My snake story.... (how much, house, school)

[rockky]

I've been telling Summering that I was going to post my snake story, but decided that it really wasn't all that exciting. Well, she requested it again...soooo here it is.

Early last week I was outside washing the large windows in the front of our house. After I finished, I began pulling some of the weeds around the woodpiles, and made the remark that I didn't like to work around the wood because I felt like I could just smell snakes.

A couple of hours later, in an ornamental tree inches away from the glass I was cleaning earlier, I saw a snake sunning itself. OK. Guess I didn't smell that one! It was a rather hefty garter snake, and I thought it would be happier farther from the house. I tired to move it...unsuccessfully.

The next day the snake was in the tree again sunning itself. I started talking to it and named it Slither. For the next couple of days, I went out and talked to it. I'd call it by name and it would look at me as if it knew what I was saying. Yeah. I know it sounds nuts, but we were bonding.

After three days of 'bonding' I went out to look for it, but couldn't find it. I figured it moved on, and came in the house to run the vacuum. I was sweepin' my little heart out, and when I turned around I saw the weather stripping coming off the bottom of the front door. Then I realized the weather stripping had eyes and was watchin' me. Yeah. It was Slither. There's a tiny hole in the stripping under the storm door, and he/she came in to see what I was doing.

I remember yelling somethin' like, "Slither! What are you doing? You can't come in the house!" He/she slowly moved across the threshold and went back out the crack. I opened the door, and the dern thing was still looking at me like a lost puppy. I told him/her to 'get back in your tree', and then it really scooted away.

Sadly, that's the last I've seen of Slither. I guess we didn't bond so well after all.

I've had all sorts of animals follow me around. When we lived on an old farm, horses, various cats and dogs, a parakeet, and a lost turkey all showed up from nowhere......but a snake???!!???

For you experts out there.....just how much personality does a snake have??!!??

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by rockky

I've been telling Summering that I was going to post my snake story, but decided that it really wasn't all that exciting. Well, she requested it again...soooo here it is.

Early last week I was outside washing the large windows in the front of our house. After I finished, I began pulling some of the weeds around the woodpiles, and made the remark that I didn't like to work around the wood because I felt like I could just smell snakes.

A couple of hours later, in an ornamental tree inches away from the glass I was cleaning earlier, I saw a snake sunning itself. OK. Guess I didn't smell that one! It was a rather hefty garter snake, and I thought it would be happier farther from the house. I tired to move it...unsuccessfully.

The next day the snake was in the tree again sunning itself. I started talking to it and named it Slither. For the next couple of days, I went out and talked to it. I'd call it by name and it would look at me as if it knew what I was saying. Yeah. I know it sounds nuts, but we were bonding.

After three days of 'bonding' I went out to look for it, but couldn't find it. I figured it moved on, and came in the house to run the vacuum. I was sweepin' my little heart out, and when I turned around I saw the weather stripping coming off the bottom of the front door. Then I realized the weather stripping had eyes and was watchin' me. Yeah. It was Slither. There's a tiny hole in the stripping under the storm door, and he/she came in to see what I was doing.

I remember yelling somethin' like, "Slither! What are you doing? You can't come in the house!" He/she slowly moved across the threshold and went back out the crack. I opened the door, and the dern thing was still looking at me like a lost puppy. I told him/her to 'get back in your tree', and then it really scooted away.

Sadly, that's the last I've seen of Slither. I guess we didn't bond so well after all.

I've had all sorts of animals follow me around. When we lived on an old farm, horses, various cats and dogs, a parakeet, and a lost turkey all showed up from nowhere......but a snake???!!???

For you experts out there.....just how much personality does a snake have??!!??

LOL!!! That's too funny!!

When I'm out in my jungle trimming, I've got a "stalker" too!! It started out 2 years ago when I was out trimming & I saw something small move out of the corner of my eye...

I bent down & looked close 'cause I thought it was a worm & it turned out to be a small black snake no more than 5" long & about the diameter of a pencil with a red "ring" around it's neck. I figured it was "baby" snake & that "mommy" would be nearby, but I never saw her & this little guy followed me around the jungle as I went!!

Well a few days later I went out again to trim & there he was again & he kept following me!! Well, I'd never seen a snake with a "ring" around it's neck, so I didn't want to pick him up in case he was poisonous, so I found a Florida snake book & there he was on page 120!!

Turns out he's not a baby!! He's called a Florida Ringneck (duh!!) & they only grow to 6" long!! He's not poisonous & they're supposed to be "rare" & hardly ever seen by humans!!

Well I guess nobody bothered to tell this guy that & he's followed me around for the past 2 years like I'm his long-lost mommy!!

Good thing he's so darn cute!! (AND small!!!)

[nkotb]

I liked your snake stories, but its bedtime for me and guess what I'll
be dreaming about ????????? !!!!!!

[okaydorothy]

Oh my dh would have died. I have seen grass snakes here on long island.

So when dh and I argue ; can I come and get your slithers!!!

d

[MermanMike]

Rockky...what a cute story...slither sounds like a good guy, and I'm sure he has fond memories of you. Maybe he had to leave because of something urgent and he wanted to say a quick goodbye to you after your friendly week together. Too cute.

[poconoproud]

We own two ball pythons, both named Stanley. I was of the school of opinion that snakes had no personality, until we had them as pets. They are so cool. Our snakes are just like our other pets, believe it or not. Some times we take them out to the driveway on hot, sunny days so they can sun bathe. We stand close by, just in case the cat's come along. These snakes, although in the FREE, slither their way towards us like either of our dogs would rather than toward the yard, the woods, possible freedom. When holding them, they love to curl around my arm, they lift their heads toward me to get a look at me & taste the atmosphere around me with that forked tongue.

Of course, my neighbor owned one of those big reticulating pythons and that thing scared the hell out of me. That snakes personality was just mean.

[rockky]

Jungle George - I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one with 'a buddy'. I knew what I was seeing, but I thought the response would be that I'm nuts...well, eccentric...I'll accept that. I became fond of the little guy/gal. Hummmm? Wonder how you sex a snake? How Freudian is that ???!!!????

nkotb, Hope you slept peacefully last night. Sorry about the late night visuals.

dorothy, Sure...com'on down! Maybe you can help me find Slither. I rather miss him/her.

Mike, Thanks for your version of a pleasant ending. I can picture Slither, with a little backpack slung on one side, leaving to go to his freshman year of college. Now I can turn his/her tree into a crafting area.

[poconoproud]

hi rockky...It's me slither...sorry I had to run...had a meeting..

[rockky]

poconoproud, I'm sure the Stanleys are charming! Seriously, I'm comforted hearing that a snake with a personality is not impossible. I really did feel as if I must be getting crazy in my old age.

btw, that 'turkey' who showed up at the farm wasn't a turkey. I don't know why that word came out of my fingers. It was a very young, weather beaten rooster. He was in such bad shape that I couldn't even distinguish what it was. I just fed it, and it stayed under the big hemlock tree beside the house. Eventually, it grew....and began to crow. We went on vacation, and when we came back Oscar was gone. Our nearest neighbors had quite enough of listening to Oscar's vocalizations. They told us they took him to a friend's farm to hang out with the hens. I never even got a chance to say 'goodbye'.

Perhaps I watched too much Disney or Mr. Ed as a child.

[rockky]

Originally Posted by poconoproud

hi rockky...It's me slither...sorry I had to run...had a meeting..

LOL!!!

Ya know I mentioned that "Men's Weekend" gig that was held here last weekend? I gave strict orders that no one was to bother Slither. I better not find out that one of those dudes freaked. I asked and was told that Slither didn't appear.