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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - May 31 2004 : 08:34:52 AM
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Another Snake Story
Last summer we were living in a townhouse complex with no trees, very little shrubery, and the yards were maintained by the complex. Our unit was in the middle. One afternoon I came home to find a five-or-so foot long blacksnake sunning itself in the street in front of our unit. I can't imagine why it ended up there. I called Cindy and told her I had something to show her. Well, she didn't seem to like the snake too much and went back in the house to call Animal Control. The snake was headed for our garage, so I picked up a length of river cane and pushed him down the street. Funny thing, though, the driveways were all slightly inclined, and the snake had a problem moving on them. When he hit the grass he moved very well. By this time Cindy had come back out to see what was happening. Animal Control had told her they didn't deal with snakes, so she called the Sheriff. They told her they didn't deal with snakes and to call Animal Control. My neighbor across the street came out, saw the snake, and said he would like to have it live at his house, if it would, to keep away any pests. Cindy didn't hear this because she kept a safe distance from the snake. I told her to go back in and we would do what had to be done :-). When she left, we moved the snake into the neighbor's yard beside his unit and left it there. If never told Cindy what we did with the snake, and we didn't see it again, so everyone was happy. Shortly there after we moved into a new house. One afternoon I was driving home and saw a blacksnake sunning itself in the middle of the street. I didn't say anything. |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
June 10 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 01 2004 : 11:43:55 AM
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Ohhhh Theresa, I LAUGHED!! Poor Mrs. Williams!! Had that been me, I'd have been screaming and sobbing so hard, I wouldn't be able to see where I was going and - my okra field would have been TOTALLY DECIMATED by the time I had RUN AMOK through it!! A season's planting, watering, tending... TOTALLY GONE SOUTH!! *sigh*
Well I have to say, Fitz, I tend to go with yer wife on this one... 'what the eye doesn't see, the heart (and the brain and the mouth) doesn't go hysterical over'!!!! Again, MOVING from somewhere where these 'thingies' frequent, is certainly A POSITIVE thing to do as far as I'm concerned. If an 'unmentionable' found it's way to my NEW place, I'd DEFINITELY be of the opinion that 'ignorance is bliss'... what I don't know about, I can happily live with!! YER ONE SMART HUSBAND! 
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Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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Lady Ann
Pioneer
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 20 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 01 2004 : 12:46:30 PM
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Reptiles of the non-poisonous shoulderless variety have always been welcome in our home. I currently have a 4 foot eastern indigo living in my front garden. We plowed up the lawn and replanted the yard with Florida native perennials, vegetables and fruit...it is a wonderful little ecosystem in the midst of acres of manicured water-sucking grass and non-native tropicals. The local wildlife has made it their home. The indigo takes care of rodents and other pests who would steal my tomatoes and strawberries, and he does a fine job. We often come eye to eye with each other as we work in the garden, but leave each other alone as we go about our business. He (or she; hard to tell with snakes unless you get too close for comfort!)regularly leaves his shed skin on my front doorstep; an unusual, but thoughtful gift. My sister, who lives just up the block, has her own indigo, also about 4 feet long. He lives under her garden shed and stays pretty much unseen...except for the unfortunate winter day when he was, unbeknownst to my sister, sunning himself on the overhang above her front porch. She went outside, startling him, and he leaped off the overhang directly onto her head. It is a good thing we are reptile lovers, otherwise she would have dropped from a heart attack...but she quickly realized it was "her" snake and recovered, allowing him to scoot back under the shed and recover from his heart attack!
About ten years ago my son had an indoor snake, a 5 and 1/2 foot royal python, who roamed our house at will, also doing rodent duty. "Baby" often joined us at the table at dinner, coiling herself comfortably in the nearest lap, occasionally checking the table top to make sure we weren't dining on rat. She got along well with everyone, including our cats and dogs...although she scared the bejesus out of a moving man once, who while packing in one of our bedrooms, surprised her while she was asleep. I rescued him...and her, while she was doing her best to impersonate a rattlesnake, all curled up and attempting to rattle her rattleless tail! BTW, I had to finish packing up that room...
