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Showing posts with label Pests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pests. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

# 528 - Snakes Eating our Eggs & Say Your Prayers!

Needing to catch up with my posts.

One day, about three weeks ago, Sgt. Dave was in the barn and noticed a MacDaddy Rat Snake curled up in the barn.


A humorous turn of events would soon follow.

After he finds the snake, he comes inside to tell me about it so that I can go check it out. The truth is, I did not feel comfortable with the snake in the barn. I either wanted to dispose of it with a bullet or catch it, then release it at some point further from the home-site.


Yes, I got all the lectures about how these snakes are great for rodent control and so forth, but the chicken coop was about 300 feet away from the barn, and I told Sgt. Dave that I did not feel comfortable with the thought of that snake making it to the coop.

Sgt. Dave got testy with me. "The snake is staying," he said.

"Hey, but I have to go to the coop during the day by myself, if I KNOW a huge rat snake is lurking in the area, I don't want to take a chance for it to be in the zone where I must go every day," I tried to reason with him.

What does he tell me?

"You are being dramatic. That snake is far enough away to not be a problem, don't be ridiculous," he tells me.

Well, THAT was rude!

At this point, I must tell you that, initially, I felt as if my head were filling with red anger, so I decided to go inside and calm down with actual prayers for God to give me peace over the freakin snake issue.

So, I went inside and did exactly that...I prayed. As I sat there in the zone, laying the words the husband said about me being "dramatic" over the huge snake nearby at God's feet, I got this clear message that I can only describe as being divine that said, "Don't worry, you need to laugh because the drama is about to be his, not yours...he will be the one to confront the snake, relax."

I don't like the eggs being scavenged by slick bellied creatures.

Honestly, this is one of the times when I received an immediate, clear message to reassure me that everything would be okay, but with specific details. Yes, details.

After a while, I went back outside, feeling rather happy, in a warped way...as if God and I were sharing this private, massive joke in a good humored kind of manner.

Sgt. Dave walked over and said, "We can go catch that snake that's in the barn."

With peace, I responded, "No, it's okay." I was smiling and Sgt. Dave is looking confused. So, I just shared the truth, "I said my prayers about it and have been reassured by the Almighty that things will be just fine because I will be protected, the worries I had about coming against a snake at the coop will not be for ME to worry about, it is going to be YOUR problem, so I don't have to be dramatic about it."

Big eye roll from Sgt. Dave, as if he highly doubted that I had literally prayed and received this message.

I had a complete sense of calm and faith enveloping me, but I was ready for what was about to happen, after all, I had been given a preview.

The weird story continues...

And guess what happened? Within 30 minutes of this conversation, Sgt. Dave was checking for eggs in the coop and in one of the nests, a nice-sized rat snake over FIVE FEET in length came slithering up from the hay.

And guess who suddenly got dramatic?


Can you imagine how I felt privy to the scene BEFORE it happened and that since I had flat out TOLD him what was going to happen, it was even more hysterical!

I think the ordeal creeped Sgt. Dave out, a lot. I think that being in the country, in more solitude, has put me in better touch to listen, but I also LOVE God's sense of humor.

Sgt. Dave suddenly had NO HESITATION about running for the .22 rifle with the scope, to take position outside of the coop with the bullet ready to fly through the coop itself to shoot the snake.

It was creepy.


Two big rat snakes within 30 minutes of each other in the residential area was not pleasant.

 

I reminded him that the entire moment of divinity over this snake issue was not with malice, it was with good humor for a good lesson. My concern had been valid, especially since the coop is now enclosed in a fenced-in area that makes it a lot more difficult to run for an escape at the sight of a snake.

And the chickens got to enjoy some revenge.



Show and tell goes further to demonstrate these snakes can get quite a few eggs in their belly.



I don't know if I will ever have a moment like this again, but lately, it seems that the Lord is truly hearing me and creating some consequences and events on my behalf that is uncanny. God is cool like that, He really is. I can vouch that it is better to be a friend of God, to be the one laughing WITH Him than being the one taught a lesson that can only be laughed about at a later time.

