from the plant away from your skin, then rinse your hands in cold water to wash it down the drain. Thanks for the feedback on the names!
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there’s snake even in the garden of eden. it pays to watch your step wherever you go. :)
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Good point, Plaridel. They’re everywhere! Most snakes just want to be left alone.
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Enjoyable read, even with the snake! :/
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Thanks, Dawn :)
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Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?!?
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At least they weren’t on a plane!
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I’m totally out of breath after all that running around! What an exciting story, Lisa, so true to life. Just like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie …. minus the car for the hospital ride. A great read!
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LOL I love your comment, Nancy. Thank you very much <3
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A pleasure, Lisa! It was great fun!
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I’m glad this was fictional. Fortunately I don’t have a need for a snake bite remedy because I don’t go where they are. (Hope I didn’t just jinx myself!) This was a really realistic story and I liked how the ‘pastoral’ setting of first paragraph led us to the horrific ending. (Even though it’s fictional, just in case you go back to it at some point, I hope Pickle is ok)
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Happy you’re safe from snakes. I see them once in awhile around here in nice weather. They don’t bother me (maybe I just jinxed myself ;) I think with how they handled the bite, Pickles is just fine. Thanks for reading and your comment.
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I had a small chuckle when I read the names you chose for
your story. I could feel the pain and the stress of everyone
trying to do temporary first-aid. I stayed at a great uncles farm for a day and it was one day too many. No country girl here. I do like to see movies with these scenes but I’ll stay clear. I’d be the one getting bitten. LOL
Have a good weekend … Izzy 😎
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Izzy, glad the story was entertaining for you. I lived in the city 99% of my life up until about 15 years ago. It has taken some adjustments but am so glad I made the move. Now if I could eradicate my nemesis poison ivy I’d be a happy country girl.
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👍🏻 I love hearing success stories about country life. Ironically, I have two daughters who live and love the country life. I guess that’s why there’s so many various locations to live. My Florida location was a lot more isolated. Now, there’s construction everywhere. Loss of peacefulness can be awful. 😳
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Dear Lisa,
Of course when I hear the nickname Pickle I think of Buddy Sorrell’s wife on the Dick Van Dyke show…Pickles. At any rate, I love the story which sent me Googing lathyrus. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, I can picture Buddy but that’s about it. Glad you enjoyed the story. Thank you :)
Shalom,
Lisa
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Scary. Living in Aus with all our deadly animals I fear being bitten the most. You wrote the stay calm attitude well
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Laurie, thanks so much!
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I love how they swing into action. They’ve done this before, I think. Great story.
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Margaret, thanks and glad you understand it’s something they’ve learned along the way.
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This is your scariest story yet. I am so terrified of snakes. I don’t know how many times the dogs and I have run past or jumped over one, even less how many of those were poisonous. I know one was a rattlesnake, confirmed by another hiker. Fortunately, nobody’s been bit.
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Snakes are more than patient with humans and adorable dogs. I’m sure the one on the side of the trail at the state park coulda bit me. Snakes are by and large shy gentle creatures.
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They still make me uncomfortable. I’m a shy, gentle creature, but I don’t move in mysterious ways and have fangs with venom.
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Glad they were smart enough to follow the process.
She will be fine at the hospital.
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Thanks, Anita :)
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Ouch! A snake bite, eek! I wouldn’t fancy being bitten by any snake! I am thankful there are no snakes in Ireland!
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Snakes don’t like surprises. Thank goodness the farm folk knew the remedy.
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