Juvenile Water Moccasin / Cottonmouth

Warning:  
There are snake photos below, including a really blurry one of a snake eating a toad. 





















This morning, a thunderstorm woke me, so I hurried out of bed to unplug the important (expensive) electronics.  (Oh, the joys of summertime!  A thousand unpluggings and re-pluggings and unpluggings again!)

Then I opened the kitchen door to peek at my daylily seedlings.  (I'm a bit paranoid about having them rained on too heavily, so I have a beach umbrella over them when there's a risk of rain-- but I'm also paranoid that the umbrella will catch a gust of wind and up-end the whole table... It's a situation fraught with tension, as you can tell.) The seedlings were fine-- but what was that under the table? 

A snake!
I thought it might be just a "brown water snake", because Donald saw one down by the puppy pool a couple of weeks ago (or so).  I woke him, and we looked at it briefly (through the rain-dimmed early-morning light) and said it must be another (relatively harmless) brown water snake.  So back to bed.

But I still wasn't sure.  I prefer the Internet for snake-photos, but the computers/Internet were unplugged-- and it was still thundering-- so I turned to our trusty reptile ID book.  (Nowhere near as good as the Internet, but better than my faulty memory.)  Anyway, the more I looked, the less certain I was.

Another look.  I tried to take photos, but most of them were blurry...

At this point, the snake had his mouth full of toad, so I ventured a little closer... and caught the glint of the eye.

Back to wake up Donald, because now I was pretty sure it was a moccasin.  Sure enough that I wanted the thing dead, at least, and if it turned out not to be venomous, well, as Donald said, it didn't need to be hanging around the patio, anyway. 

Donald chopped the head off with a hoe and a shovel-- which proved harder than suspected, so we need to sharpen that hoe!-- and we were finally able to get a really good look.

Definitely a juvenile moccasin.  (Or cottonmouth... Are the names used interchangeably, or is there really a difference between the two?  This one's mouth didn't look white when he opened it during the... "death struggle"... but that's probably because it was stained with toad blood.  Gross.)

Yuck.

Just makes you wonder how long it's been hanging out around our yard... Where it had been yesterday, when the dogs were out and about-- or when I was playing around with plants while wearing open-toe/bare-ankle, slip-on shoes...

Here's the best photo I got during the "trying to ID" period:

So watch out.  They're definitely out there (as if we didn't already know it)!

ETA:  Those paver-bricks the snake's on are 8 inches long, if you're trying to get a feel for how big it was.  Not that big, in other words.  

Heavy Rain & a Tale of Two Trellises

We need to remember to buy a new rain gauge!  Our old one was broken and leaking, and we keep getting these monumental amounts of rain, with no way of knowing exactly how much we got.  Inches upon inches, Monday evening/night.  (Edit:  Donald reports that Grandpa and Mom both recorded over 8 inches!  That's a lot for one 24-hour period, even around here.  Donald brought home a new rain gauge, which is now in place, ready for the next deluge.)  The ground still squelches when you walk in some spots-- but we're lucky; we live in a place that drains pretty well.  No flooding.  Just some puddles and very saturated soil in low spots.  

After the rain pushed through, cold air followed, and temperatures plummeted down to near freezing, last night.  Possibly freezing in mid-April, down here, when you've planted vegetables and tender annuals?  Not fun.  We took the precaution of covering lots of things, which means not only covering them, but also uncovering them.  It seems like a lot of work to a lazybones like myself.  ;o)  But we did it.  As it turned out, we only got down to 34, just above freezing.  Could've saved ourselves the trouble.  Oh well.  Such is life! 

Photos of the very full pond:

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When we were inspecting our raised beds yesterday afternoon-- (sprouting squash, zucchini, okra, beans, radishes, and Swiss chard!)--  we found a snake toward the end of the new bed-- actually in/on the raised bed!  Fortunately, it was a kingsnake, one of the good guys. (g)

Here he is heading toward the "forest".  (I guess he wasn't in the mood for company.)

I think this is the third snake we've seen this year.  There was a garter snake making repeated appearances in one area of the yard, a couple months ago, and then more recently I saw a plain black snake of some sort-- nonvenomous-- hanging out near the raised beds.

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I posted the "before" shot of a new trellis for the passionflower vine, a couple of entries ago.  Here it is with the vine on it:

No blooms at the moment, but it looks happy enough.  I do wonder, though, if we shouldn't have woven it as high as possible... Reading about ivy-- (see next item)-- I've learned that if you try to make it grow vertically too quickly, it can get leggy, with all its leaves at the top.  You want to go slowly so that it fills in the bottom, too.  Of course, ivy and passionflower vine aren't remotely the same plant.

