It's 2025, The Year of the Wood Snake. This is special because the Wood Snake only happens every 60 years.
Eddie, my inner editor: If you have any readers, you've already lost them. Because reptiles aren't cuddly.
Don't worry, I'm not going to show any scary or creepy reptiles. Just cuddly ones and pretty ones, like this chameleon bench.
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| Tinley Park bench project, Mike Simpson |
Eddie: It's a chameleon. Can't see it.
What about this cute little green one?
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/bzedan/2124623404 |
Eddie: Too frightening for people with ophidiophobia. About a third of the population hate snakes.
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| Much Afraid, The Pilgrim's Progress 1683 |
Blimey, I've very carefully gathered some quite nice reptile benches and a lot of information about The Year of the Snake. And also other reptiles.
Eddie: Terrible idea. Lots of people are herpetophobic.
That's fear of reptiles, by the way, not fear of getting herpes.
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| The Alligator People, 1959 film |
Eddie: She looks like she's got it bad.
I promise, there is nothing horrible in this story. I've very carefully left out any coiled up or slimy or deeply unpleasant-looking creatures.
Eddie: That makes a change.
Eddie, you know I take great care not to upset readers.
Eddie: Two Words: Insect. Benches.
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| Karen Baxter, etsy |
OK, sorry, but that was years ago. I didn't know ladybirds would offend you.
Eddie: My advice is to lose the snake year. Wait until 2035 when fluffy bunnies come round again.
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| www.Georgiagerber.com |
Or goats. 2027.
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| www.Ericacrofut.com |
But I've done benches for the whole of the zodiac. Except snakes. For the Year of the Dragon I even did komodo dragon benches.
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| Photo by Toby McAlister |
In fact snakes are sometimes called Little Dragons. Maybe think of reptiles as sweet little dragons?
Eddie: No.
Seriously, Eddie. I don't like reptiles myself. But look, this bench is quite attractive.
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| Eli Brown Flickr |
Eddie: If you want attractive you should show a picture of me.
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| Fringe Pop, etsy |
Eddie: I was a big hit in The Year of the Monkey.
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| Rakuten.co.jp |
You were. But that's over now so please, do not show any pictures of monkeys. Just show nice benches and no real snakes. Maybe some lovely lizard benches?
Eddie: What about iguanas? There are some good iguana benches around.
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| Photo by Chris Jackson |
Wow, a reptile with Royal approval!
Eddie: This is Blue Peter. King Charles visited him in Grand Cayman a few years ago. He was still a prince then.
Who, Peter?
Eddie: No, Charles. Now get on with it will you.
Readers may be surprised that people born in the Year of the Snake are sociable, graceful, eloquent, humorous, wise and perceptive.
Eddie: I was born in the Year of the Snake.
Then you'll know the other qualities of Snake People: they're jealous, suspicious, sly, and cold-blooded.
Eddie: Not me at all. I get on well with everyone.
Snake people get on with Dragons and Roosters.
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| www.Bellescape.com |
But they're not good with Tigers
or Pigs
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| Niall Kennedy, Flickr |
And they should absolutely avoid contact with Horses.
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| www.3drivers.com. |
That's me, by the way. Born in The Year of the Horse.
Eddie: I'm well aware. There is constant disharmony in our relationship.
Snake people are going to find 2025 a very bad year for love. They need to take care with investments too.
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| Kim Smith, Flickr |
Eddie: I'm very good with money as it happens. I can snap up a bargain.
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| RW Sinclair, acetonic, Flickr |
Oh, very clever, Eddie, a crocodile! Or is it an alligator?
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| Jim Carson, Flickr |
I'm impressed what you know about reptiles. Are they always blue? Because this year's lucky colours are black, red and yellow.
Eddie: Don't get me started on red benches.
What about a nice yellow one then?
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| Punk Toad, Flickr |
Or pink?