:-) I will keep saying my prayers.

Monday, May 12, 2014

# 512 - A Copperhead Kind of Day

For the past few days, I've not felt very well, so my stamina and abilities are low. I am trying to get through this bout of being sick, but it is so hard to rest when your yard beckons you to come work, garden, play, and be free!

May 2014
So, it was a great that last week we were able to spend a lot of time outside getting things accomplished.

At one point, I was working in an area that had inadvertently become a landing zone for a bunch of stuff, and it was looking crappy. So, Sgt. Dave agreed to work with me in the area that lay between our RV and the barn and shed. The weeds had grown thick among the trees in this area that also held two kayaks laying against a tree, old fishing equipment, and pieces of wood and a few bricks.
We began moving everything.

Here is the area where we were working---area with trees.

Then, since I could not fit the lawn tractor through much of this area, I wanted the area weed-eated. First, I had to go move the old boards that were laying across the top of the septic tank lid and remove old bricks that had piled up next to the boards.

Since I am too comfortable on the land, I was walking around in my summer clothes...wearing my comfortable flip flops and fabric gloves to keep my hands from getting filthy.

However, before moving the boards and bricks, I noticed the wild blackberry vines tangled with plenty of ripe blackberries ready to be picked. Aware that snakes love blackberries, I began to carefully pull the leaves aside to find the ripest berries closest to the ground. Within ten minutes, I had a handful of berries to bring inside.

Then, back outside I went to finish cleaning up the area.


I lifted old boards off the top of the covered septic tank, carefully, keeping an eye on my surroundings. Everything went great; I worked steady and took my time...clearing the entire area so it could get a beauty treatment!

As soon as I walked away with my last bit of debris, Sgt. Dave had perfect timing and stepped over to use the weed-eater to slice through the mess of thorny blackberry vines.

Since this area is so close to the RV's (both ours and Heather's), I was glad that it was finally hitting our list of priorities.


However, within the first couple of minutes of his weed-whacking...Sgt. Dave let out a loud, "Augghhh!"

I stopped what I was doing, even though I could not see him, I knew that sound was not a good one. The weed-eater stopped. And I peered around the corner at him and asked, "What's up?"

Then, I noticed he was walking with a snake to the burn pit. I ran to get my camera, of course. Taking photos, I initially thought the snake to be a Rattlesnake that was shedding, especially since we have several varieties out here.


Turns out, it is a Copperhead. One of the first I have seen, in person.

Then, he tells me that he killed the snake with the weed-eater in the exact same spot where I had been spending the last hour...picking berries, picking up bricks and clearing out old wood.


I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a lump in my throat. Looking at the dead snake, I knew that I probably would not have seen it because of it's camouflaging markings. Sgt. Dave said he only saw the snake because it was moving, coming at him. Copperheads are very aggressive.

Needless to say, the Copperhead lost its battle with the weed-eater.

And for everyone out there in blog land...I hope you found a reason to celebrate the wonderful moms in your life. As for me, I was spoiled by Sgt. Dave all day long and given beautiful tributes by my daughters. Sgt. Dave made me a great dinner of grilled Wild Salmon, Lobster Bisque and green beans with Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert. And, I loved the beautiful roses he bought for me, too.


Life is filled with good and bad. But, the days that smell like roses sure are wonderful!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

# 502 - Sad - Predator Visit

Well, I recently wrote a post about the raccoon Sgt. Dave trapped. We soft hearted types let it go. But, we live on acreage adjoining the Big Thicket Preserve, so we have more than an abundance of wild-life out here.

I am sad today because I had five chickens and four of them have been killed by some predator. I cannot believe we had a near-wipe-out slaughter episode because we've lived here for over eight months in the country, with the chickens free-ranging, and they have survived. Only one made a complete disappearance, which took my number of chickens from six to five. And the locals said my chickens wouldn't survive the first week out here because of abundant wild-life.

