I knew Joni Mitchell a little bit back then, too.  She'd laugh and laugh about the image that came into her mind over the story she'd heard about growing up in my town in the 60s, how there were rattlesnakes in the area, and they'd migrate to cool places alongside houses or in plants to be cooled in the summer, and how you'd jump! every time a rainbird would come on that time of year.  And how a neighbor of mine had called to have a rattlesnake removed from her yard, and 4 guys showed up (.... because she imagined it to be a VERY big snake, needing 4 guys to carry it, you see).  I used to write letters containing small stories to people I knew back then and they'd sometimes be retained and passed around.    Snakes on everything!  ¶ 9/15/2013 09:57:00 AM