good snakes alive!!!!!

Well first it was "Senior and Jugms Moving Service" Now it has progressed into "Senior and Jugms Snake relocation service"...

Male and female snakes (even if they are the good non poisonous ones) is not the thing you want to see when you go outside to uncover the outdoor water faucet so that you can water your garden...But alas---there they were. Entwined doing what snakes do...ick!

 This is the female we got her loose and  Senior relocated her to the woods without much resistance. Where I hope she stays. we figured she is nearly 4 feet in length as we found a 3 foot snake skin near by.

This one is the male, he slithered away and got a little testy, then he rapidly climbed back up the faucet housing that my father in law built and has been in hiding deep down inside the insulation. We guessed he is nearly 5-6 feet in length, and has obviously been well fed.  

 We did do our research and they are either  "Black Racers" or "Rat Snakes" ,  a nonvenomous colubrus constrictor snake. But don't let the constrictor part scare you, they actually are not a true constrictor..or so I read.  They like to eat smaller snakes, frogs, lizards.. and are big, black and beautiful.
And yes...just like I thought this is their mating season.

I picked up moth balls to throw inside the faucet housing and we hope today to coax him out of his nest and get him relocated. So far, neither he or the female have discovered the chicken coop, as I understand they love chicken eggs.  Both are  welcomed to stay around the estate keeping nature in balance, but , they need to do their balancing act in the surrounding woods..not in the faucet insulation....
So tonight is operation "relocation"  lol    will let you all know how it goes with Mr. Slither here....

-JUGM

a quiet sunday

What is it about the solitude of country living? No hussle and bussle of the big cities, or crowded apartments and subdivisions. No hearing everything your neighbors talk about or having cars parked along the street and blocking your driveway...No I don't miss that at all.
 Another benefit is shooting whenever you want to, we have been working on our little range, made some additions and improvements and its all coming along nicely...I am thankful that we no longer have to find a public range to shoot at and can come and go as much as we want on ours...
 This being the last day of our spring break the boys were up early, with BB guns in hand, wanting to get some target practice in. As long as they don't put an eye out they can shoot BBs whenever they like. But, when it comes to their .22s or something of mom and dads...we need to be there with them.
 I made a cup of coffee and sat on the porch watching, and thinking about how carefree they are. Wishing desperately that they did not know of some of the things that are corrupting our world, or the meaning of words that I would have never thought of as a child.

I look at them being so free and smile, but inside I am sad that soon Senior and I will have to turn them loose in this big old world, and I hope we are preparing them well for that day.( sniff sniff..mom gets weepy eyed)

Another good thing about country living and having property?...is getting to have a monster garden. Ours is 99% planted. Only thing left is the okra for Senior and boys. ( ick...i know!...lol )
Jack was being naughty in the house, and so we collectively decided to let him have the great outdoors where I think he is much happier. Today he was helping us out in the garden . He likes coming down there to purr and nuzzle us with his nose. When we pull the hose out, he cracks us up trying to attack it thinking its a big black snake.
Having an out door cat has been an adventure, we look forward to his daily presents he leaves on the porch. Mostly its moles. But Friday he managed a bird. And No, we were not happy because it was a robin.

The day is growing short,  I have noticed several of my favorite bloggers have done posts, so I am off of mine to go check theirs out and say a quick hello. Then its on to answer the demands of the household....you know that dinner thing!  lol

-JUGM