However, today, I came back onto the property to drive up to a farm-horror-scene. Clearly, my chickens had been slaughtered. I immediately could tell that something VERY WRONG had happened. My heart has sunk to my feet.

I was by myself...well...and with my three dogs in the truck. After seeing the carnage upon driving up, I could not even park the right way. I just pulled further in and jumped out of the truck, then began running around to see what had happened, and if, by some miracle, any chickens needed help.

And you should have seen me, the closest weapon I had at that moment was a golf putting club and I had it ready to wield with fury.

But, it was too late.

Feathers were in huge piles, here and there, clearly signs of a struggle. One pile appears to be an area where the entire chicken was torn apart and dined upon for quite a while. My favorite chicken that I hand feed almost daily, Beaker, is gone and her dark feathers with soft downy feathers are left behind.


The worse part is that some of the feathers were gross with bits of raw gunk on them and the puppy, Gracie, began to eat the feathers...until she got into MAJOR trouble, then she stopped, immediately. That's the last thing I need, for the dogs to think the plucked feathers taste good.

My Aussie, Howdy, is extremely protective of the chickens and I always refer to the chickens as his "BABIES!" And he is in tune, highly, with their various sounds of clucking, from soft happy sounds that have Howdy relaxing with a doggie grin, to their screams of distress that has him jumping any hurdle and knocking down anything in his path to get to his babies.

Even if we are watching tv and a show comes on with chickens in the scene, he jumps up in a panic and won't let up until we allow him to go check out the real chickens.

So, Howdy was racing from one area to the next, jumping the creek, running and running as he searched for the chickens. He was COVERED in mud. He knows their smell. He always goes up behind the chickens to sniff, as if it is his mental "count" of the hens. But, he couldn't find them.

Liyla, our old dog, just stood in one of the big pile of feathers and kept sniffing and looking up, as if to say she knew things weren't right.

And I walked and walked around the land, truly ready to shoot the predator with a .22 rifle.

For over two hours, I walked. I didn't want to give up. I went back and got chicken feed in a cup and walked the same areas while shaking the container, which is a proven method to get my chickens to come running, while knowing I was probably going to come across pieces and bits of my chickens instead of finding them alive.

Regardless, I was going to bury any remains that I found. But, there wasn't enough left to bury.

However, imagine my shock as the one remaining chicken began to literally RUN toward me, as if she were going to fly into my arms. I was so happy to see her. She walked with me through acres of land, staying by my side. Actually, she ran out to me as soon as I got out of the truck and began to inspect the first piles of obvious violence.

She was by herself. None of the other chickens were running behind her, as is usual.

Tonight, it was sad to see that one chicken in the coop by herself because she'd normally be tucked among four other big feathered friends.

All of this has prompted us to know the chicken coop will need to be given priority and a re-design to accommodate the new batch of chicks we are about to adopt for the farm. I can promise you that I am going to sorely miss all the beautiful eggs we were able to pull out of the coop every day. The one chicken remaining will probably give us one egg per day. One golden egg per day.

However, I do believe that the chicken-killing-predator has learned that a feast is waiting at this location and it WILL be back. Whether it is raccoon, fox, rogue dogs or whatever...it will be eager to fill up again.

I'm not kidding, I'm ready to sit in sniper-position outside, waiting patiently with my rifle for a return attempt so I can knock off the killer. For those of you who are regular readers, you know I am patient and determined enough to do such a thing.

The first experience with letting the trapped raccoon be free has been a hard learned lesson of the wrong thing to do and the wrong method of doing it. I am glad to have blog buddies who spoke up loud and clear...trying to warn me. I had already made the first mistake; however, there's no telling what attacked the chickens. I have also heard a LOT of shooting around the property, which means a hunting crew with hunting dogs could have POSSIBLY come through our property by mistake. I would hope that a responsible hunter would have left us a note and reimbursed us for our loss, which is what I would do if my dog caused any kind of property damage for someone else.