For those of you thinking of bidding on the Florida vacation at my house, Baby is no longer in residence. And I guarantee you will not meet up with my garden indigo...he stays far away from visitors. No, our most deadly species here are...tourists! |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
June 10 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 01 2004 : 7:47:46 PM
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Well, Lady Ann, I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WOULDN'T BE OFFENDED, if I didn't take you up on that TRULY WONDERFUL holiday voucher you're putting into the Raffle, WERE I TO WIN IT! I'm sorry - I just DON'T THINK THAT I COULD STAND TO KNOW what was also living 'on the premises' as it were... 
Your story reminds me of something that happened two years ago, though. I was staying with Marcia after getting home from our 'Get-together' with our sweet fr'nds in Chimney Rock and I was sitting catching up on writing emails to my family back here. Marcia was working away at some painting when all of a sudden, someone hammered on the door like there was an huge emergency!! Well... Marcia went off to see what the commotion was... and never re-appeared. After little while, I thought, "that's strange. I'm SURE I can hear a lot of folks talking and can here someone crying! I wonder what's up?" So... I went off to the front door, just to have a peek and make sure that all was okay.
Well, outside the front door, there was a crowd of folks and there was Marcia - up a ladder and poking under the overhanging eaves of the garage, which just happened to be right at the side of the guest bedroom window. As she saw me open the door and step out, she VERY HASTILY came down the ladder a bit, saying, "You REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!!" I said, "well... I just wondered what the noise wa..." "NO!" Says Marcia, "You DON'T WANT TO BE OUT HERE. I suggest you go on back and finish your emails and I'll be along in in a minute". Well... I'm thinking, I know it's really got nothing to do with me but... heck, I'm not going to get in the way or anything. But Marcia was looking so weirdly at me - almost panicky! At that, something just twigged - there must be something to do with 'you-know-what's' going on. And - she's right - I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE!!!
So... I went off back into the house. A few minutes later, I heard everyone shouting 'YAY!!!!' And of course, that was that. I just HAD TO know what was going on! The things I was imagining... that it was a REALLY POISONOUS 'thing' and there had been a 'lynch mob' and a gruesome death and I imagined all manner of awful things... I JUST COULDN'T LEAVE IT!! So when Marcia came back in, I almost INSISTED she tell me what was what, and though again she WARNED me, she decided telling me was probably better than the things I might be imagining.
It turned out that this 'legless and shoulderless' critter had taken up 'home' in the eaves of the garage (and had been living there for YEARS!!!), which as I said, just happened to be outside the room I was staying in!!! ARRRGHHH!! Well... like you, Lady Ann, Marcia just LOVES these reptilian things!! So... she was very happy for it to be there. But she knows how *I* feel about them, so for the 5 years that I spent time with her, she had felt it better to 'say nothing to Katie'.
ANYWAY, the neighbours had just pulled into the driveway this particular Sunday, when they heard THE MOST AWFUL SCREAMING!!! Because it was so awful, and almost like a child crying, they thought they'd better investigate. And when they found out where it was coming from, they immediately came to let Marcia know what was happening! She LOVES her 'boarder' but... she also loves her POND LIFE!! She had a beautiful pond with goldfish and frogs and beautiful water plants and a bamboo water feature... It was under the guest bedroom window and the sounds of water were lovely to listen to - soooo soothing! HOWSEVER, this 'legless' thing had gotten hold of a frog and had taken it back to it's 'home'! The poor frog was SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE!!!
So.. the neighbours alerted Marcia and she had gone up the ladder and was trying to free her little frog from the 'legless' thing's jaws! As I stepped out of the front door, all the neighbours were standing and milling around like they were guests at a circus, and Marcia was up there poking in the eaves with a sti |
Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 01 2004 : 8:25:09 PM
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 Oh my goodness... I have been laughing so hard... Lady Ann, those two incidents are a riot!! I can certainly sympathize with your poor moving man. Theresa, your dear little mother-in-law... sling-shotting that s-word into the air... Oh my. And Marcia and her frog... The visuals are great!
