There's a snake in my house!

It was a very warm summer evening, so I had the windows open and the screen doors, too. We were living out in the back country in Southern California. Of course, being summer & fire season my husband wasn't home. As I was walking through the kitchen, to lock the back door, I noticed something on the stove. I thought "I don't remember leaving something on the stove, no cords, no utensils, nothing.... I turned to look back only to find that there was
a snake on the stove. I stood frozen with fear and could feel my heart racing. What should I do? Who should I call? Silly me, normal people (not related to a fireman) would call 9-1-1. So as I slowly moved to the phone, this unwelcome visitor made eye contact with me. I guess I scared him, because he slithered down through the burner and out of sight. "AGGGHH" I screamed and ran to the phone.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency" this calm voice asked. I frantically cried "there is a snake in my house? I need help fast!" She asked "Mam, can you see the snake, and do you know what kind of snake is it?" Why is she asking me these stupid questions, just send help....FAST!! I told her "I have no idea, but it looked like a big snake! And now I can't see him!" "Ok, please calm down. What do you mean you can't see the snake?"
Calm down, calm down, she's not the one home alone with a snake in the house. I explained where the snake was and how it had disappeared.

"Ok, we're sending help now. Would you like me to stay on the phone until help arrives?" "Would you please?" I pleaded.

Of course, living in the back country the fire departments are mostly volunteers. When the volunteers had arrived, I was standing up on the dining room chair for fear that this snake would slither out near my feet. Then the emergency wouldn't be a public assist but rather a possible heart attack. The firemen came in, pulled the stove away from the wall, and saw the snake. This one brave (or crazy in my mind) fireman reached down with his bare hands and grabbed it. "Oh, it's only a baby gopher snake. I'll just take it down the street and let it go." I firmly told him "you take that thing about 10 miles down the street before you let him go. I don't care what kind of snake it is, it's a snake!"

When my husband got home about 2 days later, I about him about the whole incident. He was laughing when I told him I called 9-1-1 and had the firefighters come over.

If they only understood the stuff we have to deal with as the wife of a Fireman.....