And I know that we will be getting more wildlife and security cameras in place so that there will not be any more mysteries about these things. I never thought about putting one up to monitor the chicken coop, but that is next.

As for the raccoon we had trapped, I now am reconciling the fact that releasing a prowling predator is not a smart decision. On a farm, in the country, the wildlife must be battled so that the livestock can survive or we must drive a far distance to release the wildlife so it won't be able to easily find its way back to a farm feast.

For now, I am grateful for my blessings, but feeling really down about having my little flocked nearly wiped out, save for one little hen that somehow survived. I think I will rename her, "Survivor."

And I will start over.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

# 501 - Raccoon Visit - Caught in the Trap

Man, I am far behind in my posts! I am trying to catch up, so I'll be hitting the posts heavy.

We had bought a trap set at the local Tractor Supply store and after setting it every night, we were pleased to soon discover a raccoon in the trap. Perhaps this raccoon was a small female, not yet grown, but very observant.

Truthfully, she was pretty darn cute with that mask-like appearance circling big brown eyes. But, she had to GO, and I was hoping she would run far away, but I doubt it. I don't want her hanging around here because she'll likely come back for my chickens


The little raccoon was rather docile, up until the part when Sgt. Dave's fingers got too close to the top of the cage. I have that moment on video. Otherwise, she kept an inquisitive expression.


Of course, our youngest daughter, Stefie, wants us to keep every creature we find. If we did, soon we would be opening our own wild life park. And our oldest daughter, Heather, is very involved with abused, neglected animals, but I think she knows this raccoon belongs in the country as a WILD creature!


To be honest, this raccoon's small size saved her life. Sgt. Dave said that her fur pelt did not have enough fur to cover his big head. I agreed.


The dogs were extremely curious, but we kept them at a distance...giving them enough room to get a look at her as she began the nasty hissing with arms reaching out of cage to scratch and attack. No, that's no so cute.


But, I am so fascinated by the unique appearance, intelligence and scavenger abilities of a raccoon. It's interesting that they usually stand at some body of water while eating so they can constantly wash their food as they eat it. I guess they are the OCD critter of the forest.

These Bandit-Masked Raccoons can get to about 23 pounds and they usually live 2-3 years in the wild. This little gal probably finds a lot of her food in the creek; she omnivorous and that means she's a mammal that will eat just about anything, including meat. But, most of her diet is likely to be frogs, insects, mice, and raccoons love to raid nests...yikes for my chickens!

As a side note...in watching the video, you see how fantastic it is for me to tackle a task with Sgt. Dave nearby...I try to video the raccoon and Sgt. Dave continuously puts himself in front of my camera action. Blah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPVPOmUlh4&feature=sharenoembed&list=UUoaSSiZFXLv3-gLeGBvODvQ&index=1

I joked with Sgt. Dave that his bait of the raccoon traps with cat treats has probably taught this little raccoon gal a lesson on traps. I wouldn't be surprised if we woke up to find her in the trap again in the morning, her tummy full of cat treats.

What will be next? A skunk?

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

# 486 - Mange = "No-Fun" Farm-Life Lesson

Yesterday was one of those days where you rush to one obligation, then rush to the next, and so on x20, throughout the entire day. The stinky part was that some of our appointments were in the Houston area, so that added another three hour round trip to our already hectic travels.

By the way, as we get closer to home, this is our beautiful view. Coming home feels more like going on vacation!

 
 
The new puppy that found it's way to our property last week has now been to her first trip to the vet. We arrived to find our veterinarian in the back with a herd of cattle, tagging ears and doing multiple things which caused one young bull to put up such a fight and issue mean snorts and loud noises that I ran back inside.
 
 
Gracie did not mind waiting. And yes, Sgt. Dave is a DIE-HARD Texans fan.
 
 
Living in the country is a much different lifestyle than city life. I do mourn the loss of some city life luxuries, but that's for another post on another day. For now, we're staying on track with the puppy visit to the vet.