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Speaking of ivy... ;o)

Here's a "before" shot of the area where we put our second trellis:

It's an ugly spot, with all those boxes and wires and pipes-- and it's right by the door we (and most other people) use 99% of the time.  I think most houses are planned so that these unattractive utility boxes aren't in plain sight, but the way our house was situated, this is just the way it worked out.

(Side note:  This photo highlights the need for some future improvements, such as painting the door, touching up the paint on the covered patio, and finally putting in a permanent step to replace the shabby-looking, make-do tripping-hazard that has been there "temporarily" since the house was built.)

I had the idea of putting a trellis over as much as possible of this mess (while still leaving access to the breaker box and the electric meter), so Donald planned one out, and we built and put it into place over the weekend.

Here it is with the ivy planted:

The path between the planter and the post of the patio cover isn't roomy, but it's not too bad.  We made the planter pretty narrow, and most of the time we'll be using the wide passage across from the door.

(The blue rope on the ground is where we've been planning out the placement of some new gravel pathways we're going to put down in this part of the yard.)

Of course, after building the trellis and planting the ivy, I decided to look it up online... So I had the pleasure of reading that (some people say) ivy doesn't adhere that well to vinyl.  (NO!  Our lattice is vinyl!!)  And then there were the people telling how terrible ivy is, period-- so destructive to brick.  (What if the ivy outsmarts me and gets onto the brick?  Our house is DOOMED!!) 

Well, it might do fine.  This isn't slick vinyl.  It's textured, and there are small holes so I can try to weave it back and forth to help keep it in place, too.  If it absolutely refuses, we could try it somewhere else (away from our precious brick) and try another plant on the trellis.

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Sightings: Eskie & Snake

This morning, I noticed that Kindle had changed the ad display overnight-- and the new advertisement included what looks an awful lot like an Eskie:

...I guess it could be something else, but it looks a lot like an Eksie wearing a pair of goofy glasses...
...Not that I would have any reason to know what that looks like...

You don't see Eskies in ads or other media as often as the more popular breeds, so it's exciting (for Eskie-obsessed people, at least) when you do spot one.

Sorry, couldn't help sticking in another silly Trixie photo.  Or three.  ;o)

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This afternoon, we were standing with the back door open, watching the rain and enjoying a little fresh air.  I think we saw the snake at the same time, because when I asked, uncertainly, "Does that look like a...?", Donald finished my sentence: "Snake."  (g)

He went out to get a closer look and see what kind it was-- a kingsnake.  I'm always happy when it's a kingsnake-- the best kind of snake there is, around here.  (They eat venomous snakes!)

I went out with the (smaller, lesser) camera later, took a few photos, and watched it leave the yard.  Maybe it'll stay in the area, but just not in the yard.  I don't want the dogs (Molly, most likely, because Trixie seems to have a little more sense regarding snakes-- maybe-- knock on wood, cross my fingers, etc.) wrangling with any snakes, if I can help it. 

That's not the first snake sighting of the year, though. Donald and I have both seen what is probably a black racer, this spring, and Donald has seen at least one brown water snake on the easement. So far, no really bad snakes, though. (Knock on wood again...)

Zombies, Spiders, & Snakes (Oh My)

The news is depressing, lately.  ("But when is it not?" you ask.  So true.)

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An odd jumble of things I was thinking about yesterday (the London riots, music from zombie movies, etc.) led to an exciting night of vivid dreaming about zombies.  (I am now about to relate that dream, in part.  Those who dislike reading about other people's dreams should consider themselves warned.)

We were living in a beautifully dreary (green-on-the-verge-of-autumnal, almost perpetually cloudy-skied) English neighborhood.  Zombies roamed the world-- had done so for long enough that people had moved past the freak-out stage of reaction and now just accepted them as a threat.  That threat kept people tethered to their own personal safe zones, but we were afforded some small comfort by the fact that the zombies were mostly only mobile after dark.  (Yeah, subconscious.  Way to mix zombies with vampires...)  For some reason, we ended up moving in with the family next door. (Consolidating resources? Safety in numbers?)

There was a fair bit of mundane interaction with this family-- conversation, routines, making do, repairing things.  One day, while we worked on something outdoors during the relative safety of daylight, the wife/mother spoke of how she came from New Zealand, originally, and wished she could go back home, though she was afraid of what she'd find.  I sympathized, of course, but commented wryly that at least the weather here suited me well.  She was tired of clouds, and on cue, we glimpsed a fleeting patch of blue sky.

