Tuesday, September 23rd 2008
Last Friday, my plan was to attack the garden. It was a nice, cool day and Fall was right around the corner. I had tulip bulbs to plant and weeds to pluck… and my nerve gathered. Why would I be afraid of one of my favorite hobbies? I’ll show you.
A few weeks ago, I saw this all too lengthy critter sunning himself on the rocks and have boycotted the area ever since. Luckily, I was inside when I spotted him or I think I would have bitten the mulch right then and there.
Need a closer look?
As I said, it had been weeks since I spied his scaliness so I figured it was time to get back on the horse or whatever and face my weedy eden. With gloves and boots on, just in case, I went about my work.
All was well until I turned from where I was working and spotted a giant, gaping hole in the earth. The sun got brighter and the trees around me began to spin. In my mind, I pictured millions and millions of snake families living together in that pit plotting a way inside my house.
I’m not sure how long I stood there frozen but I remember what snapped me out of it. I heard a noise that sounded like a bird dying coming from somewhere close by. Very close. Like from me.
At that point, I turned on my heels and ran quickly back inside my kitchen. Once I determined that I was safe and that there were no snakes on my back or crawling up my legs, I decided that the weeds could win this year. I’m not brave enough for this shit.
That’s what you would have done, right?
If you need further evidence of my lack of maturity, I have a post up at DC Metro Moms today which highlights that very topic. If you’d like to know how to be a 35 year old or if you have tips on behaving like one, please stop by.
Clearly, I need help.
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Well, you´ll be happy to know that SirSlithersALot is a harmless garter snake and will likely help with any possible mouse or rat problem when he gets older. That doesn´t change the fact though that he is scaly and therefor is deserving of shrieks.
At the beginning of summer, I was tending to some weeds while the dog took care of business before bed. I saw a little snake and totally freaked out since I thought the head was spade shaped (indicating venomous). After waking up the big guy and bringing him outside to dispose of it, he determined the guy was harmless. I then saw him eat a slug, and really, how can you hate anything that eats slugs: the bane of my garden? So I let him live and thankfully never saw him again. The big guy now thinks I´m insane, but I don´t think that´s anything new.
SHUDDER. Ick. That beats my post about the spiders. If it was a snake, I’da ran inside too. And then (of course) blogged about it.
He’s more afraid of You then you are of him! To him you are a noisey Giant, who could (and probably would) crush him! He’s Harmless and if you put a stick near him, he will slither away. It’s O.K. to have Issues, as long as you don’t let them ruin your Life or your enjoyment of it.
You haven’t lived untill you’ve seen a 2-foot one inside your house. Or a 3-foot one slither across your driveway. California’s got some BIG snakes.
p.s. - I think the hole is from rats.
Oh my gosh. I don’t blame you. Let the garden grow wild for all we care… Snakes must be avoided at all costs. Harmless? Yeah, right.
Do you know how to easily identify a poisonous snake?
It’s all in the shape of the head. Seriously … if it’s a diamond shape head - run. It IS poisonous.
Anything else? You’ll be fine. Even if it DOES bite you … which it won’t unless you startle it and chances are it will still run away anyways.
The hole? NOT from a snake. A mole perhaps. Ground owls. But snake? Nope.
Just an FYI. And, btw, snakes LOVE LOVE LOVE rock gardens. That’s where they’d rather be more than anywhere else. Laying under a rock in the hot sun or on top of a rock trying to warm up in the cool, cool mornings.
I’m not trying to tell you to get rid of the rocks. Not for that itty-bitty snake. (No, I’m not making fun of you!)
aawww, he is cute. He is just a garter snake. They are really harmless. I probably would have just waited too. Even though I know they are harmless I prefer not being near them.
While the snake may be cute and all, I would absolutely be joining you inside and letting the weeds take over my yard. And every time I venture outside, I’d worry about where one might be lurking!
You know that snake is like smaller than a worm, right? lol
That is not a snake. That is a large earthworm. At least where I am from. I have killed a rattlesnake by myself, hear me roar.
My mom used to say “Snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them.”
I almost gave up commenting because I couldn’t figure out how to do it anymore. Either I am lame or your system is too hard.
Dude. That’s EXACTLY what I would have done.
I love snakes. But not at my house.
Snakes don’t bother me, I haven’t seen one in years, but that hole looks like a gopher hole. I have some of them in my yard as I right this.
You did the right thing when you ran in the house after the snake sighting. The only thing you did wrong was not having the house put up for sale immediately.
I simply could not share breathing space with a snake. Yeah, it was just a little one but you know full well that mom, dad and probably grandpa are around there somewhere.
I say we should both move to Hawaii. There are no snakes in Hawaii. That is why they call it paradise as far as I’m concerned.
My husband tells me that chipmunks go into the holes like that that’re in my yard. I am suspect - do chipmunks really burrow into the ground? Because like you, after I discovered a snake in the back yard, I am picturing GIANT PYTHONS slithering in and out of those holes. GAH!
That little guy, though? He won’t hurt ya. Probably.
OK…I’m done laughing …to the point, I almost peed in my panties! Not so much at you…but myself…. I had a VERY similiar reaction some time ago. I don’t care how big/little snakes are, you won’t find me near them! Especially the one Lisa sent a picture of a few days ago…I about died!
Um, Kimberly. I like to think of you as the sturdy, confident and feisty good sport that you are but this post? You silly. As the official snake handler at Lincoln Park Zoo, I’m here to tell you that snakes are your friends. This baby garter snake is one of the best residents you can have in your garden- plus he’s beautiful! C’mon back to Chicago and we’ll do a little one-on-one phobia treatment. Goof.
That is exactly what I *did*. I saw a snake in the planters by my pool about seven YEARS ago and haven’t been near them since.
Just a tip on the garter snake–I have no idea whether they live in holes, but I do know they like to hide under things. So if you have a brushpile somewhere or a wheelbarrow turned over, you might want to have someone else check there.
I love snakes, but I hate spiders. My neighbor, however, just freezes up when she sees a snake.
I wonder where this stuff comes from. My mother was afraid of spiders, so I’m sure I got that from her, but she also hated thunderstorms, and I love them.