The vet was amused when I asked, "Do you know what kind of breed might this puppy be?"
 
The vet looked at me and said, "Dog."
 
 
Actually, the staff thought the puppy looked to be part Aussie/Collie and she must be part Labrador because she has webbed feet. Gracie got two shots and she didn't even make a sound or move an inch.
 
However, imagine my horror after a skin test came back positive for MANGE! Mites!
 
WHAT???? I AM 45 YEARS OLD AND HAVE HAD DOGS MY ENTIRE LIFE WHILE LIVING IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS KIND OF A "MYTHICAL" CONDITION THAT NO LONGER EXISTS!!! NO ONE IN HOUSTON SEES THEIR DOGS WITH "THE MANGE!"
 
Okay, let me respond "appropriately." Oh my, this poor, poor baby. Her scratching has been terrible and painful; she is my only concern. Well, now I am feeling a tad like Obama must feel as my nose grows longer by the moment.
 
 
So, I learned there are two different kinds of mange seen more frequently in the country: Red Mange and Sarcoptic Mange. She has Sarcoptic, which is high contagious and transmits to people, but then it is called, "SCABIES."
 
Oh joy.
 
Immediately, while standing in front of the vet and his staff, I began to feel a severe case of itching. I began pulling up my sleeves for the vet to inspect my arms, and I pointed to red bumps for the Doc to inspect. Yes, he knows I am from the city.
 
He had the dry humor to say, "Don't scratch and it should resolve itself within ten days because the dog is going to be cured and that means YOU'LL be cured."
 
Of course, I'm picturing these microscopic critters. I am totally freaking out and can now feel the  bugs crawling under my skin. Later, I would give myself a napalm shower with NO cold water added, thinking it will "help."
 
The vet then gave us a history about the old saying, "Seven Year Itch." He said it came from a time when people slept with their dogs, and very often, the dogs had Sarcoptic Mange, which gave people Scabies, so the people would have horrible itching. The dogs lived, on average, for seven years. After approximately seven years, the dog died and the itching stopped. So, they were finished with their "Seven Year Itch."
 
He told me to be thankful that any itching would not take place for seven years, continually.
 
Thanks.
 
Then, he said, "Welcome to the country."
 
 
My best-friend from Houston, a nursing student, told me that we can't see each other this month because "Scabies is awful, and you can't be picking up mangy dogs in the country."
 
I didn't want to catch the mange or get scabies --- I promise! Now, I officially have COOTIES!
 
This little puppy has cost us a LOT of money. Now, we are also having to treat our other two dogs and the medication was $100. which is called "Advantage Multi for Dogs" and it treats heartworms, fleas, hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm," but supposedly treats the mites that cause Sarcoptic Mange as well. There are multiple treatments in one box, so it will last us quite a while. I think I will start checking out some of these meds at the feed store because they'll be at a reduced price.  
 
I've had to refrain from giving myself a dose of the dog's medicine.
 
As for the feed store, that was one of our trips yesterday...dog food, chicken crumble and scratch.
 
 
I love going to the feed store. It's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna find!
 
 
And lastly, my old gal, Liyla was feeling a bit sad about the puppy getting attention. Liyla NEVER tries to sit in my lap, but I often sit on the ground with her and she'll lay her head in my lap. However, since we found the puppy, she actually came over to me and CRAWLED into my lap.
 
I had to arrange the ottoman next to us so she would fit across me. I had forgotten how BIG she really is...she's such a sweetheart that I never think of her as a "big" dog.
 
My old girl Liyla was feeling a bit dejected because of the puppy, so she did a rare thing...crawled into my lap. Such a sweet dog. I love her, but had forgotten how big she is! Regardless, I would never turn her away...my BIG baby!
 
However, today, the puppy got into BIG TROUBLE because she tried to use the ottoman as a chew toy. She would not "drop it" so I gave her a LIGHT pop on the snout to FORCE her to release the ottoman, and you would have thought I was the most evil human being on the earth because she actually got her feelings hurt. Yep, she's part Aussie.
 