We and the family had plenty of safety measures in place and were doing as well as could be expected.  We even discussed the possibility of putting up some sort of makeshift, protective passageway between our two homes, so that we could travel between them at night, in an emergency.  But despite our planning, I had a gloomy sense that these things-- zombie scenarios-- never end well.  Something always goes wrong, eventually, no matter how careful you are.  Someone always has a moment of thoughtlessness, of stupidity-- wanders off too far-- or for reasons beyond his control, comes face-to-face with the monster when least expected.  And, of course, since it was my dream, where I have the most amazing ability of prediction, that's exactly what happened.

I'll spare you the gory details.  ;o) 

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I've seen a couple of large spiders on the outside of the house, lately-- not the exotic, alien-looking "banana spiders" that come later in the year and turn a woodland path into a creepy, crawly obstacle course of giant webs and palm-sized arachnids that seem to be invisible until they're dangling mere inches from your face.  These are probably somewhat smaller than banana spiders, but they're darker and fuzzier to make up for it.  There's something sinister about them--  but then, I don't like any spiders very much.  It's this type of thing that makes me so unique, which is why I bother mentioning it at all. 

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This weekend, we found another skinny snake stuck in the silicone (?) caulking around the exterior of our kitchen window.  It's so bizarre, the way that keeps happening!  That's at least the second one we've found in that window, alone.  (There have been more in the bay window.)  We can't be the only ones having that particular problem-- but a quick Google search yields no relevant results, so I'm not sure what's going on, really. 

The ones that get caught on the kitchen window have a better chance of survival, since we're more likely to spot them and try to free them before it's too late.  Donald managed to get this one loose and drop it outside the fence.  It was another of those corn snakes, I think.  I'd much rather have them around than something worse, so live, little snake, and eat up all the food before your big, bad cousins decide this is an attractive location. 

Ew, Ew, Ew!!

"Family Driven From Home by Hundreds of Snakes"

True, they were "only" harmless garter snakes, but that's still awful and shudder-inducing.

The most shuddery part of the article is this: "The garter snakes were so prevalent that the ground around their home appeared to move", according to the family.

Eek ick uck!
That is so gross!

They bought the house aware of the snake situation, but they thought it was overblown. Yet everyone in and around the small town of Rexburg seemed to know about the "snake house."

Hm.  I wonder how the real estate agent brought that up-- and what they thought the "snake situation" would be like.  (Let this be a lesson to us all.  If a house is rumored to have a "snake situation", RUN.)

"It was just so stressful," Amber Sessions told the AP. "It felt like we were living in Satan's lair, that's the only way to really explain it."

Creepy.

The house, which the Sessions bought for $180,000, has been taken over by the lender. It is now on the market for $109,200.

I wonder about the size and "niceness" (you know, apart from the snake infestation) of the house... Also, shouldn't it be possible to get an exterminator in there to clean the snakes out?  I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap, but I'd say it's a necessary expense!

So, if any of you are looking to relocate to Rexburg, Idaho... ;o)

ETA:
Here's a better (more fleshed-out) article about the Snake House.  

Days of the Week So Far

(By defining characteristics only.)

Sunday:
Baby Shower Day.
We had an immediate-family get-together to shower the expectant couple (C. and V.) with baby-related gifts.  They were almost able to squeeze it all into their vehicle, but not quite.  Now we're waiting to see if the new addition to the family will be a boy or a girl.  The due date is in early May, so we don't have too long to wait.

Also, Patio-Wall Day.
Donald managed to put up the lattice "wall" on the east- (and easement-) facing side of the patio.  We were putting in the final screws just as it was getting too dark to work.  I think it looks nice, but I need to touch up the paint here and there.  We have just one section of railing to put on the patio-- and then I guess we'll be done.  There are plenty of other projects we want to work on, though.  It's never-ending, I guess...

Monday:
Nothing New Day.
(Can't recall anything of real interest from Monday.  I'll try to do better next time.)

Tuesday:
"Two Snakes in One Day" Day.
I saw the first snake in the morning, on our porch-- probably the same one I saw before-- sticking its head out cautiously from the ceiling.

Then in the afternoon, I was clearing things from the glider on the patio.  I lifted a large plastic bowl (formerly one of the dogs' water bowls) from the top of an empty plastic pot (the kind plants come in from the nursery), and-- ta dah!-- there was Snake #2. It was only another small rat snake, but I hadn't been expecting to make the acquaintance of a snake of any description at that particular moment.  It didn't seem to be in a social mood, either, and immediately sought escape through one of the pot's drainage holes.  I couldn't have that, because the dogs were both right there.  To avoid a nasty scene, I carried the pot (with half the snake in and half the snake out) to the "outside the fence" side-yard and let the snake go.  I'd rather have it than something worse, so take care of yourself, little rat snake.  Eat up all the food in this area so the moccasins and rattlesnakes will be unimpressed and move on to better hunting grounds!


