How To Capture A Snake

I almost had to send out notices for my funeral today. 

I had just taken this picture out my sewing room window, and I was enjoying my afternoon so much.

All the brand new leaves have suddenly unfurled all at once, and everything is so pretty outside.  You can see the turquoise pond beyond the trees.  I just love Spring when the trees are all so perfect.

But then the unthinkable happened!

Yep.  Believe it or not, I almost stepped on ANOTHER snake.  Remember awhile back when there was one in my living room at my other house?  Well today I was up here in my sewing room watching old Nancy Notion's programs, finishing a blouse and planning the next one.  Whenever I finish a blouse, I take the leftover fabric and put it in a big rubbermaid container in my attic.  I often walk out there in my bare feet as it has a wood floor, and I vacuum it and keep it clean.  Thank goodness, I had crocs on my feet today!

I had already been to the "box" -- put the fabric inside -- and when I turned around I saw this snake out in the open space right in front of me!

You probably heard me shriek from where you are.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  I wasn't really afraid of the snake as it is only about 8 inches long, but I was just so SHOCKED!  I really hadn't planned on meeting up with a snake in my enclosed attic space.  PLUS, my attic is on the second floor of this house.

Do snakes FLY these days????

Not only was I shocked, I immediately started looking around for the snake's parents!  Then I thought I better do SOMETHING, so I called Jerry who is 150 miles away.  That is the exact same thing I did the last time, and it did the exact same amount of good!  He suggested I call the neighbor or the exterminator.  I decided I better make sure the thing didn't crawl off somewhere, so this is what I did.

I decided the snake could just stay there until he suffocated or until someone related to Indiana Jones or Crocodile Dundee happened by.  Then I called the exterminator as Jerry suggested.  I got the nephew of the exterminator, but he said he would come out TODAY.  I was so happy, because I was about to throw some pins and fabric in my car and head to my other house.

Justin showed up at 5 PM.  He was very nice and very dirty as expected.  He was very sweet and removed his boots.  I LOVE when they do that.  I didn't even ask him to. 

He came upstairs and surveyed the situation.  He asked if I had a big piece of cardboard.  The best I could come up with was the lid from a Christmas box.  I gave that to him.  THEN, he did the simplest thing, and I don't know WHY I didn't think of it.  I will next time.

Notice the snake's tail sticking out.  Yuk!

He slid the box lid under the wastebasket, and then he turned it right side up.  The snake was then in the bottom of the trash can, and he stayed there.  That is when I took the picture at the top of this page.

We went downstairs and out to the back yard.  He was going to smash the snake's head with the hammer, but I actually felt sorry for the poor thing.  I figured if he had a heart, he really did have a heart attack after his day in my attic!  I asked Dustin to take him way out back and throw him over the cliff.  I didn't want my killer cat, Barney, to find him.  He thinks God put little snakes here for him to "play with".  I find them dead and bloody in my garage.  Jerry throws them out in the grass, and Barney drags them back in.  GROSS!

Dustin told me that some lady around here whose son is a snake expert told him that this kind of snake is a "legless lizard".  He said, "Looks like a snake to me."  Yeah, me too!  I googled "legless lizard", and it they actually do exist.  It said their tails come off.  This one's tail did not come off, and it didn't even look loose!

That's it for today.  I have a new blouse to show you, but I don't want to put it in the same space as a snake!  Maybe tomorrow.

Hugs, Joy