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on august 11 i got a call from my mom that my granddad had passed away.

growing up we lived in the country on about 300 acres. he was the one who began my love of all animals. he taught me about reptiles. by sight i could tell the difference of venomous and non venomous snakes. he taught me how to hold them so as not to hurt them. he started the obsession. especially with kingsnakes. his favorite.

about 6 years ago my grandmother had a stroke. for a while she did good, did her therapy and could walk well. but eventually she became an invalid. pretty much bed bound unless someone lifted her and put her in her wheelchair. my granddad dutifully took care of her. they lived alone. though it was just a quarter mile from my parents (their son).

speculating (since his schedule never really changed) on august 11, he put her down for a nap around noon and began to do a little housework and reading. he didn't like taking his credit card bill and important mail to the dump even if it was shredded, so he would take it out back to a burn barrel. in august the weather was extremely hot (central alabama) and dry. too dry to be burning trash. it looks like the fire got away from him. he ran to the workshop and grabbed a shovel. the fire started in back of the house. a neighbor found him in the front. shovel still in his hand. he had been burned, but the coroner said it was a heart attack. by the time the fire department got there (10 miles from town) the fire had burned almost 10 acres of yard and soybean field. it had burned a complete circle around the house. even up to the bricks under the room where my grandmother slept.

after his death, my parents moved my grandmother in with them. she was well for about 2 weeks, then started to decline. mentally and physically. 2 weeks ago i visited them (i live 4 hours away in georgia). granny didn't know who i was for the first 2 days. the last day she knew me and seemed fairly alert. made me promise i'd come back with my girls
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1.0 Pueblan Milksnake (Urulokë)
0.1 Hypo Brooks Kingsnake (Mumuna)
1.1 Leopard Geckos (Leppy and Leo)
2.2 Random House Cats (Jack, Tonka, Violet, Duchess)
1.3 Mice (Daddy Mouse, Fat Back, Honey Bear, Mrs. Frisby)
0.2 Sticky Children
1.0 Patient Husband

before christmas.

my parents filled me in later on this next part..

almost immediately after i left, she started to decline very rapidly. on monday last week she got a fever. and started coughing deep in her chest. it was evident she was dying. on saturday morning she wouldn't wake up, though she was still there. my mom checked on her around 1.30 and she was barely hanging on. when my dad came in at 2.30 she was very recently gone.

her funeral was yesterday.

the generation what made me what i am with reptiles is now gone. it's been a hard week.
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1.0 Pueblan Milksnake (Urulokë)
0.1 Hypo Brooks Kingsnake (Mumuna)
1.1 Leopard Geckos (Leppy and Leo)
2.2 Random House Cats (Jack, Tonka, Violet, Duchess)
1.3 Mice (Daddy Mouse, Fat Back, Honey Bear, Mrs. Frisby)
0.2 Sticky Children
1.0 Patient Husband

I don't know if I can ease any of your sorrow, I'm not very good at saying the right words at the right time. But you just brought a tear and a hurtfulness in my heart, and I'm very sorry for your lose. I just said a prayer for you and your family.

Cherish the time you had with your grandparents. and share those memories with your children often.
DAVY

People may physically leave our lives, but the memories they instill in us will last forever. Never take for granted the lessons you grandparents taught you and always appreciate the love of reptiles they instilled in you. The best way to thank them is to pass it forward with the next generation as best you can. I know these words probably dont do much to ease your grief, but thankfully you have cherished memories to keep.