tricky prey for hunters

By AMANDA R. BRADLEY

Published Sept. 19, 1999

There it was.

I had heard about it but had not had the opportunity to see it yet. It was bigger than I had imagined. A lot longer than had originally been mentioned. It was shiny with stripes.

No, this was not a garment to be worn in the wedding, but a creature that had gotten loose in the house. A salamander.

We don’t know how it got in, and really didn’t care how it had gotten in. We just wanted it out!

So here goes our fearless hero, because neither one of us would touch it, chasing it around the house with a tore up box a 12-pack of cokes comes in, trying to catch it instead of killing it.

It seems that patience is needed in a hunt of this nature. It was like the creature knew you were waiting for it, so it would sit in a corner impossible for you to reach, wait until it thought you weren’t paying attention and then try to make a run for it. Needless to say it eluded the "great white hunter" many times. It may have little legs, but it could run fast.

Finally the little pest was captured in the kitchen in the box, unharmed but a little shaken. It was politely put out to pasture and told not to return. Now we can sleep a little easier.

My wedding adventure for the weekend was to get all of my bridesmaids together and have them choose the materials needed for their dresses. It involved my maid of honor, my best friend from high school and my fiancé’s sister.

I was so happy to see they all got along wonderfully, even if the majority of the laughter was at my expense. My best friend from high school gladly shared stories of us growing up together with the other two, keeping them holding their sides most of the day. It was wonderful to see women having a good time together, rejoicing in a tradition.

I was also surprised my old high school friend remembered some of the things she did. I have a ’65 Volkswagen we used to toodle around in, and every now and then I would scare her to death when I would cut a curve too close and the hubcaps would go flying off into the wild blue yonder. Those were the good old days.

You really find out what people think about you and how you affect people’s lives when an opportunity like this arises. I am proud to say my friends love me and I love them. I’m glad we have wonderful memories to share.

By the way, did you wish your grandparent’s happy Grandparent’s Day this weekend? I did. Mema was surprised I remembered, but there is no way I could forget. I spent the day with her and we also reminisced as I filled her in on all the goings on with the wedding. She’s having fun and is excited about the possibility of another grandchild in the near future.

Well, as you can see I had a busy weekend. I hope yours was filled with love.

It’s nice to take trips down memory lane every now and then. I think they make us appreciate our lives more.

Remember, there is a reason and a purpose for everything.

Amanda Bradley is a staff writer for The Messenger.