Usually, my big girl Lilya won't let the puppy get too close to her, but after puppy got into trouble, she RAN straight to Liyla as she whined, and Liyla let the puppy lay on her, as if she knew what it was like to be in trouble at that age.
 
By the afternoon, Liyla had transformed from this week of "no contact" rules to this...
 
 
And Howdy has gone from a week of being like this...
 
 
to this today...
 
 
Good Grief!
 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

# 473 - Oh Where or Where is My Chicken?

This past May, we moved to our acreage in the country. We brought our six backyard chickens with us to the country. Yes, we had lived in the Greater Houston area and had chickens in our city backyard for over three years.

However, we had adopted two chicks a couple of Easters ago, after we rescued them from doomed lives as discarded pet Easter chicks.

We took them in after a family friend found the duo wandering into their garage.

And after we made the big move to the country, many locals told us that our chickens would not last the first week as free-ranging chickens in this area of the Big Thicket.


For almost four months, our chickens have happily survived living free. They seem to be defying the odds that the locals warned us would occur with their imminent demise.

Perhaps they've lasted this long because the chickens mainly stay near the home-site which is also the same territory that belongs to our two large dogs.

So, all my hens have been doing great for the past few months. They are healthy gals. We let them out of the coop in the early morning and they put themselves back up at night for us to lock the door behind them.

However, this past week, one of the rescued Easter chicks suddenly disappeared. No sign of her being kidnapped or being torn to shreds in this area, but she is gone.

My great-laying hen that has disappeared.

I was sad, especially to not know what happened to her --- I figure a predator of some sort was able to whisk her away. The mental images I have explored regarding her disappearance has not been pretty.

Hawk? Really big snake? Fox? Raccoon? Stray dog?

And then, two days ago, Sgt. Dave was working near the RV-Future Home-Site and he is standing near a piece of property adjoining our land that has just been cut to harvest and bale hay, and there, on the other side of our forested land was a Coyote. Soon, it dashed toward the other side of our acreage.

Our chickens scratching for goodies in the woods next to
the home-site.

I don't like Coyotes.

Mostly, I worry that any predator might think this land is similar to a MacDonald's drive-through and will make a return visit for more chicken goodness. We will have to see how this year goes with our chickens. If there are too many issues with letting the chickens free-range, we might have to make some changes.

For now, the chickens spend a majority of their time dirt-bathing under the RV, so I hope they will be close enough for us or for our two large dogs to hear of any distress calls.

Liyla is a fantastic guard dog.

Howdy the Aussie is definitely in-tune to the different sounds that the chickens make and if he hears any distress screeching, he is running for the door with his, "LET ME OUT OF HERE bark and grumbling sounds."


Howdy has scared quite a few critters away from the chicken coop and from the RV that serves as a temporary residence.

Howdy and Liyla, shot taken this past Spring, just
before we moved to our acreage full-time.

And we are always at the ready with some kind of weapon, just in case any critter decides to take on our dogs.


Anyway, I'm down to five laying hens.

Come Spring, we will be getting some more chicks. I'm thinking a few meat chicks, strictly for processing. Well, we'll buy our first batch of meat chicks only if we have enough room to store frozen meat. Right now, we're living with a tiny RV refrigerator/freezer unit.

Also, in the Spring, we'll get some more chicks to help re-populate our laying hens. If we happen to get an accidental rooster or two, we will keep the most useful one and will isolate the rooster with a few select rotated hens to get busy re-populating the hen-house.

I don't think we want our rooster to roam free. I'm not sure. I don't mind the cock-a-doodle-do moments, but don't want my regular free-range laying hens to mingle with the rooster. I prefer non-fertilized-embryo-free eggs for breakfast.


I'm sure we'll keep learning as we go along in this farming adventure --- I had two good roosters in my city backyard, once upon a time, so it might work out again. This time, we won't have to worry about their morning crowing bothering a neighbor.