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| Marco Antonioni, Riccioni, Flickr |
No, sorry, pink is very unlucky this year. So is purple. Avoid purple benches until next year.
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| Sandown, Isle of Wight |
Eddie: What's happened to The Year of the Snake? We seem to be slithering away from it.
Good point, Eddie. It's a good thing there are two of us working on this story.
Eddie: 'Good things come in pairs' as the Chinese proverb goes.
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| www.AtelierSaigon.com |
Yes, two is a lucky number this year. Also eight and nine, or a combination of the lucky numbers like 28 or 29. I'd hate to see 29 snakes though.
Eddie: Tough luck. Reptile benches aren't so cute.
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| Niort, France |
This is horrible, Eddie. Let's agree that we aren't going to show scary snake benches.
Eddie: Even though this is The Year of the Snake.
Even then. How about a horned lizard?
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| Texas Horned Lizard bench, Dallas Zoo |
Or a sweet little turtle bench?
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| www.dragonwooddesigns.com |
Eddie: Well, at least turtles are reptiles.
And so much better to look at than snakes.
They're not all creepy and crawly.
Eddie: Babies are creepy and crawly.
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| Ryan Hayes, Flickr |
Eddie: I'm actually terrified of babies. I've been pedophobic ever since I was a baby.
I'm sorry for you, Eddie. Have you seen a psychologist?
Eddie: No, I have a phobia about doctors and therapists.
That's too bad. People born in The Year of the Snake make very good psychologists.
Eddie: Because they're eloquent, perceptive, wise, etcetera? Or because they're suspicious, sly, and cold-blooded?
That's not fair, Eddie. Snake people also make good artists, designers, and politicians.
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| Presidentlincoln.illinois.gov |
Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809, a Year of the Snake.
And also Mahatma Gandhi.
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| poster available on Amazon |
Eddie: I think my politicophobia is kicking in. Nests of vipers come to mind.
Are you ok with artists? Paintbrushes, canvas, stained glass?
Eddie: I love art. I am well known in art galleries.
Here is a pretty turtle in faux stained glass.
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| Ethereal Token, Etsy |
Eddie: Lovely. It's not a bench though.
Here is Pablo Picasso on a bench in Malaga, his home town.
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| https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Eddie: Some of his pictures trigger my other phobias.
I guess we should stop now then. Though I should also say that February 1st this year is National Serpent Day.
Eddie: It's a good day to coil up with a good book about reptiles.
Happy Year of the Snake then! And crocodile, alligator, gecko, iguana and turtle!
Eddie: OK, see you later alligator.
After while, crocodile.
CREDITS
The Year of the Snake begins on January 29, 2025 and lasts until February 16, 2026. Chinese New Year is an annual event here on Benchsite. 2023 was The Year of the Dragon and there are some very scary benches there, including some serpent benches which are possibly snakes rather than dragons. 2021 was The Year of the Ox and it's a bit of an oxymoron to admit that writing that story was a sweet struggle. Remember 2020? That was the Year of the Rat. 2019 was The Year of the Pig and I'm not telling porkie pies when I say that the pig benches are better than a bacon sandwich. In 2018 we got in a bit of a muddle about unicorns and/or dogs. In 2017 it was the Year of the Rooster and there's quite a bit about Chinese beer in that story as well. The Year of the Monkey Bench went on for far too long in 2016 and contained a lot of monkey business. Back in 2015 it was Goats and/or possibly Sheep Benches. 2014? That was Horse Benches.
Eddie is my Inner Editor, who just happens to be a primate. If you've seen much of Benchsite you will know what a problem Eddie is for me. He has ruined helped me edit the post about my swimming bench and the Blue Monday benches. He interfered with stepped in to help with the Orange bench mystery. However, he has a habit of setting his own agenda with the benches. Look what a mess he made great job he did on St. George's Day . And as for my Red benches in February? No wonder I was very grateful seeing red. I had a bit of a break from him last year but now he's back and his primate pictures are in danger of overwhelming my stories.
