Just Another Fringe Benefit

You know what Mrs. Hillbilly Mom is really going to miss when she doesn't drive to Newmentia every morning next school year? THIS!

THE GIANT WORMS! Free for the taking!

There was a bit of rain Monday morning. It had stopped over the Newmentia parking lot when we arrived around 7:30. But rain at Newmentia means the annelids come out to play. Well, not so much to play, as to survive rather than drown in their burrows.


So there was this big fellow, so big that I saw him right away, from 4 parking spaces over, and from the driver's seat of T-Hoe.

"Look at that worm, Pony! It's HUGE! Here! Get a picture. Because when I back up to park, I'm going to squish him."

"Awww..."

"Well. Do you want to get out and pick him up?"

"Nope." Long sigh.

"Here. I'll stop so you can open your door and take the picture. Throw down that quarter that's been laying beside your seat for a month. To show his size."

Of course The Pony's quarter-pitching skills are nil. And the quarter rolled over into the next space. He hopped down and picked it up. Tossed it again. Almost slicing that worm in half. His picture actually underestimates the size of that worm. Look. It's moving. This is the recoil stage. Mr. Worm added about another two quarter diameters as he stretched to pull himself along.

Let the record show that Mrs. HM did NOT squish him backing up. And that The Pony said, "I think you're in for a surprise when you go to step out of the car." Uh huh. I had to wait for that thing to mosey on over before I could step down.

Let the record further show that Mrs. HM wonders if it would be frowned upon if, during her retirement years, she drove over to Newmentia in the mornings, and picked up some of these footlongs to feed the sunfish. Served up on the pointy barb of a hook, of course.

You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. I left paradise at the old parking lot.