Kate, dear, I hope you don't mind us having all this fun at your expense! This has turned into a most enjoyable thread. |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
June 10 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 01 2004 : 8:56:46 PM
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OH HECK NO, WW!!! YOU FOLKS GO AHEAD AND HAVE A LAUGH AT MY EXPENSE!!! 
Seriously, I'm reading and following this thread and trying hard NOT to visualise TOO hard! The scenario's, well... I find they're JUST PLAIN FUNNY!!! And as long as I can laugh, I'm not tempted to think about it all TOOOOO DEEPLY! And if I'm laughing, I'm not visualising about the 'subject' too much!!!
If I DID stop to think about it, I'd be absolutely paralysed with fear and SICK TO MY STOMACH. And... though I too have sooooo enjoyed reading everyone's little stories, I know that STILL - if I DO happen to meet one of these 'legless' creatures at the Gathering, I'll STILL GO TOTALLY HYSTERICAL and spend the rest of the Gathering just a simpering, jibbering idiot!!!
But thank you for asking - At the moment, I'm laughing right along with y'all!!  |
Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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Lady Ann
Pioneer
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 20 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - June 02 2004 : 10:27:12 AM
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Here is my "alternative to having a live in shoulderless reptile story":
Back in the early 80s we were in the process of adding a 2nd story addition onto our home. The additon was complete except for patching, painting and the like. One night we heard mysterious scraping and scritching sounds above us in the new bedroom. When we investigated with flashlight we discovered, much to our horror,that the upstairs had been invaded by what looked like hundreds of what we call down here "orange rats"...a brown rodent about 8 inches long (add on the tail and you have about 14 inches worth of rat, with long teeth, a nasty disposition and a voracious appetite.) The wretched things were eating plaster off the walls! Ick! The next day we put a stainless steel pail full of very appetizing rat poison (mixed with oatmeal and peanut butter)upstairs in the room for the rats to enjoy...and hopefully hasten their demise. That night we were awakened by a horrible noise...all sorts of banging and clanging, followed by a series of thuds. Creeping to the foot of the stairs, we found the empty pail. The dang rodents had eaten nearly two pounds of our deadly mix and then thrown the empty pail across a hallway and down the stairs! We never did find out if the rats died, as the number did not decrease until we got the whole place sealed and professionly fumigated (we had to move out during that period). Being very sensitive to chemical pesticides and not wanting to put more of them into our environment, from that time on I was determined to encourage...nay, invite!...the shoulderless ones to take up residence in my home and yard. It is well known here that if you have one of said reptiles sharing your space, you will not have the ubiquitous orange rat invading your domain. Yep, give me a friendly indigo over a rat any day. Oh, and on the occasion when our indigo nabs a tree frog for a quick snack (in the absence of rodents, which are his favorite food) unless he is quick and grabs the frog entirely in one gulp, the frog will screech and howl like a wounded cat (literally!)until he gets away or is consumed. It is truly an horrific sound...but fortunately, rare. Right now I almost wish I could encourage the indigo to do a "snack" check on a set of Big Ben windchimes I have in my yard...a colony of tree frogs has taken up residence inside the hollow pipes, and on wet evenings when they start up their chorus, the sound is magnified at least 10 times...and deepened in sound...by the pipes. We can't escape the cacophony, even with the doors and windows closed! Fortunately for them, they eat a tremendous about of mosquitos (the Florida state bird,)so we endure...with ear muffs. |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - June 02 2004 : 1:01:36 PM
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Ulp... shudder...
I think I have about decided that I shall never live in Florida. Nope... won't even be a "snowbird" when I am 75 years old and the snow is up to my you-know-what and the cold north winds are howling around my ears. Nope. New Yawk seems je-e-e-e-st fine to me! |
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