The excellent portrait of Eddie looking studious is from Fringepop, an etsy shop in Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/fringepop It's full of 8x10 art prints including hipster, pin ups, zombies, steampunk, mermaids, witches, Edgar Allan Poe, Abraham Lincoln, cabinet cards, owls, taxidermy, flappers, octopus, fine art, lowbrow art, and surreal art. Fringepop also has a large selection of roller derby, horror goth, retro kitsch, and circus sideshow. They also love art deco, flapper, and art nouveau pinups and gorgeous deco mermaid art. They specialize in Victorian, medical, sideshow, and other oddity art along with many whimsical animals including squirrels, owls, deer, and ravens. As if this weren't enough, Fringepop loves macabre gothic themes such as skulls and anatomical art. Favorites also include funny designs with retro sayings and a kitsch quality.
Much Afraid is a character from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, 1683. The daughter of Mr. Despondency, Much Afraid and her father were imprisoned in Doubting Castle by the tyrant Giant Despair. Released from the castle, Much Afraid danced in the road and apparently she answered the music handsomely.
Some of the insect benches have appeared on Benchsite before, including the pretty ladybird bench by Karen Baxter at her Etsy shop KWB & Co.
Old Noah dates from biblical times and has a history of saving animal benches. Here in Fribble he saved all our animal benches for World Animals Day. There are all the favourite animals, of course - tigers, camels, pandas, giraffe - but Noah also managed to get some lesser loved creatures - wombats, even a preying mantis - onto the ark.
If you love animals see which animal benches Noah saved on the Ark. If you like pig benches, then you're looking in the right place and there are more small, large and faraway dog benches at http://benchsite.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/big-bench-small-bench-cute-and-tiny.html On the other hand, if you prefer cats, let Meredith show you some fabulous feline benches. Maybe you like rabbits: bunny benches are not just for Easter you know. Sheep? We've got some Baaaaaad ones here on Benchsite. And monkeys? We've got those too. And finally, for the Cream of Bovine Benches, let Lord Brassica show you his cows.
B Zedan does some very creative work, which is shown on Flickr. The splendid little green snake bench was made for a story about Griffen.
The Alligator People is an American science fiction film from 1959. A woman named Barbara goes looking for her husband, who has been turned into an alligator. The film is described as eerie, frightening, and atmospheric.
The pretty chameleon bench is from a wonderful community bench project in Tinley Park, Illinois. Local residents create themed benches on Oak Park Avenue. In 2022 Animal Adventures was the theme. The photo is by Mike Simpson.
The pretty rabbit bench was made by Georgia Gerber and features in several Benchsite stories about rabbits, Easter, and fluffy bunnies.
Goats were a thing back in 2015. It was the Year of the Goat http://benchsite.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/2015-year-of-goat-bench.html Erika Crofut from Connecticut made the beautiful goat bench on the porch. It was one of the animal benches Noah saved on his ark back in 2013. Erica has other bright, fun animal benches and sofas on her website at http://www.erikacrofut.com/
The komodo dragon was photographed by Toby McAlister when he visited Komodo Island back in 2011.
Elliot Brown photographed the brightly coloured metal snake bench in Highgate plaground. Ell Brown lives in Birmingham, and has a HUGE Flickr photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/
The cute wooden monkey couple are from Rakuten in Japan. They area favourite of Eddie's and they are featured in The Year of the Monkey, as you might expect. But they also turn up elsewhere, whatever the bench story is about.
In March 2019 the then-Prince Charles visited Grand Cayman island where he met and stroked a beautiful blue iguana named Blue Peter. Our now king is so seldom seen smiling that it is a pleasure to see him so delighted. This scene is much photographed; this photo is by Chris Jackson.
