Thursday, June 9, 2011

They're Back.........

NO!! Not my patio flowers, Sillies!!!

I'm talking SNAKES!!!!!

I'm generally a nature lover at soul....I like frogs and toads, even though they're kinda slimy....I even respect (most) spiders....
HOWEVER, one thing I do not tolerate is SNAKES!!
And we have a plethora of them!!
No, not itty bitty little tiny garter snakes....or even harmless pretty little garden varieties....
We have huge, honking pine snakes (a/k/a "Western Fox Snakes")....
We've always had a "sighting" or two each year....but, several years back, we put a pool in our backyard.  My DH cleverly landscaped our uneven yard around it with lovely rocks....
And they came.....

(Note....this guy above is a newborn....)

Now we have a hibernaculum I do believe......


(Look close.....he's wrapped all along that rock....)

These guys average around 5' - 6' long....but we've had much, much, larger ones....They often stretch across country roads out here like the traffic flow monitors and you can't see beginning or end.... In fact, a few years back, one stretched from our garage door diagonally across our driveway to the back-around.....I nonchalantly stepped over it....not thinking it could possibly be....but it was.....

Yes, we've tried all sorts of things - decoy owls, moth balls, cement under the rocks, removing the greenery and a majority of the rocks....And they still come back....year after year.....

And it seems, they only come out when I do.....
(And please don't tell me they're more frightened of me than I am of them....SOOOO NOT true!!)

So, if one fine summer day you think to yourself that you have not heard from TheCrankyCrow in a while, you just might know what happened.....

:o



13 comments:

Robin at The Primitive Hutch said...

Oh my gosh the invasion of the snakes ~ YUK!!
We get some snakes in our yard when the creek behind our house runs dry. Maybe you should call Billy the Exterminater!!!
Good Luck!
Blessings
Robin

Traci~Moon Gypsy said...

Holy Smokes, I am right there with you in the NOT LIKING SNAKES department. And yours are sooo big, yikes, I wouldn't go outside!

Last year we had a pair of Brown Snakes, first snakes I had seen on the property in 13 years.

We have to keep an eye out for Rattlesnakes around here, mostly in the woods where the beloved giant rocks are. They used to hunt them about 1 mile away...

No, no, no snakes for me...

Traci

The Moonlit Stitch said...

The only thing that will stop them from coming back is a shovel to the head. I've noticed more snake activity here too, Robin, but we have nothing like that! Where's Billy the Exterminator when you need him?!? ~*~Lisa

Beckyjean said...

Oh my!! I think no matter how good that rock landscaping looked, I'd be pulling it out (or moving). Snakes~ Eewww!!

Enjoy your weekend~Becky

Rugs and Pugs said...

Robin ~
Now you know I don't mind snakes, but they've gotta be little ones. I would NOT like the ones you have!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Kim said...

Ewwww, ewwww, ewwwww. Not to be competitive but I think I would have a heart attack and going outside.....I don't think so!! OMG. Those are huge. They could eat Millie

jennifer768 said...

Dang it ,that is a huge snake !!!!Don't really mind smaller snakes but I would not like finding that in my yard.I think that the pool would have to go . Hugs and please be careful where you step !Jen

Unknown said...

I do not like snakes. Ok, now I itch...lol!

Anonymous said...

We have snakes at our place too. All kinds of them seem to be drawn to our ponds. I see some at the woods too.
My husband likes to catch them and won't let me kill any of them.
He will bring one in the house to show me. He did this just last week. He was standing in the kitchen and asked me to come see what he found.
He was holding a 4 foot snake he found at the pond. A water snake possibly. I made him take it back where he found it.
I hope none of them come up to the house. I may have to get the hoe out.
Hope you stay safe with the ones you have slithering around.
Tamera
Country at heart

Carol Stuck said...

OM Goodness!!! Snakes are one thing I can't handle. Doesn't matter what size or kind. That is truly a scarey situation to find yourself in. I wonder if there is anyone out there that knows how to remedy the situation. I am an avid gardener during the summer and I am afraid I would find myself looking at the garden from inside if I knew there were snakes in the yard.


Hope you can find some way to get rid of the critters so you can enjoy the great outdoors again.

hugs and smiles,
Carol

Raymond Homestead said...

Oh my gosh! I would totally come unglued if I went outside and saw one of those. I hope you find a way to get rid of them!!!!!!!!!!!

prims by olde lady morgan said...

UGH!!! I think I just had a heart attack just seeing the pictures... In the words on Indiana Jones... There is nothing I hate more then snakes. around here there are only garnder snakes, BUT I will run for hills!!! Are they posioness? OLM

Primitive Palace said...

Oohh, Im feeling for you. I dont like snakes. I would be on the watch all the time. YOur blog is beautiful. Love all the goodies.