Slippery Pete Welcomes Me Home
A snake I've named "Slippery Pete" loves to hide in the two Arborvitae trees in front of my house. Here, Slippery Pete basks in the autumn sunshine. Arborvitae trees have scale-like leaves that are soft to touch and need little or no pruning so they make for a great home for a harmless grass snake.
Still, Slippery Pete gave me quite the scare the other day. Seeing a snake squirming on pavement or next to the tomato plants is one thing but coming face-to-face with one atop tree branches equal to my height is not for the faint of heart.
Rather than run from it, I grabbed my camera and watched it squirm it's way through the Arborvitae's limbs and out of sight. It used to live under the Nine Bark bushes on the island to the left of my house but I guess it prefers to stay closer to the warmth of the concrete steps as temperatures fall.
Because of all the rain we've had this summer as well as my seasoning it with miracle grow, the grass in my front lawn is taller than my mailbox right now. That happens when I'm away on assignments.
Tomorrow I'll drag the beat-up Troy-built out of the side shed and begin the 2-hour chore. I won't be as careful not to disturb a patch of rotting vegetation where the compost heap is because Slippery Pete has taken up new residence. I think I know now why I haven't see Tommy the Toad next to the Wigela much.
posted by Sonja Stark of PilotGirl™ @ 9:47 PM
1 Comments:
A picture I no longer have in my possession would have seriously surprised me if I'd seen it before it was taken: me with three black snakes curled around my arms and neck taken on a back road in Cyprus.
My girlfriend at the time was fascinated by snakes and I most certainly was not, but we saw a snake farm at the side of the road and stopped.
The snake handler spoke German and assured us the snakes were harmless, picked one up and said, here, see what they're really like - they're completely tame.
And he was right. Just as any other animal does, snakes panic if they feel something's amiss. If you approach them without fear, they calm down and relax. That's what happened.
It may feel strange, but if you know that Slippery Pete is really harmless, pick him up (gently and slowly just below his head) and pet him. Let him know you mean him no harm.
I'd bet he'll like it and be your friend forevermore. Tommy the Toad may have been one of his meals, of course, or just moved on to newer digs.
Your grass is taller than your mailbox? That takes some doing (or non-doing)!
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