I hate snakes.
I don't even want to hear about what they're good for, how they really are not as slimy as they look, and that they might be my friend. I hate 'em.
If you've been following me here and/or at Facebook, you know we have a lot of critter company. Little Deer, two sheep and a goat, a parade of chickens and roosters, and some bunnies.
They're all sweet and they're all welcome, although I'd like the goat more if he wouldn't poop in our carport.
Little Deer even lets us touch him - although he seems to be getting wise to the ways of his fellow deer, and is keeping a little more distance than he once did.
Well, today we had another visitor. Not a welcome one. And not in the yard.
I walked over to the shredder to shred this afternoon's junk mail and Harley started barking at the thing like a house afire. He does not like the shredder, but this did seem a little excessive. When I looked at him, he wasn't really looking at the shredder, but at the black cord beside it. Welllllll, I didn't have my glasses on, but I did notice that the black cord seemed to be moving, and it didn't appear to be attached to anything.
My brain screamed "SNAKE!"
I screamed "HOLY SHIT!"
Harley agreed, loudly barked his assent and up the stairs we ran, stumbling over one another like crazy - taking time only to slam the door behind us.
This is when I remember to say my "Thank You's" for a husband who will answer the phone at work, hear me say "SNAKE!," and respond "I'm on my way."
Harley and I spent the next 20 or 25 minutes telling one another it probably really wasn't a snake. Just the cord. And boy was Donald Barley gonna tease us about this for years to come.
Noooooooooooooo.
Snake has been found (under the washer).
Snake has been removed.
Yay, Donald!
My hero!
And Harley's too (who still hates the shredder, now more than ever).
9 comments:
Don't forget that although Harley didn't go after the snake himself, he did sound the alarm. Grin. My parents have a rat terrier who helps Mom in the garden. He watches for snakes and rabbits - equally bad in his eyes.
Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
You made me laugh so hard at work that the people in the next office came in to see what was going on! I'm sorry the snake startled you, but I would probably have had the very same reaction! I love how experts say, oh just look at the shape of the head, or something. Yeah, like I'm gonna be around long enough to look at ANY part of it!!!
I'm not fond of snakes either. Never had one in the house, plenty outside. What we've had in the house are lots and lots of spiders, they don't really bother me, I can take care of them easily, scorpions, even had one in bed with me once, didn't know until I found it dead. We used to have lizards sneak in, not so much anymore--maybe because of the outside cats.
Marilyn
Oh, Kaye! How scary! I've seen snakes outdoors and am terrified. I'll have to tell you the story about how I was brave, but just once. We had a snake by our back door in our other house. It was outside, but for weeks I wouldn't go near the area. Snakes and mice don't belong in homes. Nope, not one bit. Woo-hoo to Donald!!
Kaye,
Not too long ago, I needed to let my cat and two dogs out. All three bee-bopped out the back door RIGHT PAST the OVER-SIZED gartersnake sunning himself on my back step.
I slammed the door shut. Grabbed my 'special' spray bottle full of white vinegar.
Pulling the door back, just a tad, I let him have it. Right in the eyes.
You can't imagine how fast that sucker moved. He hasn't been back.
Sort of feel bad b/c he's been here a long time. He kept the mouse and mole population down.
I just avoided him as long as he didn't over-slither his bounds.
Not the first time I've fended off an unwelcome critter with the vinegar spray.
Dory Stewart
I hate snakes too. We have a black snake in our back yard who surfaces once in a while. He robbed a cardinal nest. The birds raised Cain and I knew what it was, but we weren't fast enough to save the babies. Blackwell got away. Again. I don't go in the back yard much now, and I watch carefully when I do. You have my deepest sympathy, Kay. Tell Donald he's a true hero.
I'm told my grandfather would capture black snakes to keep in the dairy to keep down the rats and mice.
But the funniest (to me) snake story I've ever heard involve the aunt and uncle of a friend. Uncle was asleep on a day bed in the sun room near the outside door. Aunt went out to bring in the clothes from the line. As she's carrying the clothes basket inside, she realizes there's a black snake in the basket. She reacts instantly: she throws the entire basket into the sun room where hubby is sleeping, slams the door shut, and then starts beating on the door and yelling, "Honey!! There's a snake in the room!"
One day my daughter, who is deathly afraid of spiders, had a big one on her wall (Houston grows them big). Like you, she called her husband at work in hysterics, and Ben left work and came home and disposed of it.
Holly
How in the world did it get in?
If it were my house, I would have moved out by now :)
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