Just at quitting time this is the email that gets sent out to everyone. Yikes! That's the parking lot I normally use. Glad I'm working from home today. Of course, I'm sure there's nothing special about today and the snakes may be visiting at any time really.
When I'm out in the yard knee deep in myrtle either pulling weeds or just hiking up the hill, I keep thinking that old tune about "I don't like spiders and snakes." Especially when I suddenly hear that hissing sound--sort of like that sound effect they use in the spaghetti westerns when Clint Eastwood rides into a deserted town--and my heart starts pounding, even after I realize it's just the neighbor's sprinklers that turned on.
Actually I don't mind spiders so much, but I'm irrational when it comes to snakes. I've had a couple of scares with them and I'd just as soon have no more. We do get snakes here in my neighborhood on the mountainside, and we did have a rattlesnake in our driveway about five years ago right about now (add that to the raccoons, skunks, porcupine, foxes, coyote, and of course the deer--I've got a regular wildlife refuge!).
This is just a good reminder to watch where you step. Most snakes are only scary but not poisonous. The rattler is the only poisonous snake in this area. And I will continue to wear my hiking boots when I work in the yard. They keep me from slipping and breaking an ankle, and now that I think of it, could protect from a startled snake as well.
Oh well, this whole topic has given me the creeps.
UPDATE: They caught the snake. No details on it, but I'm sure it will be the buzz around the office. Don't relax folks. That's not the only rattlesnake on the mountain.
3 comments:
I had no idea there were no snakes in The Netherlands. Lucky you!
We have only two dangerous spiders here: black widows and Hobo spiders (some people mistakenly think we also have Brown Recluse, but we don't). I've seen quite a few black widows in my yard and some in my house. I've seen only one Hobo spider but my father was bitten by one once. Luckily did not suffer the more severe effects.
I keep sticky spider traps set at all times in my basement and garage. If a spider comes in my house, it must die.
I'm glad I live on an island...lol. We have adders, but not widely dispersed and no dangerous spiders.
I did read that scorpions are taking hold in parts of London along the Thames. Apparently they arrived via banana boats.....literally.
A very interesting and slightly alarming blog.........ty B
Scorpions! Another scary thing. We had those here years ago, but I think the landscaped yards pushed them to wilder areas further away. I don't care to run into one of those either.
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