I had honestly planned to take a hiatus from blogging for awhile. I'm all blogged out - and exhausted from the unending "challenges" of life (notice, I didn't say "problems")
BUT
(here comes the inevitable "but")
I have to write about my latest unplanned adventure.
I had initially wanted to drive to town today.
But (there's that pesky word again) I didn't sleep all night, my health issues are making me feel like I'm the brink of extinction, and it is pouring rain.
Strike three! I opted to stay home.
I'll try to speed up this story (ha ha) by saying that, for the past few days, I've been hearing occasional strange noises in the house. It wasn't the cats. And it wasn't the mice. I know those noises fairly well.
Also, my cat Bosco (a curious fellow) has been acting strange. Several times he seemed like he saw a ghost. Cats can get spooky at times.
Early this afternoon (right after noon, in fact) I was sitting at the kitchen table, when I heard a loud crash in the living room. I would have attributed it to the cats, but Kitzee and Bosco were sitting with me near the table.
A second loud noise made me jump up (not an easy feat when I feel like I'm half-dead).
Bosco ran into the living room. When I got there, I was stunned to see that he encountered a snake!
A reptile. A viper. A creepy slithering thing that belongs outside.
This wasn't my first encounter with an indoor snake. I discovered one in my bedroom a few summers ago (I documented that incident in this blog).
Snakes generally don't bother me, but what scares me is the fact that I don't know which ones are poisonous.
This snake coiled immediately when fearless Bosco got too close.
Fortunately the snake was near the front door.
I ran into the kitchen and armed myself with a broom and a plastic trash can (I removed the bag of trash from the can).
Thank goodness the snake was still coiled. I dropped the trash can right over him.
I opened the front door, but curious Bosco and Kitzee both ran out on the porch. I didn't want them anywhere near the snake, so I had to chase them into a bedroom with the broom.
I managed to get the inverted trash can out onto the porch. I quickly released the snake, ran back inside, and slammed the door.
The last snake that I had in the house seemed delighted to leave. He quickly slithered off the porch and into the brush.
This snake, however, didn't seem ready to go.
I waited a few minutes. Then opened the door a crack. There he was - right by the door, trying to come back in!
Finally (finally) he slithered in the other direction and went under the wooden swing that's on the porch.
The last I looked, he was still there.
I'm praying that he won't get back in the house.
Well, that's my latest unpleasant adventure here in Nowhereland.
It's a good thing I didn't go to town. I wouldn't have seen the snake.
Big storms are predicted for tonight.
Another adventure awaits me....
Cheers, Jon
Could have been a whipsnake or coachwhip
(I'm guessing)
Dear Jon, So glad you captured the snake so cleverly --sort of an enlargement of cup-and-card method I use to introduce spiders to more fulfilling lives outdoors. I have grabbed snakes here, happily recognized as non-venomous, by the backs of their pretty heads, taken them outdoors and gently tested their aerodynamics. I shall use your method for serpents I don't recognize. I learn here!
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful that the snake was near the front door. It made the capture and remove process a lot easier. I learned that there are 32 kinds of snakes here in TN but only 4 are poisonous. I'm very cautious - none of them look very friendly to me.
DeleteI only know one other person who captures and rehabilitates spiders (she lives in Santa Rosa, CA).
SNAKES are SOOO creepy. your kitties were very brave. I'm glad you were able to remove that slithery creature from the house. we had one in our garage and I vowed never to go in there again until it was removed. never saw it leave so i assume its hiding, ready to attack. That door is sealed shut. it poured rain here all last night. so i understand your frustration with the weather. hope the sun comes out shining soon. as for your health and being on the brink. i can relate to that too. i'm not blogging as much or commenting. just struggling to get through each day physically. it's a chore putting one foot in front of another. you have to take it one day at a time, jon. one day at a time. take care.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how they are getting in the house, but it's extremely unnerving. I'm wondering how long it was in here before I finally saw him....? I'm terrified to look through all the junk in the garage.
DeleteI never thought the day would come when I'd have so many scary health issues. I can certainly sympathize with you and relate to your plight. I guess one day at a time is all we can ask for.... take care!
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ReplyDeleteUpdate: This disturbed me so much I sent this blog post to my ex who said without hesitation that it is just a rat snake - non-poisonous. Rat snakes eat rats, mice, birds, squirrels and other snakes. The rat snake is interesting because it can climb trees which is why I tend to look up and not down when I am walking through the deep woods. Rat snakes can't seem to climb down the trees they climb up so they just kind of fling themselves out of them.
ReplyDeleteAnyway they are quite docile after they have eaten and will usually shy away. They are not strong constrictors. My ex has slept with a few around his neck.
All snakes look threatening to me - and I was surprised at how adept they are at climbing. The snake that was in my house two summers ago climbed on the top of a tall bookcase and somehow got onto a painting that was hanging on the wall.
DeleteI can assure you that I'll never sleep with any live reptile around my neck......not while I'm sober, anyway.
OMG, I'd have had a stroke. At least. Thank goodness for your quick thinking with the broom. Glad to read this is a non-venomous variety.
ReplyDeleteMore wine?
It is EXTREMELY disconcerting to see a live reptile in the house. I try to act tough, but in reality I'm just a sissy city boy.
DeleteI had almost forgotten that when I lived in San Angelo TX I found a snake in my kitchen. It was a small snake (fortunately) and fairly easy to evict from the house.
I think you mentioned rain. I think that stirs them up. Most poisonous snakes and ones that are aggressive I understand will go into the strike position and will "lash out" quickly when threatened. But who knows. That happened to a friend of mine and her cat once. the black snake stuck the cat and killed it. Thanks goodness are are well.