2017 was The Year of the Rooster at http://benchsite.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/china-in-year-of-rooster-bench.html The charming rustic rooster and chicken bench is from www.bellesscape.com in Los Gatos, California. http://belleescape.com/painted-country-rooster-hen-bench.html The bench features a special hand-painted rooster and chicken design on the back rest. The papaya finish has been lightly distressed to add an antique feel. Belleescapes has just about every kind of chic furniture you can imagine: farmhouse, industrial, cottage, bohemian, cosmo, Provence, vineyard and even shabby chic. Cottage style? They've got coastal, earthy . . . I'll stop there. You can have a look for yourself.
The pig bench was outside the Healdsburg Charcuterie in Healdsburg, California in 2010. It was photographed by Niall Kennedy, a software engineer who likes hiking, dogs, food, travel and scenes around his home and work in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley. https://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/4886919707/
The handsome black and gold horse is by 3D Rivers, whose mission is to help the internet community meet the growing need for a wide range of well-designed, high quality 3D models and consumer goods products in a constantly changing environment. They offer a huge range of 3D products including things like buildings, transport, everyday objects, characters, model packs, animals, and yes, of course, benches. This Indian-style horse is one of the many different kinds of benches available via their online site at http://www.3drivers.com/ He has already appeared on Benchsite as one of the animals on Noah's Ark.
Kim Smith owns a dramatic web design company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She photographed the money bench in 2007. Her photo sets contains lots of friends and family and her landscapes make Michigan look like a beautiful place. In fact, Mackinac Island doesn't look so different from my own Paradise Island . . . http://www.flickr.com/photos/k
The lifelike crocodile bench was photographed by RW Sinclair, aka acetonic on Flickr.
The saw-tooth crocodile bench is a little scary. It's in the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue, Washington. I don't know if I'd want to sit down on it even if I had shoppers' feet. Jim Carson from Seattle photographed it in 2009. It's part of his photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/carson/ Jim's cycling photos of rural Washington, Oregon and Idaho bring back the happy travelling days of my childhood. According to Jim, Wallace, Idaho is the centre of the universe.
The other little wooden bench is, I think, an alligator bench from Disney World in Florida.
The twisty yellow bench was photographed by Punk Toad on flickr. It is one of many bright, cheery yellow benches told in the Benchsite story about yellow benches for Spring.
The pink bench against a pink wall is by Marco Antonioni, aka Riccione on Flickr. This particular bench featured in a Benchsite story all about pink and gray benches during the time when that gray book was very, very popular.
The purple bench was one of several outside a hotel in Sandown, Isle of wight. I was so inspired by them that I went home and painted two of my benches purple.
The pair of papier mache crocodile benches were for sale at Saigon Atelier in Vietnam in 2010.
The scary serpent bench is at Niort in France. I love Noirt and I love France but unfortunately, the city was apparently terrorized in 1692 by a giant snake with wings which devoured its population. Eventually a brave soldier slew the thing and now what's left are four bronze dragons on the main shopping street.
There are lots of garden benches made of sturdy concrete. One such bench is the Texas Horned Lizard bench at Dallas Zoo. It appears on Pinterest, Flickr and elsewhere, having been photographed by many, many people.
Dragonwood Designs in Pennsylvania make a lot of things out of wood, including the little green turtle bench. www.etsy.com/shop/dragonwooddesigns
It is well established here on Benchsite that Eddie is scared of babies. That's understandable perhaps, given the very large crawling baby, which features in many Benchsite Halloween posts. Ryan Hayes, from Texas, saw The Giant Scary Baby on the Mala Strana in Prague back in 2009. Ryan's photostream is oneflameinthefire at Flickr.
The lovely turtle suncatcher is faux stain glass, made from acrylic and sold by the Ethereal Token Etsy shop.
There are quite a few statues of Abraham Lincoln around the United States. This one is in Illinois.
This is a well known picture of Mahatma Gandhi. It is available as a poster on Amazon.
The artist Pablo Picasso is sitting on a bench in Malaga, Spain, the city where he was born.
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