In the Service of Her Majesty The Queen

See, now that's really makes me wonder if Dopey has some Maine Coon in him. He's got the fuzzy feet as well. Long body. Very long tail (all tail, not just fur). Long-ish, thick fur. Quick, if uncoordinated, reflexes. Hmmm.

 

Date night tonight.

Out of the blue, I suggested bowling to J. She enthusiastically agreed, stating that at least she can kick my ass at it, as opposed to to mini-golf. My other suggestion.

 

When GA82 started jumping out the window. The Queen often goes out for a breath of air and doesn't want to get hit by falling bodies.

 

Maine Coons are unusual in that they have a very thick underlayer of hair, different than other cats. One of the reasons Willie mats so badly when he starts shedding. The top layer of hair, guard hairs?, traps the shedding underlayer. btw, Willie is very coordinated. And a long body, shortish legs (cute little furry pantloons though), long tail...huge whiskers. But then his head is also very large. He's not as big as a cocker spaniel, but is the same size as a friend's dog...one of those dogs that also has a long body and short legs. Not a dachshund, can never remember their breed...a corgi maybe?

 

I hope you had a good day and the night has gone well.

The neighbor lady who does my lawn told me that she found 2 baby pygmy rattlesnakes close to my house by the back porch. She killed them, then cut them into pieces with the lawnmower.

Babies. Means there is a nest, probably under my house.

Probably whining, but don't I have enough problems without having a nest of pygmy rattlesnakes under my house? And does that also mean I am liable if someone gets bit?

So now, I have to leave the front porch light on when I go to work, telling anyone who cares that I am not home. Snakes tend to like porches, I've heard. Or they get up there and can't get down, whatever. And getting into my car when it is dark will also be interesting. Since it is in a carport that is right by the corner of the house where the back porch is. Wonderful.

Pygmies are aggressive. She said they came after her, instead of moving away.

On the upside, I guess, I am likely to have less roaches and no mice at all. Everyone in Florida has roaches. Great big ones. Just right for a snake, even if it is a pygmy.

So now I have to caulk every opening into the house. This just keeps getting worse and worse. And what if they start breeding? Oh boy. I've always been afraid that someday I would make the news for having a bunch of cats...


To all who will sleep tonight ion this side of the earth,

The Nightly Mission:

Keep the cats on the bed
when you are sleeping.
Hopefully, they will warn
you if a snake is in the room.

Be careful where you put
your feet when you wake up.


May the Lady smile
on me and you too.

G'Night.

 

From my experience cats love snakes they make excellent cat toys.
I've never heard of pygmy rattlers before, the standard practice where I grew up was to let the snake know you were there so they could move out of your way, and never put your hand into a blueberry bush without prodding about with a stick first.
Get a small powerful flashlight then you can turn off your porch light.

 

I'd also check they are not a protected species before indulging in wholesale slaughter.
I'm sure you also know if you do get bitten by a snake Do Not cut open the wound and suck out the poison.


Comments: VENOMOUS The Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake has a reputation for protecting itself. Its bite, while usually not life threatening, can be painful and result in the loss of a digit. Some rare cases have be fatal. It feeds primarily on frogs and mice. The rattle sounds like an insect buzzing.

Comparison with other species: The Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) and Southern Hognose Snake (Heterodon simus) are occasionally confused with the Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake. However, it is easy to distinguish between the harmless Hognose Snakes and the Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake. The Hognose Snakes have both an upturned nose (rostral scale) and round pupils, and lack both facial pits and rattles.

 

Yes, cats do love snakes, but I think they have enough sense not to mess with poisonous ones.

The flashlight is a good idea. Thank you. Something else to put on my key chain.

I am not likely to get close enough to one of them, since the pygmy is aggressive, to find out if it is a hognose. And I rarely if ever reach into the bushes around my house.

Yes, I know enough not to try to suck out the venom. If I ever get bitten, I doubt if I would have the presence of mind to hack around on myself. Would probably just start screaming. Even though you are supposed to remain calm.

I am not afraid of snakes. Nonetheless, I do not like having poisonous ones living under the house.

 

Ooooo, I wouldn't be having any of that noise. I would perhaps buy a few genuine indian mongeese and let them take care of it.

 

Well, the good news is that the mud near the shore of the lovely lake under the window is only ankle deep. The bad news is that I'm upside down...

 

The Queen sends her other fanboy out to rescue GA82. She hopes he is in time. Sitting on her throne, elbow on knee, chin in hand, she ponders why she didn't install the bars sooner.

 

I hope you had a good day and the night flew by.

I did not get to animal control today, so the snakes are probably sliding along through the grass looking for something to eat, alive and well and hungry. I hope they stay out of the house. Every little brush of something against my legs, and I jump.

But the cats are calm. There is that.

I once shared a small little cottage...very small...with black widows. The cottage was part of a series of 4 connected garages I think that had been converted to various buildings, the cottage I lived in, a workshop for the landlord (who lived in a big house by the road), and a couple of well, plain garages. The black widows came from the workshop, I am fairly sure. I could never convince the landlord to do anything. He was drunk most of the time and must have sat in front of his computer all day sipping his wine while manipulating the stocks in his retirement account. The reason I think this is because the garbage can was always full to the brim on garbage collection day with empty gallons of wine and he complained about how much money his stocks won or lost every time I saw him. I would have moved, but at the time I lived and worked in a very small little town with limited housing.

When I lived in the cabin on the mining claim, my chickens would take shelter during the heat of the day under the cabin, which was situated on a hill and open on one side from the floor down. Never had a single bug in the house. The heat was dry and dehydrated any chicken droppings within a short time, so that wasn't a problem, either. Chickens that forage for a large part of their daily diet are very tasty. Something to be said for bug protein I guess. So much for those who recommend vegetable diets for everything. They obviously haven't eaten bug-fed chickens.

I had guinea hens, too...a small flock of them. They took care of the rattlesnakes. Much too noisy for an urban neighborhood such as the one I live in now, however. Guinea hens make good watchdogs. The slightest movement of something not already identified and they are off and running in mass, squawking to high heaven. Generally running to the unknown object, not away. They are really quite comical. When they run, they run like geese do, with their wings outspread and their necks sticking forward.

So much for the daily mental meandering.


To all who sleep tonight on this side of the earth,

The Nightly Mission:

Sleep when you can.
Wake when you will.
Do another day.


May the Lady smile
on me and you too.

G'Night.

 

*arrives at the mud patch but is repulsed by GA's upturned kilt. Does manages to swipe the single malt scotch, though.*

 

Thought she gave a direct order to rescue the poor dolt...

Emirkol may wind up in gaol for this...

 

I hope you had a good day and the night goes well.

Another Friday. Sighs at the thought of another long night ahead, and then followed by Saturday. With a full moon coming up soon. Lo.

On the brighter side, I saw a doe with 2 fawns, largish fawns but still with white spots on their backs, at work tonight. One of the fawns froze in place for a couple of minutes, big ears aimed my way. Mom and the other fawn were off in a flash, but not too far off. Waiting for the frozen fawn I expect.

No news on the pygmies. I was told that's what you get when you live in a rural area...I am on their territory and not the reverse. Something I learned well on the mining claim. Still...


To all who sleep tonight on this side of the earth,

The Nightly Mission:

Try turning the phone off when you want to sleep.
Turn it back on when you wake up the next morning.

May the Lady smile
on me and you too.

G'Night.