By Matt Sorensen 

Summer brings out the best in Vernon, fresh corn, barbeques, and swimming at the pool. Unfortunately bugs, snakes and other little creatures also return from their winter vacations. We are all familiar with the usual garter snakes, ticks, mosquitos and “the biggest spider I’ve ever seen”. But no one was prepared for what our own Greg Jarvis discovered in his backyard while doing some weeding in his overgrown garden on a seemingly normal Thursday morning. 

Roughly a foot long with beating red eyes and on the hunt for food. Anyone in their right mind would have ran in the opposite direction. Greg snapped a quick picture and rushed to the safety of his house and asked his neighbors in the Vernon Facebook group for advice on how to handle this unknown creature. Some concerned neighbors thought it may have been a loose pet and suggested calling animal control. Being able to stay still and stalk his prey (The Jarvis’) as long as it would take this creature was clearly dangerous and animal control was the only option. 

Quickly the brave animal control people came to our rescue and wasted no time. With a situation like this, no one is ever prepared and ready but there was no time to wait. Inching slowly closer everyone’s hearts started beating a little faster, the thought that this monster could pounce at anytime in the back of everyone’s mind. Like a swat team moving in, the subject of all the commotion was quickly surrounded. The brave soul that reached down to apprehend the lost creature was in for a surprise, it’s scales were like nothing they had ever seen…plastic. 

“Made in China” engraved on the stomach everyone involved was laughing quickly. Wiping the sweat off their foreheads everyone took a breath. A kids toy had been tossed over the fence into the bushes of their neighbor. A kids toy had every member of the Vernon community on their toes for a few hours and provided everyone a good laugh.