My lawn is mowed, the plants are watered, and I'm bored.... Oh, I guess I could clean the kitchen. I think I have the summer blahs. Can you tell??????

New tatoo?

BTW - Dee uncovered an adult copperhead recently,...while raking dead leaves......of course, I was summoned to "take care" of it....which I did!

Hey, I'm bored, but I don't paint tatoos on myself!
That's scarey seeing a copperhead. I'll be sure to show this to Bruce. I just told him Tuesday that I was afraid to go on the side of the house where the faucet is because there were so many leaves on the ground. I was afraid I'd walk up on a snake. I suspect he thought I was nuts. We spent the morning raking it up and luckily didn't see any slither-kadees there.
Replaced some grass yesterday in the backyard. We've had a lot of rain this last few weeks. Neighbors' rainwater gushes off their wall and thru our backyard mixed with a little dirt. Just smothers the grass on that sideyard. Looks like instant new yard with new grass pieces down. Now if we can just keep them green!

The sun seems to zap my energy!

I've had TWO specific snake encounters this month....... eeek!

A week - or so ago went out to gather eggs from the coop. When I open the door I can see the nests where the chickens lay but it was empty, so I look to my left and there is a huge back and gold snake draped along the wall and the roosts. I slam the door shut and get help....to make a longer story shorter ~ turns out that snake had a deadly reaction to lead!!!


Two days ago I go out to the coop, knowing I just saw a couple of the hens nesting and expecting eggs... again there were no eggs in the nest so again I look to the left and there is an even BIGGER snake than the last one draped along the wall and the roost and the floor... it had to be six feet long!! Black and gold, it looked like the same kind as the last snake!

This time there is no help.....hubby is off working out of town. I slam the door to the coop and run and get a shovel and my pistol because if I were to get a bigger gun I'd probably destroy the coop!!!!

It was gone when I got back. That shovel is still sitting next to the coop door.... I don't think I've seen the last of him.

I think I have ID'd the snake, a Diamond Back Water Snake. It looks like a rattler sort of and the tale was even shaking like a rattler but no sound! But his head is much smaller.

I'D RATHER BE BORED

The sun seems to zap my energy!

I've had TWO specific snake encounters this month....... eeek!

A week - or so ago went out to gather eggs from the coop. When I open the door I can see the nests where the chickens lay but it was empty, so I look to my left and there is a huge black and gold snake draped along the wall and the roosts. I slam the door shut and get help....to make a longer story shorter ~ turns out that snake had a deadly reaction to lead!!!


Two days ago I go out to the coop, knowing I just saw a couple of the hens nesting and expecting eggs... again there were no eggs in the nest so again I look to the left and there is an even BIGGER snake than the last one draped along the wall and the roost and the floor... it had to be six feet long!! Black and gold, it looked like the same kind as the last snake!

This time there is no help.....hubby is off working out of town. I slam the door to the coop and run and get a shovel and my pistol because if I were to get a bigger gun I'd probably destroy the coop!!!!

It was gone when I got back. That shovel is still sitting next to the coop door.... I don't think I've seen the last of him.

I think I have ID'd the snake, a Diamond Back Water Snake. It looks like a rattler sort of and the tale was even shaking like a rattler but no sound! But his head is much smaller.

I'D RATHER BE BORED

Eeeewwwww...I'd be buying my eggs from the store now! Hope you find the other one that's getting in the coop. He does look like the water snakes we see at the lake, but I've never seen one that big before! he must love eggs!

I have a cardinal that strikes a mirror on my fence all day...every day.... I have to clean the mirror at the top from all the whitish stuff on it. I found a 5 ft rubber black snake and wrapped it around the limbs of a bush in front of the mirror. No more cardinal so far. But the other day, we heard the blue jays just screeching up a fuss out back. After a while, I walked out to find not only the jays, but other birds had joined in....dive bombing the rubber snake. Quite a sight to see. All's quiet now. No cardinal, no other birds....and I hope I won't have to clean the mirror again for a while.

