... 3 French hens, 2 Turtle Doves and ...
WJXX (Jacksonville, Florida) 18 December 07 Snake in Family's Christmas Tree (Ken Amaro)
Atlantic Beach, FL: Arlene Olson loves everything about the Christmas season -- except what was lurking in her Christmas tree.
She says, "No, it is not bugs."
Olson says when she placed the star and the lights on the tree, she saw it and it scared her.
When Olson brought home the tree from the lot, her husband Roger shook it and placed a blower on it before bringing it into their home.
All along, the critter was in the tree. Three days later is when Mrs. Olson discovered the Snake in her Christmas Tree.
She says, "I'm scared of snakes."
Olson woke up her husband.
"I was kind of in disbelief," says Roger Olson.
Since neither one was going to touch it, they called the snake man.
Eighty-year-old Richard Stengel is the snake man. He lives in the Olsons' neighborhood.
Stengel says, "I've taken them out of washers and closets, but this is the first time out of a Christmas tree. Maybe Santa will be good to me."
The Olsons are grateful, but even though the corn snake is gone from their Christmas tree, they still check every now and then.
Olson says, "I check before I go to bed."
For 30 years, the Olsons have purchased a live Christmas tree and don't plan to change -- but this is one Christmas they'll remember for a while.