ReplyDeleteThat may be your last sign telling you, you need a major life change and move!!!
I'm definitely NOT a country boy at heart. I need plenty of wine and smelling salts (*smile*) to survive. All snakes look threatening to me.
DeleteI discovered that there are only four poisonous snakes in Tennessee, and they are the larger ones, like the copperhead.
It's really scary that the black snake killed your friend's cat!!
Oh HELL no! Holy crap! Good thing you caught that creeper and it did not strike out at you or the cats! We always get garter snakes around our area, but they are NOT poisonous.
ReplyDeleteI think most of the snakes around here are non-poisonous, but they still unnerve me - and I'm always afraid that they might attack the cats.
DeleteI not only had snakes in the house, I've also had two 'possums in the house (a few years ago). Country living isn't for the faint of heart....
he could solve your mouse problem if left in your house
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right - I never thought of that. Strangely enough, I haven't seen any mice around here for over a week....
Deletei am from multiple generations of wv hillbillies. common snake knowledge here is, if you see 1, there is another snake nearby.
Deleteif you see a blacksnake, good chance there are no deadly snakes in the area, allegedly.
great, great, great grandpa 'crazy jake' always kept a rattlesnake in his barn, he said it killed pests. both 2 and 4 legged pests.
Crazy Jake had a lot more courage than I do.....
DeleteI agree with Ron, you didn't even have to call an exterminator. One just showed up in your house. I can't tell very well from the picture, but it may have been a black snake.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandpa and Grandma lived in the country and Grandpa had a great big black snake that he let stay in the attic of their house down in the country. He let it stay to eat mice. From the size of it it must have had a lot of mice to eat. I guess my Grandma preferred one big fat black snake to destructive
mice.
On April fools day one year my husband found a small garden snake on our steps to the basement. He thought I was tricking him for April Fools day. He asked if I had put that rubber snake on the steps and when I said no, things got goofy. If you ever wanted to read about it, I wrote about it on my blog.
I'm glad you posted about your new pet(?).
All snakes look alike to me and I have a hard time telling them apart. I did some research on the Internet (for Tennessee snakes). It could have been a whipsnake or (as a previous comment indicated) a rat snake.
DeleteThere are a LOT of field mice here, so perhaps it's a good thing that the snakes are around.
BTW - I'd like to read about your April Fools snake story.
If you would like to read about my snake adventure. It is on my blog
DeletePersimmon Moon Cottage. I think it will probably come up if you just type in Persimmon Moon Cottage Blog it will take you there. The post was made on April 1, 2015, titled "April Fools Day. Did you put a rubber snake on the steps?
I hope you enjoy it.
I enjoyed your snake story - and it was easy to find in the archive of your blog. It's a good thing that it fell into the paint bucket, otherwise he would have been a permanent resident in your basement! And, who knows, he might have eventually grown to be a huge snake!
DeleteI'm glad the story had a happy ending.
Thanks for taking time to read about the April Fool's snake on my blog that I often take long breaks from posting on.
DeleteI actually like snakes... Possibly because I was one of those"bug kids" (Tho spiders still freak me out from time to time.) As I read the comments, seems about 50/50 like/dislike.( ok, I didn't count the comments, it just seems that way.) Everyone has a snake story.. and I never met an actual poisonous one that was not in a zoo or pet shop or something. Mostly, I try to grab their tail and save them from the cat. BTW cats EAT those things. Ever watch those you tube videos?.. Snake ALWAYS loses to the cat. Makes me feel bad for them... and I'm not much into reptiles anymore.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about snakes. I don't hate them, but I'm not exactly in love with them, either. It's definitely unnerving to find one in the house.
DeleteI never knew that cats always win snake fights. I try to keep my cats away from snakes.
During this latest reptile encounter, my cat Bosco seemed to be aggressive and quite fearless.
The two things that scare me the most are spiders and scorpions. After living in West Texas, I have some hair-raising scorpion stories to tell.
I do not like snakes or any creepy crawlers, outside and certainty not inside. Admittedly, I only saw one snake all our years living in VA in a semi rural area and that was outdoors on the shrubs. We did however have mice in the house so a snake might have solved that issue, but so did a mousetrap. Glad your coiled intruder is gone, hopefully never to re-enter, Jon. Your cat was braver than I wojld have been.
ReplyDeleteIt's really a shocking experience to discover a snake in your house - especially since I know nothing about snakes and have no clue how he got in. The mice are unnerving enough.
DeleteThe novelty of country living is definitely wearing thin, and it has to do with more than just snakes and mice...
Jon,
ReplyDeleteI like snakes but definitely don’t want one living on my house m. Maybe that snake was trying to get back in your house because SHE had babies to feed. I have several snake stories. You just gave me an idea for my next blog entry.
Have a great day!!
Ron
Ron, if I ever found baby snakes in here I think I'll move! I have enough problems. I'll look forward to reading your snake stories. I hope you and Bill are doing okay. Hang in there and take care.
DeleteLooking at those photos I realised I really wouldn't, no I really WOULDN'T, want a snake in my house! Even though they don't freak me out or anything. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be very happy if I couldn't tell if it was poison or not. Here in Britain we don't have any deadly-poisonous snakes and the ones we do have are more scared of humans than we are of them, I think.
ReplyDeleteJenny, NOTHING can prepare you for the shock of finding a snake in the house. It's far beyond unnerving. I learned that there are only four poisonous snakes here in Tennessee - and they are the large ones like the copperhead.
DeleteBut I don't want to take any chances....