Dear Farm Journal,
This morning the gals and I were harvesting basil in Greenhouse 4 when Sheri calmly announced the presence of a snake. We’ve seen a handful of smaller snakes this year, but this was the largest one I’d seen in awhile. I was impressed that none of us screamed or went leaping over the dill bed. Instead, we watched the snake as he kept his eye on us, periodically flicking the tip of his tongue. “He doesn’t seem to be afraid of us”, I said. At this, Sandi imagined the snake asking why he should be afraid, for he too is an employee of the farm, head of greenhouse pest control. We anthropomorphize our new snake friend, conceptualizing a silly story about “Pierre”, the indignant French snake who is tragically unappreciated by farmers. We giggle and conjure up our best French accents, ventriloquizing “Pierre” and developing his personality. Welcome to the team “Pierre”. We thank you for your services.
~Joy