Wednesday:
Roundup Day.
I sprayed Roundup in the morning.  I'm hopeful that I didn't get too much of it on anything I didn't want to kill.  So far, nothing's showing signs of sickliness (including weeds), but I guess it takes a couple of days before you start seeing results.  The results I have already seen are soreness from lugging around a 2-gallon garden sprayer (which according to the all-knowing Internet would weigh approximately 16.68 pounds).  What?  You aren't impressed?  Hmph.

So far, Thursday is working out to be Catch-Up-on-Everything-Else Day.  ;o)

First Snake of the Season

The chatter about the escaped cobra in NYC reminds me that we saw our first snake of the season a couple of days ago.  It was pencil-thin, poking its head out of a corner of the siding on our porch.  Probably another rat snake.  We seem to have a lot of those around here.  (Four or five have gotten stuck in the weird, clear caulk around the outside edges of our windows-- mostly the bay window and small kitchen sink window.)

Actually, I just remembered that this wasn't the first snake of the season, because Donald found another small rat or corn snake when he was moving things out of the shed a couple of weeks ago!  So this makes number two.  Still, I'd much rather have multiple rat snakes wandering around the yard than a single moccasin.  (Grandpa has already seen the first one of those for the year, too, down at the pond.)

...This has been the Snakes-to-Date report for March 2011.  ;o)

Chatting About Nothing in Particular

I woke early with a bad dream still echoing through my head, and I found I just couldn't get back to sleep.  (Don't you hate it when that happens?)  It's strange how latent worries and fears tend to rise to the surface when you lie awake in the middle of the night (or more often, early morning). Things that you can normally just push to the side are more presistent, and it seems impossible to clear your mind and let yourself drift off.  It is without doubt the most depressing time of day or night, so thank goodness most of us usually sleep right through it!

The downside of getting up a couple hours earlier than normal is that you catch yourself making lots more typos than usual!  Please excuse any that I may miss.

So, time for a little casual chit-chat, then.

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I'm pretty sure the neighbor dogs moved in yesterday evening.  (That's because I saw them and-- just barely-- heard them barking.  So it's pretty good intel. (g))  You have to wonder what pets think when they are moved to a totally new location.  How long does it take before they consider the new place home?  Are they confused by the change, or do they simply accept it, because the rest of the "pack" is there? 

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We walked over to my parents' house Monday afternoon/early evening.   (We were delivering one more T-post we'd found that they could use in their temporary fence for the dogs.)  I think it will be the last time I willingly walk until the seasons change.  That's partly because it's just too hot and/or humid this time of year to make walking pleasant.  (Donald may be crazy enough to go running in the summer, but I choose to get my exercise indoors!)  It's also because there are Things about in summer.

A few minutes after we arrived, Grandpa took his lawnmower (which happened to already be out) and started mowing the strip of land we'd just walked.  When he came back, he told us he'd just mowed over (i.e. killed) a water moccasin-- maybe 30 feet from where we'd been walking in some knee-high grass and weeds.

Ugh.  It's enough to make you shudder, think about what could have happened (pain, expense, infected wounds?--with quick access to a hospital, not likely death, thank goodness, but aren't those other things bad enough?), and resolve not to walk so much until later in the year!

I'm opposed to cottonmouths living in my general vicinity.  (And I guess I need to try the snake gun again so I'll be ready if one chooses to disregard that sentiment.  Sorry, snake-lovers, but I will be killing the venomous ones that venture onto our property, if I can manage it.)

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My left hand still smells vaguely of vinegar this morning. 

No, it's not a new beauty/hand-softening regimen.  ;o)  No, I haven't started perfuming myself with vinegar, either.  (Good guess, though. (g))

What happened is this:  Yesterday afternoon, I cleaned and chopped a handful of fresh jalapeño peppers.  I did not wear gloves.  I briefly considered that option, but then I thought, "Nah, jalapeños aren't that hot.  It's not like these are habeneros."  As I worked-- and afterward-- I was fine, which only confirmed to me that jalapeños are not that bad. I washed my hands when I was done, of course, but didn't really give it a whole lot of thought.

It wasn't until later, when Donald arrived home and we were talking, that I began to notice a slight burning on the fingertips-- under the nails-- of my left hand.  (The right remained unscathed.  I'm sure this is because I held the knife in my right hand and used mostly my left to handle the peppers.)  The burning was very slight-- so much so that I absentmindedly used a fingertip to scratch an eyelid.  Instantly I realized that that had been a mistake, and I went to rinse off my eye immediately.*

Burning my eye confirmed my suspicion that this had something to do with the peppers, so I googled it and ended up reading a thread of all sorts of humorous and horrifying stories of jalapeño-based misery.  Some people didn't realize their hands were "contaminated" until after they'd gone to the bathroom, for instance.  One man didn't feel it himself, but his wife certainly did (. . .later that night).  Then there was the woman whose hands burned so badly-- just from jalapeños!-- that she went to an emergency clinic in search of relief.

