Wildlife Adventures
Dearest,
Saturday I was in the process of putting the garden hose out and I got to the point of turning on the outside faucet, down in the cellar. As I walked toward the plumbing I noticed a puddle of water on the floor, something was leaking. The water heater and the dehumidifier are, as you know, right next to each other. I got the flashlight and was peering under the water heater but I couldn’t see anything so, I went to move the dehumidifier, as I reached for it something on top moved, MOVED??!! YAHH!! Is That A Snake?!?!?! In the basement?? REALLY? I of course jumped 3 feet. After a few moments I got my heart back down in my chest. I’m thinking. What kind of snake am I dealing with here? Looks pretty harmless but I don’t like that diamond pattern on it’s back. Four foot long, too big for a juvenile. Well better safe than sorry. Grabbed a five gallon pail and my snake stick. When I get back the critter is trying to climb the wall. I place the pail under it and try to knock him into it, missed it completely of course. So I pick him up with the snake hook and drop him in the bucket. Carry him out side and turn him loose. He doesn’t move. I can’t have him hanging out right in front of the cellar door so, I try to move him with the snake stick. He gets all hostile and aggressive now attacking the snake stick. That’s it, too much, I go to fetch the snake book. When I return the critter is gone, naturally. Going through the book I find that he was a northern water snake. Makes sense, water snakes are usually aggressive. Still I don’t need to get bitten by one, yes they have teeth, no poison but their saliva is an anti-coagulant. Doesn’t belong in my basement in any case and was really pushing his luck getting tough with me, want to spend the rest of your life in a cage tough guy? WHEW!!
The mocking birds built a new nest in the exact same place as last year, in your tree. They have four eggs now. PaPa is just cruising around watching me work, MaMa is so used to me that she doesn’t even holler at me anymore. Imagine that! A female that doesn’t yell at me. If they spot that water snake there will be a scene!
Your purple coneflowers are coming up everywhere. I am working on the gardens as I can. The daffodils did really well this year, the tulips, not so much. The tea roses made it! The Lantana appears to have made it through too.
The grapefruit tree finally ended my agonizing about whether and which grapefruit to pick and dropped one on the floor. So I ate it! It was good! I am stunned! Never had home-grown grapefruit in New York State before!
Violets are everywhere, I don’t have the heart to mow them but, soon I’ll be forced to.
Till the wind stops blowing, Your Ken
Saturday I was in the process of putting the garden hose out and I got to the point of turning on the outside faucet, down in the cellar. As I walked toward the plumbing I noticed a puddle of water on the floor, something was leaking. The water heater and the dehumidifier are, as you know, right next to each other. I got the flashlight and was peering under the water heater but I couldn’t see anything so, I went to move the dehumidifier, as I reached for it something on top moved, MOVED??!! YAHH!! Is That A Snake?!?!?! In the basement?? REALLY? I of course jumped 3 feet. After a few moments I got my heart back down in my chest. I’m thinking. What kind of snake am I dealing with here? Looks pretty harmless but I don’t like that diamond pattern on it’s back. Four foot long, too big for a juvenile. Well better safe than sorry. Grabbed a five gallon pail and my snake stick. When I get back the critter is trying to climb the wall. I place the pail under it and try to knock him into it, missed it completely of course. So I pick him up with the snake hook and drop him in the bucket. Carry him out side and turn him loose. He doesn’t move. I can’t have him hanging out right in front of the cellar door so, I try to move him with the snake stick. He gets all hostile and aggressive now attacking the snake stick. That’s it, too much, I go to fetch the snake book. When I return the critter is gone, naturally. Going through the book I find that he was a northern water snake. Makes sense, water snakes are usually aggressive. Still I don’t need to get bitten by one, yes they have teeth, no poison but their saliva is an anti-coagulant. Doesn’t belong in my basement in any case and was really pushing his luck getting tough with me, want to spend the rest of your life in a cage tough guy? WHEW!!
The mocking birds built a new nest in the exact same place as last year, in your tree. They have four eggs now. PaPa is just cruising around watching me work, MaMa is so used to me that she doesn’t even holler at me anymore. Imagine that! A female that doesn’t yell at me. If they spot that water snake there will be a scene!
Your purple coneflowers are coming up everywhere. I am working on the gardens as I can. The daffodils did really well this year, the tulips, not so much. The tea roses made it! The Lantana appears to have made it through too.
The grapefruit tree finally ended my agonizing about whether and which grapefruit to pick and dropped one on the floor. So I ate it! It was good! I am stunned! Never had home-grown grapefruit in New York State before!
Violets are everywhere, I don’t have the heart to mow them but, soon I’ll be forced to.
Till the wind stops blowing, Your Ken
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