For the moment, I'm hoping my five remaining chickens will make it through the Fall, Winter and Spring so that our new chicks can grow and have time to become good egg-laying hens. The old gals can teach the new girls how things work around here.

Regardless, these past few years of having fresh eggs at the collection-ready have me spoiled. No more grocery store eggs for me.

Friday, August 2, 2013

# 461 - Cottonmouth in the Coop

This morning, Sgt. Dave went to open the door to the chicken coop and saw all six chickens running around in the chicken run instead of hovering at the back door of the coop, as is their usual routine.

As he approached, one chicken began screeching a distress call, so he knew something was wrong.

He opened the back door of the chicken coop and found a large snake tightly coiled in the middle of the coop.


As you can imagine, he was not happy. I was still half-way asleep, half-way awake and could hear his noises that meant there was something he'd come across that was giving him the weebie-jeebies.

Here is an extremely short video of the snake in coop with chickens trapped.

http://youtu.be/KdwlDJcic90

He had his 9mm on his hip and I'm surprised he didn't use it, but he instead ran back into the RV and grabbed the .22 we keep at the ready, then he went back to the coop and found the snake was raising its head at him while standing its ground. Cottonmouths do that.

Not only will a Cottonmouth stand its ground, it will pursue you. This one won't be harassing us or the chickens any longer.


Fortunately, the .22 took care of the chickens' reason for distress. And knowing this snake was lurking so close to the RV makes me shudder. EEEEWWWW!!

But, this is part of living in the country, in the woods.

We measured the snake and it is 63 inches long, my height. In fact it was five foot, three inches and a quarter long. So, that means the snake is one-quarter longer than ME!

Unlike a rat snake that has a row of teeth that leave a horseshoe imprint/bite and constricts its prey for consumption, the snake that slithered into the coop with the chickens has fangs. Look closely at the photo below and you will see the fangs.


Good thing is...I've been practicing target shooting, every day. I'll have to eventually post a video because I need to toot my horn a bit, I am a good shot. Really good. My husband, the one who earned recognition in the military as an "expert marksman" said, "You're a natural."

I think he's a bit more scared of me now.

Anyway, my husband chastised me because I put on a kitchen glove, then grabbed the snake by the tail to lay it on the ground for photos. I held on tight, but that snake was still fighting and able to writhe around with its powerful muscles. The below link is a video of the snake after I laid it out on the ground.

http://youtu.be/-Kcl4Pk0puQ

Of course, the wildlife that stays away from the home-site are free to enjoy our stance of live and let live. However, once a critter or reptile enters our home-zone or begins to approach the animals we are supposed to protect, it's ON.

I must say, living in the country provides a life that is never boring. I can see why it is great for kids to grow up in the country because there is so much to keep them busy --- much more than a trip to the neighborhood park.

And tomorrow, I get to spend my first day here with my six year old niece, Shaye.


You regular readers already know what a huge part we play in Shaye's life and she in ours. She's staying with us for about a week. She's NEVER been to our property, so she's about to have a week of real country living, which is a much different kind of life than what she experiences in her neighborhood that is mostly a NASA community. Her dad is a NASA man.


My sister Robin is completely nervous about Shaye coming out here. Today, she told me that this visit is going to be harder on her than on her daughter with any separation hardships, but it's because Robin keeps picturing the worst part of country life impacting her daughter. She keeps asking me to make sure I keep Shaye away from snakes...and then this snake is found in the chicken coop today.

My sister and brother-in-law.

Oh well. We will teach Shaye about the woods being different than her suburbia back yard. She LOVES animals and being in nature, so I imagine this will be a perfect environment for her to adore. And yes, we will teach her about snakes, scorpions, boars, black bears, and panthers. Me oh my.

The visit starts tomorrow, so we shall see how it goes. Thankfully, this Cottonmouth is no longer roaming around the RV and chicken coop, but I am sure there are numerous other snakes taking its place as I type.