Reading all that (and how it was so frequently a delayed reaction) made me a little afraid that this was only the beginning-- and by this time, the burning had increased somewhat-- so I tried a couple of the possible remedies I'd read about.  First, I soaked my fingertips in vinegar**.  Later, I took a piece of aloe vera plant and squished as much as I could of the gel under my nails.  Both provided temporary relief, but at least some of the stinging came back.  If it had been worse, I would've tried tomato sauce/paste next, but it just wasn't that bad, so I was able to ignore it.

Throughout the evening, I would periodically feel a slight flare-up of discomfort-- usually when I was using my left hand-- putting pressure on it by picking something up.  Even this morning, as I type, I occasionally feel a very mild tingle in the tip of a finger.  Just enough to remind me of yesterday and why I will never again risk worse burning by chopping peppers gloveless.

It seems that (as with most things) some people are more susceptible to small amounts of capsaicin than are others.  (Thus the man who didn't feel it but whose wife did-- and the number of people who wrote that they never feel it on their hands, but if they touch an eye or their mouth, they burn just as much as the next person.)  In any case, I think I'll take some precautions next time.  Some people wrote that latex gloves don't work, but that rubber gloves do.  I'll probably try rubber gloves next time, just to be on the safe side. . .

(Looking back into my dimmest memory, I think Mom may have warned me about the peppers when she passed them along to me. . . I guess I wasn't paying enough attention.  Shame on me!)

*At that point, it was impossible not to remember the story of how poor little Tonya had been playing with some ornamental peppers (unbeknownst to the adults).  I don't remember all the details, but I think that somehow her fingers started burning, so she put them in her mouth.  That made her mouth start to burn, so she started crying, which led to-- as you've probably guessed-- her putting her hands to her eyes and burning them, too!  Ouch!

**I read this morning that vinegar (like water) is ineffective at removing capsaicin.  (So my fingers are all vinegary for no good reason?  How rude!)  On the other hand, they list vegetable oil and Vaseline as being possibly useful.  Then again, this is Wikipedia I'm citing here, so, um, take it or leave it, pretty much.

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I mentioned exercising indoors, before.  My current favorite indoor exercises (because I have more time to waste this morning) are all Wii-based.  (There's something both satisfying and amusing about using video games to be more physically active!)

Number one on the list is Gold Gym's Cardio Workout.  If you enjoy the boxing elements in other games (Wii Fit, EA Sports Active), you might want to give this one a look.  If on the other hand you hate the boxing elements, avoid this one like the plague, because that's pretty much all it is.  (g)  I liked the boxing, and I haven't been disappointed in this "game".  Just as EA Sports Active's boxing takes Wii Fit's version to the next level, so too does Cardio Workout.

Here are some points of interest about the game:

• Though the game info says it works with the balance board, that's a bit misleading.  Only a couple of exercises use the balance board-- none of the actual workouts do.  Instead, you stand at a slight angle to the TV and are prompted to keep up a rhythm of shifting your balance from one foot to the other.  This helps keep your heartrate up.  At first, I found it kind of awkward-- partly because I thought you were supposed to be stepping each time.  You're not (unless they specifically tell you to do so).  You just shift your balance from the front foot to the back foot and vice versa, at a decent pace. If you're doing this to get a workout, you really need to try to keep up with the balance shifting.  I'm sure it makes a huge difference in how much work it is.
• For most of the workouts (or at least the ones I'm familiar with-- because I haven't tried them all, yet), you're "just standing there".  They don't ask you to do any kicks or steps-- just shift your balance and throw punches.  As you work your way up in difficulty, they add in "ducking" (like quick squats) and "weaving", and later on, they do incorporate quick steps to the side or forward and backward.  For someone like me, though, even the ones with just ducking are a pretty good workout. (The first couple times I did those, I could definitely tell the next day that I'd been working those specific muscles.  Now, the fact that I don't feel sore the next day tells me that I've made some progress.)
• If you're like me, you'll probably have a little problem getting some of the punches to register.  There are (I think) three different types of punches.  Jab and cross ("1,2") are the easiest-- just straightforward punches like the ones used in Wii Fit.  Then there are hooks (left and right) and uppercuts (again, left and right).  Try not to despair if you find yourself shouting at the TV, "I did it!  I made that punch!  Why aren't you giving me credit, you miserable piece of--?!" -- Ahem.  As I was saying, don't give up if you have trouble getting punches to "count".  It does get easier with practice. 
• The music. . . One of the parts of the game I haven't been thrilled with is the music selection.  They have a fair number of songs to choose from, but they're mostly very. . . video-gamey.  It's probably hard for game designers to find music that everyone will like, but still. . . There's always the option to turn down the music and play your own instead.  I just wonder if the beat/rhythm of the music you play might throw you off.  Maybe the ones included in the game all have the same beat.  (I haven't paid that much attention to them, honestly.)
• You earn points for every workout you do, based in part on how well you do.  (You get a bonus if you have a "perfect" workout-- no missed moves-- which makes it even more annoying when the Wii doesn't register one of your punches. (g))  The game keeps up with your points not only so you can track your progress, but also so you can "go shopping".  Punches/points translate into "gold", which you use to purchase new clothes for your mii.  I think that part of the game is a little bit pointless, but I guess it might be more of a motivator for other people.  Some might be motivated just by the desire to earn enough gold to buy every single item possible.  Personally, I'd be more interested if there were new songs or workouts for sale in the shop. . . You do earn/unlock new music, workouts, instructors, and-- get this-- clothing for your instructors, just by putting in the time/punches.  (Periodically you'll get a notice that you've unlocked something new.)  So you can change not only your own mii's clothes, but also those of your instructor.  There are several instructors from which to choose, by the way.  I think they have different voices and say slightly different things during workouts, but it's not something I've given a lot of thought.  (g)

