Scorpions

So... I think that I am adjusting pretty well to living in a rural city- to living in the mountains and to the wild animals. My every thought is not consumed with fear that I am going to be eaten or bitten or stung (although my nightmares are still about the lions and the rattlers). It has only been a year and I feel that I am becoming a well adjusted "mountain woman". Even though every waking thought of mine is not consumed with fear of the wild animals, and I do let my kids play outdoors now, there are still things that I do now and will probably do forever because I live here. Here are some examples of how my life has permanently changed now that I am a mountain woman.
1. every time I walk out to my car, I will duck low to make sure there are no rattlesnakes hiding behind the wheels of my car. (that is a favorite hiding place of rattlers).
2. every time I step on a sticker I will automatically freak out and start looking for scorpions until I find the culprit sticker.
3. I think that I will forever be afraid to get out of my car in the dark. There are still mountain lions hanging about.
4. tarantula's. Every fall I will begin to look for tarantula's. I am not afraid of them anymore (although I still don't want to find one in my house) and I think they are rather cool. Whenever we find one wandering around we all love to crowd around and watch (and my kids hold them). They are sweet little creatures and I am sad whenever I see one squashed on the road, do you know how long it takes them to grow that large- around 10 years... it is sad to see them squashed.
5. I will always enjoy the serenity. It is so peaceful here. It is quiet. Silent. Peaceful. I love it. I enjoy driving here, no stoplights... no traffic. I love it. I like small town life. I love knowing EVERY ONE. I love saying Hi to everyone at the post office or the grocery store. I love that most people see me without my makeup on or my hair done every day and they are still my friends. I love it here.
6. Deer. They are everywhere. Yesterday morning when I got home from my early morning run (it was still dark outside), I started to open my gate and a huge buck jumped over the gate, hit my car and ran into the darkness. I loved to watch him, so huge and regal. And today me and all the cars in front of me paused as a momma deer and her 2 newborn babies carefully walked across the road. Some people say that when we have lived here long enough we won't even notice the deer anymore, I hope they are wrong. They are pretty animals (Yes, I am still afraid of them) and I love having them be a part of our scenery.
These are some of the things that I believe have been permanently changed about me, and I like them. so there.