Better than a sweater any day

Snakes. You either love them or hate them. There’s not much middle ground. But that’s right where I stand.

I grew up in Racine in one of the first subdivisions. Our backyard butted the right of way of the North Shore Railroad. That’s where we made our forts, gathered cattails, played hide and seek and searched for critters.

The girls in the neighborhood liked to take the grass clippings from the lawn mower bag and make houses for bunnies under the bushes. The boys liked to catch snakes. Although the girls pretty much preferred playing with dolls, there’s no way we were going to let a wiggly snake scare us. Much.

My favorite snake of all time was a grass snake I named Frenchy because he had two blue eyes. I guess he seemed exotic. We made a little house for him in a box filled with grass, but after a day or so we let him go so he could be with his friends.

As I got older (like sixth grade) I totally lost interest in catching snakes. More hours were spent with my girlfriends learning to dance, putting on nail polish and shopping for clothes. The boys could chase snakes and baseballs.

So it is with a bit of nostalgia that I’ve been drawn to the latest coin in Australia’s “Deadly and Dangerous” animals series. A legal tender coin issued under the authority of the government of Tuvalu, it is a $1 silver coin in stunning blue and yellow. (Oh, Frenchy.)

Featured on the coin is the yellow- bellied sea snake, which I am relieved to say prefers the salt water off New South Wales. The only thing I want swimming in the water with me is my dog.

Personally, this coin is going to find it’s way to a special young man who will find it way cool. At least I’m pretty sure he’ll like it more than a new sweater for his birthday.

If you want to learn more about this colorful coin, check it out here.

No scaredy cats allowed.