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Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-26 12:55:45 +0000
Wild Life
So, spring has sprung in Nashville, and all the creatures are coming out and going in to find their favorite spot to spawn.
Yesterday, I saw a badger about to cross the road. Luckily, it turned back to the brush before it was splatttered all over the road.
Later that afternoon, my sister called to tell me she was coming over to drop off the Ikea outdoor furniture set she picked up for me in Atlanta. I moved my car to the street, clearing my driveway so she could back up to the garage...when I can assemble everything later.
I then opened up my garage door from the inside (manual door), and noticed a little tail in the rim of the door. I thought it was a lizard like the ones I saw last summer. I grabbed a trowel and banged it on the side of the rim to knock out the critter. That's when I noticed that the tail was really long, and not really a tail, but a body. When the snake fell out of the rim...okay it was really the weatherstripping...it started coming towards me. I flicked it away from the garage a bit and had a closer look. Then I realized there was another snake in the door.
Not sure what to do about the snakes, or what kind they are. They were brown with a darker brown cross-hatch pattern. Not exactly diamond-shaped. No rattles. Slight side-winding movements. Makes me nervous. Then again, between them and the feral cat that likes to hang out in my carport, shouldn't have any rodent problems!
Unless the rodents are hanging out in the 8 holes in my front yard.
Posted by tgl on 2007-03-26 12:56:40 +0000
Boston Duck Tours has started here.
Posted by MF DU on 2007-03-26 13:25:55 +0000
Make Way for Fucklings
Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-26 14:25:36 +0000
Looked up TN snakes, and these don't look like the 4 venomous types here. And it sounds like I should mow my lawn to keep them away, too. Bummer. Hoping to put that off a few more weeks!
Posted by MF DU on 2007-03-26 14:36:33 +0000
Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-29 17:16:07 +0000
Finally got a call from the County Extension Office about my snake problem (left a message on Monday morning). They said I probably have King or Rat Snakes. That's cool...except that they get to be REALLY big, which could be scary. Just means I have to keep the yard clear of brush and make sure they don't have good hiding places. They should outgrow my garage pretty soon, so I won't worry about them while I'm visiting y'all.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-04-11 21:13:58 +0000
Wildlife report: snakes are MIA; holes are made by moles; used an entire can of insecticide foam on the inground yellow jacket nests.
No mushrooms to speak of, and didn't see anything crazy come out of the dug-up sewer line. By the way, the one they replaced was made of concrete! Talk about old school. Now I have shiny, new pvc in my yard. Let the good times roll.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-04-13 17:08:17 +0000
Found out a mole deterrent this morning...rolled-up pieces of Juicy Fruit gum. Who knew? Will try it this weekend.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-05-07 20:59:34 +0000
Yesterday, while gardening some more...I saw a black salamander, and a bunny. The bunny was kind of scary. It really looked rat-ish. Totally get the rodent in that bunny. It was brown and speckled with a white tail. Kind of slender. It worked its way up my driveway, stopping to eat clover here and there, and got within about 10 feet of me before it decided to hop to my neighbor's house, then back across the street, across another driveway to another yard, then back to mine. This went on for a while, then I got bored and went inside to take off my fake tan (lots of dirt).
Posted by MF DU on 2007-05-07 23:51:29 +0000
I saw the scariest and largest worm of my life out in back of our house the other day. It was like a foot long and was about the diameter of a Crayola.
Posted by Epoisses on 2007-05-07 23:55:47 +0000
Le Canard Non!
Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-05-08 12:52:58 +0000
My son and I encountered a garter snake whilst picking up sticks in the yard yesterday. He thought it was really cool, I was afraid he would try to pick it up, my fears were totally unfounded, he doesn't have anywhere near the dexterity to catch a snake.
Posted by G lib on 2007-05-08 13:12:47 +0000
One time I caught a snake at the farm behind our house. (Maybe I was 6 or 8?) I was an expert frog catcher, but had never attempted a snake.
I was so excited about it that I wanted to show my mother, who always expressed pride at my tick-covered, mosquito-bitten and dirty exploits. I ran down the hill, into the house, and confronted my mother, who was taking an nap on the couch.
"Mama!, look at what i found! It's a snake!"
*Shove snake in her face so she could take a closer look*
the reaction:
.
.
.
.
.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!
GET THAT THING OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW!!!"
Scared the shit out of me. But mostly I was surprised, as my mother had carefully concealed her fear of living and jumping things for YEARS.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-05-08 13:20:13 +0000
I think you are crazy and brave, and your mom's reaction was tame.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-05-11 16:56:09 +0000
Yesterday at 6:45am, I was putting on my socks and boots outside to start spraying the house and garage for creepy crawlies, and I heard a knocking sound. I looked up, and there were two woodpeckers on my neighbor's tree. One of them was pecking for breakfast, and the other was being fed! It was amazing.
Posted by Miriam on 2007-05-14 12:32:49 +0000
Yesterday I hosted the family Mothers' Day celebration at my house. It was great to have everyone over; apparently my grandmother was excited that I used real plates (everyone else uses paper when company comes over). I made a feast, and got to play with my nieces and nephews and show off the molted snake skin. One nephew borrowed it for school, and when he and his fam (my sister's fam) came back from their bike ride, they brought a snake skin with a rotted snake in it!
This morning I saw a black buzzard in the yard of a big house. Don't know what it was eating, but that bird was huge!
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