Pulling down the driveway post drop-off somewhere for someone, I am greeted by my oldest son. "Mom, come look in the backyard." I can only wonder what thrilling surprise awaits. "Is it a deer? A turkey?" Andrew is silent, smirking at my naive guesses. No, my eyes tell me, it's neither fawn nor fowl. In the 20 minutes I've been gone, an air conditioner has fallen out the kitchen window.

I don't see a trail of blood or hear the wail of an ambulance, but I feel the need to ask anyway, "Are the girls OK?" Innately, I knew Summer and Joy were involved. "Yes, they are fine." Next question, "How did this happen?" Andrew answers honestly, "I have no idea."

Someone who did have an idea? Summer. And her friend Miranda. And Joy. Summer, the group spokesperson, told the following story: "Mom, Mom, Mom. Miranda and I were out back shooting baskets and we saw a snake. We ran into the house screaming SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! When we ran in the house to avoid the snake, Joy ran outside to the basketball court to SEE the snake. I was so worried about Joy I wanted to warn her the snake was huge so I was opening the window to yell to her and the air conditioner suddenly fell out!" Joy chimed in, "And I didn't even get to see the snake." Miranda empathized, "The snake wasn't really that big Joy."

I also empathized with Summer's situation for I, too, have caused an air conditioner to fall out of the exact same kitchen window. She's mine, I can't deny. Four years ago, I was impatient and ready for the air conditioners to be out of the windows. Thinking myself and Andrew strong enough to remove one, well, it didn't end well and we had one less air conditioner to store for the winter.

Also empathizing with Summer: her father. Our house had new windows installed in January. In June, when I was impatient to get the air conditioners in the windows, Brian installed them without getting a new brace/bracket/jury rigging the sills to hold them in place. He warned all of us to avoid the air conditioners until he could secure them properly into the windows. In Summer's defense, she didn't touch the actual air conditioner, just the window holding it in place.

Does this story have a happy ending? Yes, the heat wave broke the next day and by the time the humidity climbed the following week, we had a new air conditioner (appropriately called the Summer Breeze) bolted into the kitchen window. Note to self: be patient and wait until Brian can remove the unit this fall. Note to Summer: If Joy wants to run out to see a snake, let her go.

KERRI CHARETTE LIVES IN LEDYARD.