. . . Wow, I rambled a lot about that game!  (And there's still so much more I could say.  But don't worry-- I won't.)  The other two I've been using lately I'll just mention briefly.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves.  We chose this one because it came with two dance mats, so we could play simultaneously.  I've seen some complain that the routines aren't sufficiently difficult.  To them, I stick out my tongue, because they must be in much better physical condition than I am.  It's difficult enough, trust me, and I'm just playing on the "Difficult" level-- not "Expert".  It's certainly enough to give you a little exercise.  I think I have to "dance" longer than I have to "box" to get the same kind of results-- at least it feels longer-- but it's nice for a little of a change. 

Wii Fit (Free Step).  I haven't used this one as much as the other two, but I think that's going to change.  This is nice for a lower impact workout, and I like that I can be watching whatever I want on TV (or listening to my own music) while I do it, yet I still get credit in the game for exercising.  (g)  I know it's not much different than if I just went for a walk around the house (or, well, outside-- but that's just crazy-talk), but I'm more likely to do it if I'm getting points for it, so in a way there is a difference.  Also, because it's "just walking", I think it will be easy to talk myself into doing it, even on days I don't really feel like exercising.  (That's the plan, anyway.)

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 Well, time to go start the day for real!  :o)

Water Snake

Yesterday evening, during a walk around the pond, Donald saw a small snake right in his path.  We think it was a brown water snake.  Whatever it was, it had round pupils, so it shouldn't be poisonous.  Still enough to give you a shock when you first notice it, though. 

Autumn, Swing, Snakes, Crochet, & Music

Unless the meteorologists on all the local news shows have colluded to play an elaborate (and unspeakably cruel) prank on us (hey, it could happen), we are poised on the precipice of sweet, blessed relief from heat and humidity. Yes, tomorrow it will finally feel like autumn!! Highs in the low 80s instead of at or near 90! Humidity plummeting down to 30-50% (in the afternoon, at least)! I'm almost getting choked up just thinking about it! ;o)

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Donald put most of the swing together over the weekend. There are only a couple of things left to do before it's ready to hang. We're putting it by the kitchen door, on the covered patio. I'll post a photo or two once it's in place.

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Saturday, I found yet another snake (this one a barely living corn snake) caught in the caulk around one of our windows (the bay window seems to be the most popular), and while Donald sprayed it with water to release it, he found a very, very dead one (type undetermined) that I didn't know about. That makes two living and three dead (that we know of...).

I've tried googling it with no results, but surely we can't be the only ones to have this happen. Whatever caulk they used around the exterior edges of our windows-- something clear-- silicone?-- gets very sticky on hot summer days, and I guess the little snake slithers up along the sides of the windows (either to use the friction of the brick edging or to keep hidden), where it then gets stuck along the whole length of its body. However or why ever it's happening, it's creepy and yucky, and I'd be happier if I didn't keep coming across dead snakes glued to our house-- even if they are small.

- - - - - - -

A while ago, in an effort to re-acquaint myself with basic crochet, I crocheted several dishcloths. I still haven't woven in the ends and given them a whirl in the sink, but making them did the trick of getting me interested in crochet, again.

