Desert Treasure:
Baby D’s Snake Skin Discovery &
Duane the Duck’s Soothing Soak

There’s something magical about the desert—vast, wild, and full of surprises. In the corner of the desert where I live, Duane the Duck has turned his little plot of land into his personal oasis. Under the shade of a grand mesquite tree, surrounded by the serenity of our desert home, Duane enjoys the custom pool he dug himself. Yes, you read that right: Duane, with his duck bill, webbed feet and unmistakable charm, created his own pool. It’s the kind of oasis a duck dreams of—deep enough for his daily dips and just the right size for his laid-back, desert lifestyle.

But the real gem of the day wasn’t the pool. It was the unexpected discovery of Baby D’s shed skin curled around Duane’s water dish. This wasn’t just any desert find; it was a treasure—a token of mystery, growth, change, and a little desert drama.

The first thing that caught my eye was the delicate curl of the skin, wrapped around the edge of Duane’s water dish. Knowing instantly what it was—A shed  skin of Baby D, the youngster from Delilah, my grand gopher snake that lives on our desert landscape reality. It looked almost like a forgotten piece of desert jewelry, a pale layered textured ribbon against the sandy earth. My heart skipped a beat. I knew it was a grand treasure, a symbol of releasing and returning to my Natural State of Being.

The whole thing felt oddly surreal. Here I was, standing under the shade of a massive mesquite tree, next to Duane’s self-made pool, inspecting a snake’s old skin like it was some kind of desert artifact. Meanwhile, Duane, ever the nonchalant adventurer, was lounging happily in his pool, completely aware that his water dish had become the perfect spot for a this treasure to be discovered by me.

Now, Duane’s pool is no ordinary duck pool. Oh no, this is the kind of oasis a duck dreams of—perfectly constructed, deep enough for his daily dips, and surrounded by the natural beauty of the desert. Yet, it was next to Duane’s smaller water dish that I found Baby D’s skin, undisturbed and seemingly placed in perfect position— a little souvenir.

I stood there for a moment, soaking in the significance of it all. Baby D, having grown, birthed from our grand gopher snake Delilah who showed herself in many different places. On day finding myself standing under a mesquite tree next to our house and drawn to look up, and there in the tree was Delilah!

And now Baby D had just gone through a critical moment in his young life: shedding his skin to make room for more growth. And this wasn’t just any shed—it was the shedding that marked his expansion into Sampson, a larger, grander version of himself. It was a pivotal moment in Baby D’s development, and it just so happened that Duane’s water dish had become the unintentional spa treatment for the task.

As I examined the shed skin, I couldn’t help but marvel at how nature works. Snakes shed their skin regularly to accommodate growth, but the process isn’t always as smooth as you might think. They actually go blind before and during their shedding process. And Sometimes, pieces of the old skin don’t come off easily, especially around tough spots; old injuries and traumas that often become hard and callused. That’s when the snake, instinctively, turns to water to help with the process. Water helps loosen up the stubborn bits, making the whole shedding process much easier.

And here, in the heart of our desert landscape, Baby D knew. He’d slithered to Duane’s water dish, using it now like a spa to help ease off the last stubborn patches of skin. The snake’s natural instinct in the desert, as it turns out, is to find water—and soak. And that’s exactly what Baby D had done, likely slithering to Duane’s water dish for a refreshing soak to loosen the bits of old skin. It was the snake version of “self-care,” and I couldn’t help but be impressed by nature’s solution to the problem.

Meanwhile, Duane, oblivious to the drama unfolding just a few feet away from his lounging pool, was happily swimming in circles. I admired Duane’s knowingness, his wit providing snake skin relief.

This little discovery taught me a lot about the hidden wonders of the desert. Nature is always working in ways we don’t always notice, and even the most mundane moments can hold surprising treasures.

My adventure with this treasured snake skin was a reminder of the hidden wonders and quiet wisdom of the desert Nature’s ability to solve problems in unexpected ways. And how we are all interconnected.

Duane the Duck also, with his tranquil pool and openness provided the perfect remedy for a snake in need. And now when I find myself in need of a good soak and shed layers of old skin, I’ll take a cue from Duane and give my human self a good soaking.

In the end, I’m always left with a deeper respect for the wild desert creatures who, like Duane and the snake, find creative solutions to life’s challenges. And while I am may not be an expert at shedding yet I do know that water, patience, and a little bit of curiosity can reveal hidden treasures—and teach us more than we expect along the way.

Just like Duane, with his peaceful duck demeanor helped Baby D, (now Sampson) finish another important step in his growth and evolving expansion journey. And in doing so, Duane had provided the perfect oasis that helped a little snake shed a few layers.

What a life, right? One minute you’re lounging in your custom-dug desert pool, and the next minute, you’re aiding in the transformation of a baby snake into something far greater. All by being you, accepting, open, allowing – then woven with another realization that it is truly our Natural Self emerging from the inside out.

So, the next time you’re out in the desert and happen upon a shed snake skin, remember: it’s not just an old scary relic of the past. It’s a snapshot of nature at work, a reminder that even in the harshest environments, creatures find ways to thrive. It’s a sign of courage, growth and renewal of nature’s abilities, your abilities; your True Natural abilities of being open, creative, receiving, accepting….

And if you happen to be near a duck named Duane, well, you might just find yourself witnessing the quiet magic of desert creatures helping one another—whether it’s through a soak in Duane’s pool or a clever water dish used by Baby D to finish shedding his skin. In the end, the desert is full of surprising treasures, and you never know when you’ll discover your next treasure.

Who knows? You might just discover a little desert treasure of your own along the way left for you— knowing it’s a gift, with understanding that what you may perceive to be wrapped in layers of ugly or scary paper is actually aspects of You, the most beautiful gift of all!