It's snake season again...

[gcvmom]

We had another rattlesnake in the yard today. difficult child 1 found it curled up on a rock next to the coop. By the time I got my shoes on and ran out to the yard, husband had scared it back into some bushes and probably down a hole that we couldn't see. So I was a little annoyed, because now who knows where it will turn up -- at least if I'd seen it I could have had a shot at getting rid of it. He said it was pretty big -- at least 3 feet, maybe 4 and very big around.

So the chickens were confined to their run today and the cats didn't go out (besides, they keep finding baby birds, so they need to stay in another week or so until all the chicks have learned to fly). And the kids stayed clear of the area. Later on I was climbing around the area with my boots on and there was nothing there. Like I said, it's either found a hole or it slithered off somewhere else.

We've been clearing the charred remains of brush and wood from the November wildfire off the back hillside for the last few weeks. I'm amazed we haven't seen one until now with all the warm weather we've been having.

 

[Wiped Out]

YIKES:wildone: I would so be confined to the house as well! I would not be able to deal with snakes, especially rattlers! In the area where my dad grew up there were a lot of rattle snakes. One day when he was a kid, he was taking the cows out to the pasture when he ran across one. He slowly backed up and was fine but I would have totally freaked out!

 

[Lothlorien]

I really hate snakes. We rarely find them around here, but I stay away from areas where I think we might find them. husband likes to throw the grass clippings in a pile in the woods in our back yard. I know they love places like that.....Ick.

 

[Star*]

(cue Friday the 13th theme song)

che che che
ha ha ha
che che che
ha ha ha

Envisions woman weilding jungle scythe over Lord of the Fangs....

RUN SNAKe....er SLITHER SNAKE SLITHER THIS MOUNTAIN TOP HOME IS NO WHERE FOR YOU!!!!!

 

[Abbey]

Snakes. Eww. Snakes and brothers are a bad mix. We had rattlesnakes...you just learned to stay away from large rocks as that is where they hid.

Now, brothers are a different story. Not a whole lot of places to hide from them. Toss in garter snakes, which are totally dumb and harmless...bad mix again. My brother used to collect them in jars. When he had a sufficient amount, maybe a couple dozen, he'd stuff them up our garden house and lay in wait for me to come home. I have NO idea how he got them up that damn hose, but he successed on more than one occasion.

I'd come skipping up to the house and he'd hide in a bush with that hose and turn it on. I had snakes squirting at me like a fire hose. I literally would plan my attack at getting in the front door without being snaked,

Any therapist would say I have due reason to be afraid of snakes. Thanks, Joe.

Abbey

 

[muttmeister]

When my boys were little (maybe 5 and 7) I heard them out on the front porch talking about showing "mom what we found." They were hatching a good plan and I really don't like snakes but thank heavens I heard them because when they came in and thrust a garter snake in my face I could calmly say, "Oh, what a nice snake. Shall we put him in the empty aquarium and keep him for a pet?" If I hadn't heard what they were planning I would probably have had a stroke. Anyway, it spoiled their fun and they never did it again.

I don't like snakes but I can deal with them. We'd get them inside a school occasionally (they just crawled in the open door) so I was always the one they'd call to come and pick it up and put it out.

In my last night there was not a snake but a gigantic turtle (as big as a basketball). It was a snapping turtle so it could have been dangerous to kids, dogs, cats, etc. It was on my driveway and after we looked at it (from a distance) we discovered that it was injured. I think it had probably been run over. It finally crawled away so I'm hoping either it found safe cover or that it died. I really don't want to tangle with it. Somebody poked a broom handle at it; I didn't realize they were quite as agile as he was so I plan to look carefully where I'm going the next few days; don't want to lose my toes.

 

[DDD]

I abhor snakes but our big friendly new Boxer ran into one in the yard and tried to get it "to play". husband started yelling "Ace, come!" Ace just wagged his tail and continued the step forward, jump back dance. Finally husband upped his volume and Ace slinked back into the house. Now...I know there is a snake somewhere in our yard. Yuk! DDD

 

[DammitJanet]

I HATE snakes! I can deal with almost anything else in the world but snakes are my downfall. I aim for them on the road...lol.

I have probably told this story before but...Years ago when the boys were just toddlers we lived in this old dilapidated trailer. We were attempting to fix it up but we had just bought it and hadnt done all the work yet. It still had some holes in the floor in the bathroom and we had taken down the ceiling to put up a new one. Well, I had some pet mice that had managed to get loose in the house but I wasnt too worried. I thought mice were cute. HA! Mice started reproducing and we started to see all these mice coming out and stealing food from places in the house. Then slowly we started not seeing mice. I didnt notice it much and didnt even think about it. Tony did but didnt say anything to me...the fool!

One day I went to make some cole slaw while we were frying some fish. Tony had run to the store to get something...cant remember what...but I reached up into the cabinet to get the sugar...and something moved! There was a snake curled up in my cabinet!!!! I screamed....jumped back away from the counter and the stove with the frying fish...grabbed Cory out of the playpen...ran into the yard and grabbed Jamie and ran into the road!

About that time both my mom and Tony came home and I was stand in the middle of the road with the kids in a blind panic screaming about the snake. Smoke was starting to billow out the open kitchen window because the fish was burning. Tony ran in, turned the fish off and threw it out the open window and started hunting the snake. He found the stupid snake in the cabinet and got it out and killed it. I refused to go back into that house until he sealed up every hole in the house and inspected it top to bottom...lol.

 

[gcvmom]

Holy cow, Janet! How in the world did the snake get UP into a CABINET??? YIKES! I think I'd be a little upset if I had a rattler in the house, too. Outside I can deal with it okay.

One year we had a gopher snake in the house... I think the screen door wasn't latched or something and that's how it got in. I just used a broom and gently "encouraged" it out the sliding glass door.

 

[DDD]

Snake easily go UP. Most people don't realize it. Scarey. DDD

 

[totoro]

I love snakes! I don't want to play with the Rattlers though. We have them also right now. I haven't spotted any yet.
husband has been on scaredy cat snake alert. LOL
He makes me look first!

I caught a Regal Horned Lizard the other day, they are the ones that shoot blood out of their eyes!
They are actually quite docile and calm. He was beautiful. I let the girls check him out and hold him and then put him back where we found him.
No he did not shoot any blood. He didn't even run when we let him go. Pretty cool!