I spent part of the weekend (ok, way too much of the weekend) looking through free patterns online (and hoarding them away for future use), and I found a few that looked especially interesting. Now I just have to match the yarn in my stash to the patterns. Oh, and figure out how to translate the patterns into finished objects. My crochet know-how is still very limited, but the only way I'll learn new stitches is to try them.

I think I'm going to start with this scarf-- or this one, which is basically the same thing-- but that's only if I can figure out the "love knot" (aka "lover's knot" or "Solomon's knot"). I gave it a quick try last night, but I didn't quite get it. What I saw before me on my hook didn't resemble the illustrations in the pattern. However, after finding a video and that second pattern, which has more detailed instructions and photos instead of drawings, I feel more confident. I'm going to give it another try, tonight.

I hope I can get it to work. It looks like a fun, quick project, and it would be nice to get some instant gratification, after spending so much time researching patterns.

This is the yarn I'm thinking of using-- Yarn Bee's Sweet Delight Pomp in the Ladybug colorway:

That's the closest I got to representing the colors faithfully (on this monitor, at least). It's a mixture of pale pink, watermelon pink, powder blue, and dark grey.

I'm hoping I'll be able to see soon whether or not this yarn suits the pattern. I get the feeling that variegated yarn has limited uses, since so much of it doesn't look great in crochet (from what I've seen so far). Too much variation just distracts from the pattern. At least if this combination isn't satisfactory, I have an even simpler pattern I can try with it.

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Musical musings that came up over our weekend:

• I think it's odd when a song that, melodically speaking, sounds charming and lilting has incongruously violent lyrics. Example: "Arthur McBride". This Irish folk song starts out with a couple of cousins taking a walk on Christmas morning. According to the song (sung in the first person), they come upon some members of the English military, which ends badly, with the bashing in of heads and so forth. It's just a very strange combination of gentle melody and shocking words.
  
• Donald introduced me to "The Elephant Song", which is in one of his Swedish books of guitar sheet music. (I suspect this was more popular in Europe than in the U.S. At least, I didn't recognize it. A word of warning, if you haven't already clicked and listened: It has a certain degree of earworminess.) I'm amazed by how many people seem to take this song seriously, considering the ridiculousness of some of the lyrics. For instance: "People kill without regret / Although they fly by jumbo-jet"-- and "Gentle is the elephant /Pulling loads and everything". It feels like it was written by a kid, but then again, a lot of lyrics look silly when you take away their melodies.
  
• Wooster's version of "Puttin' on the Ritz" is always good for a laugh. (For optimum amusement, you should first know how the song is supposed to sound. Ok, or like this. (g))
  

Kingsnake

Yesterday, nearing noon, I heard Molly barking at something outside. Not long before, I'd gone to investigate her barking and found nothing to occasion much interest, so this time I went with a grumble. "What are you barking about now?"

This time, it was a snake, cornered in about the same spot as (I think) she'd once cornered a moccasin. (That happened while we were visiting Sweden. Granny L. and our neighbor down the road came to the rescue, but from what I've heard, it wasn't easy. Molly is a stubborn dog and didn't want to move out of the way enough for our neighbor to get a clear shot at the snake.)

I saw instantly that it wasn't the poisonous variety. I wasn't sure what it was, though, and in any case, I didn't want her to be bitten. Even a nonvenomous snake bite can become infected. After running out and calling to her, fruitlessly, I thought about Trixie. So far, she had stayed on the other side of the house (despite Molly's frantic and outraged barking), but I realized that if I kept calling Molly, she might come check things out and get involved, too. Just what I needed-- two dogs refusing to listen to me!

So-- I ran and got Trixie-- put her inside-- and ran back out to Molly. More calling with similar results. She just tuned me out. The snake was rattling its tail (imitating a rattlesnake) and "striking" at her, which only seemed to further infuriate her. When the snake tried to turn and flee through a narrow opening, crazy Molly grabbed it and pulled it back!

I was making myself hoarse with calling her, but it was as though she couldn't even hear me. I had a thought-- ran back inside to fetch two of her most-coveted squeaky toys-- ran back outside-- and let the squeakies do my talking. To my surprise and immense relief, it worked! Molly finally looked in my direction and followed one of the toys as I tossed it out into the yard. I squeaked the other in my most tempting manner ;o) and eventually led her into the house with it.

Whew!

I then went back out with the video camera and was able to identify the snake as a kingsnake. Fortunately, it seems that Molly was not bitten, and the last I saw of the snake, it appeared to be alright, too. I'm glad, because I'd hate to have killed a kingsnake. Not only are they themselves nonvenomous, but they also constrict and eat, among other things, other snakes-- including pit vipers like cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, and copperheads. They have an amazing immunity that renders bites from venomous snakes relatively harmless.

