Saturday, May 03, 2008
So just a few days after the discovery of bats - there was much commotion over a snake.
Don was painting our fence and I was gardening - and there it was, curled up by the air conditioners. Beeeehhhhh. I blurted out "SNAKE!!!" Which I believe is what 50% of people probably say first (other option is a swear word)
The snake picked up its tail and shook it. Which did not make me feel too good. Beeehhh open toed shoes. (don't know why open toed shoes + gardening)
By then Archie and Eddie had heard me say SNAKE and came to see what I was up to. They were quite happy, I believe they thought I said "STEAK!!!" Being a city slicker and not really knowing what kind of snake this was, what with all the tail shaking and everything, I ushered them into the house, where the kids were playing.
Upon hearing that there could be a poisonous snake in the yard - their instinct was to go out there and take a look? I worry about their long-term survival. After scolding them for bad thinking and commanding they stay inside, I went to get Don.
Who was also wearing open-toed shoes (don't know why open toed shoes + painting)
He grabbed a broom and went to see the snake and scolded ME for bad thinking and commanded me to stay inside. Hey! I'm 43. I can hang out with the snake, right?!
No, I got yelled at again.
A few minutes later, I went to check to see if Don wanted closed-toed shoes. Because I'm Jewish, and in an emergency, it's important to be properly dressed. I mean, if I have to call 911, what's the first thing the firemen are going to say to me...
Don had the broom in the air ninja-style. The air conditioning pads, lawn mower, and trash cans were lined up like Stonehenge. I thought better of asking anything and went back inside.
Sarah was already Googling the snake, which Don thought was a baby rattlesnake because of its size and all that tail-shaking. But come to find out it's an alameda whipsnake. A threatened species.
By the time we found THAT out, it had been decapitated and flung onto the slope outside our fence. We all feel a little guilty now. But how does one know?!?
Well, it's a learning experience. I am hoping for some eye of newt to pop up soon, then we can take the snake carcass and make a potion at dusk with the bats or something... I'll have to go to Cauldrons R Us for some supplies...
4 comments:
Honey, you've got some interesting flora and fauna in your neck of the woods...although truth be told..we've had some pretty freaky things around here, too...Samantha and I were coming home from our temple show at 11pm last night...and an oppossum ran across the road! We've also had a deer, and eagle/hawk, and a wild turkey either in our yard, or one of our adjacent neighbor's...you know where we live...I'd expect squirrels, birds...this is pretty fascinating stuff.
Read my friend Beth Roman's blog...blogging blah blah...she had an interesting experience with frogs in her swimming pool...
Melissa
Our turkey is back, and roosting by the back door of the shul. GROSS.
Wow we never had actual lunchmeat hanging around our house. In Lisle we had deer, fox, skunk, oppossum, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and a big blue heron that used to swoop down the back of our creek looking for fish. I think any of those critters out here get munched by the coyotes.
I think the turkey likes us because we're vegetarians. In fact, when we drove by him yesterday, Zac said, "That's a turkey? People eat him?" Well said, Zac, you ethical vegetarian you!
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