Fear Factor X2

I have learned a few more things about living in the South. If you are not a native Southerner, you are a Yankee. It doesn't matter where you are from. If it is not here, you are a Yankee, period.

Another Southern gem, the youngest member of a family can be called Baby for their entire life. In my uniformed previous life I thought this was just a quaint characterization from the movie Dirty Dancing. Nope, the other day I heard my neighbor refer to his 24 year old cousin as "Baby" several times in a conversation. At one point I got confused and asked him if his cousin was pregnant. It was a little embarrassing.

Here is another random fact that I don't believe has much to do with the South, except for the thriving snake population. Dogs really CAN smell fear. There is a dirt road by my house that I run often and have never had any problems with dogs. Early the other morning I was running back up it saw my first snake of the season. In my mind I yelled, AAAAAAGh!!!!! Snake! and swerved out of the way. AT THAT EXACT MOMENT 2 dogs charged down their driveway barking at me like crazy. My terror quickly changed to OH CRAP!!!! DOGS!!!! I have never had a dog bark or run after me on that road so I can only suppose that they could smell the snake fear and just jumped on board. I wondered if they were doggie laughing as they sat in the road and watched me stumble away.



The best part about the South right now? Honeysuckle. It grows wild and is blooming everywhere. The whole outdoors smells of flowers and it is amazing.