That's something how the birds react. So I guess you took the snake away to calm them down?

I've heard the birds out back here all in a commotion... I thought maybe a hawk was nearby but maybe it was a snake!!

the colors on that snake are very distinct while it was sitting inside of the coop, I mean a bright gold against black. Laying there you can't tell really. Or maybe it's just the image in my mind that is so distinct!

I just hope my dh gets home before he shows up again!

I don't know what the dogs would do if they saw it?? probably run!!

But King Conky would probably love a chance at that snake!!

Your snake looks like it could be a Texas Rat Snake too . We have them here in the trees.... When there's one near by, the birds go crazy. Do you have a snake ID book? I looked up the rat snake and it sure looks like the photo of yours. They love eggs, I know! And the large size of the one you saw sure sounds like the rat snake. They get really big and long.... Of course, they'd run scared if they saw that big kitty!

That sure is a cute kid with the tatoo

Isn't he? His parental units don't let us have him nearly enough!

You know Bubbles, you could be right. I don't know why we decided it wasn't one before but the markings are very similar!

Your grandbaby is a cutie!!! I think I told you before, I haven't gotten to see mine this summer... they are too far away. But I'm still hoping.

I just remembered why we thought it was the diamond backed water snake ~ it had a yellow underside. We also have the Yellow Belly Water Snakes around here!! Ug! But now I'm confused! I really wish I could just erase the entire image from my mind!!

And I don't think there is a shortage of rodents around here either because our "Kitty" brings them home as gifts for the dogs all the time! He really is a tough little cat! He has no neck!! he's all muscles! LOL! The cat earns his keep around here!

I was going to send photo out of my Snake ID book, but instead Googled Texas Rat Snake photos....and it looks the same...even the head. You know....they're also called Chicken Snakes! You better find him and send him to snake heaven....or your chickens are going to start disappearing.
Whoa...just listen to me....who lives in the city, and screams when she sees a snake skin shed......but seriously, I'll send pic of the one in book if you think it'll help. Now I'm gonna dream about 'em tonite.....

OMG!!!

You are right!!
http://www.google.com/imgres?i...

And I am sooo sorry about that! Me too. "Take me to my happy place!"

You're too funny!

Ooh! Funny how cats aren't afraid of snakes. Once upon a time, one of my cats jumped up near me to tell me he needed help. He'd been snake-bit. Took him to the vet and he was okay. Kind of discouraged his interest in playing with snakes, that's for sure. We could use some rain. Had to water again today. Ugh! BTW, if you really think you have water problems, check out Cat's pics from the Rio Grande areas:
http://cubits.org/butterflygar...

Poor kitty!
Those are some impressive photos. It's either feast or famine in the water department.

We have a guy coming Saturday to give us an estimate for putting guttter on the upstairs roof. It's too high for DH to work on. And I'm already planning where the next rain tank will go for the run-off from that roof. Our house has 3 different elevations, so putting gutters on is difficult, especially if you want to trap the rainwater. Watching all that rain we recently had gush across the backyard made me even more determined to get another tank.

Today, someone's coming to look at replacing all the windows.... That's going to hurt! Our double panes are starting to fog between the glass. Looks awful. We've had a few replaced already. With the rebate, we figure it's time to just go for it and get them all done at one time.

Linda, I went and checked Cat's thread. Wow. I had no idea that was going on.

Good luck on your windows Bubbles, I know that is quite an expense! We have a window that a bullet ricocheted off of but we patched it... until it starts getting moisture between the double panes, then we'll look at replacing. The problem is the manufacturer went out of business so we're looking at custom I guess! Now way would I want to replace them all, even in the one room would be an expense!!

If they are standard size plain double-pane windows, you shouldn't have to get custom-made...lots of places have double pane windows. And I had heard on the news about flooding along the Rio Grande, but just didn't know it was that bad!

How would you do that on the windows, put the new pane in the frame? Because the frame has sliding locks in place that would have to work and the windows tilt to open and close.