Eastern Kingsnake from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

Sorry for the shaky camerawork! I didn't have time to set up the tripod, and I had to zoom in pretty far. We all know how well *that* works.

(Hm. Looks like I need to clean the area around our front door!)

Snake Eggs

Earlier this week, my maternal grandparents brought me a few tractor-bucket-loads of mulch for our flower beds. This mulch has been "waiting" (ripening?) down near the pond for a good while, and it seems very nice and. . . mulchy.

Ok, I don't know all that much about mulch, really, but there are lots of earthworms in it and it seems like good stuff.

Actually, earthworms aren't the only things I've found in it.

I think this is a black rat snake's egg. So far, I've found at least five of them.

When I came across the first one or two of them-- separately, and on different days-- I didn't pay them much heed. I assumed they were cocoons and didn't give them a second thought. (Yes, yes, I know they don't really have the same texture as a cocoon. Attribute it to the effects of heat on the brain.) But then I found three together in one shovelful of mulch, and something clicked:

Huh... Three of them in one spot? That seems a bit excessive. --Wait a minute! What if these are... (DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!) snake eggs?!?!

The mental image of multiple baby moccasins hatching all around our yard slithered before my eyes. I then proceeded to have a (very brief) mini freak-out and-- well, for the sake of any snake-lovers who may stumble upon this, I won't go into the gruesome details of what followed. . .

After making a phone call to Mom (because moms know something about everything, right?) and doing a little research of my own, I came to the comforting conclusion that these were not moccasin eggs. (For one thing, most pit vipers-- including moccasins-- don't lay eggs.)

On the Internet, some photos of black rat snake eggs seem a good match for "my" eggs, and my grandparents even remarked (before we knew about the eggs) that they saw a black rat snake on the piles of mulch right before picking up a load for me. So. They're probably black rat snake eggs, which is a huge relief. I can live with rat snakes much more happily than with moccasins.

After the. . . incident. . . with the group of three eggs, I've kept my eyes peeled for more eggs, and I raked through mulch I'd already put down, where I thought I remembered seeing a "cocoon" earlier in the day. So far, I've only found two more-- one of which was the model in my photographs.

I placed these two eggs out on the edge of the property. I do feel guilty for killing those other ones. . . Especially considering that whatever they'd have eaten would have been food from the lips (do snakes have lips? (g)) of my mortal enemies, Messrs. Moccasin and Diamondback-Rattler. However, I'm not sure that they'll even hatch. Based on some of what I've read online, they may have been jostled around too much to survive.


And there you have it-- my spellbinding tale of finding snake eggs. ;o)

Oh, and (P.S.) thank you for the mulch, Granny and Grandpa! It really is making a big difference in the looks of the yard, already! I bet all those earthworms will help improve the soil, too!

It was one of them "psychotic moments"...

Or is it "psychic"? ;o)
You know, the kind of thing you hear about, but rarely experience.
Well, either that, or it was just a coincidence.

So, here's the story:

Yesterday morning, while busily sewing away at a few rag-quilted bags, I made a mental checklist of the various steps I still had to go through to complete the project. When I got to the part where I take them outside to shake off the (wet) fluff before tossing them in the dryer, a curious thought presented itself to me: What if there happened to be a snake at the gate, preventing me from going out to my usual "shaking" spot? "Well," I reasoned, "if that happens, I could just shake them in the yard, this time. Sure, it makes a little mess, but it's not a biggie. Either that, or I could shake them inside over a waste basket. ...Why are you bothering me with things like this-- today of all days?! I have sewing to finish!!"

Though I am a self-professed worrier and worst-case-scenario-ist, I don't usually worry about snakes barring my path. Honestly, I spend more time worrying about wasps than snakes. (I don't know why, for certain. Maybe because there are just so many more wasps than snakes around our yard.)

Fast-forward to that point in the day at which I was ready to shake off the loose threads. As I approached the gate, I noticed something unusual. Just outside our fence, only feet from the gate we use every day, there was an unfamiliar dark shape. Focusing on it, I realized that it was a snake. There was that momentary discombobulated feeling of unreality that I always get when I first see a snake-- and then a feeling of déjà vu as I remembered the strangely random thought that had occurred to me only hours before. It was weird and a little creepy.

Eeriness aside, there's not much to tell. The snake was pointed toward the fence, so I hurried to get the dogs inside. (I can't rely on them to obey me and leave snakes alone, and a bite from a venomous snake can easily kill a dog.) Then I grabbed the video camera and tried to ID the intruder. I thought it looked like a water moccasin, and Grandpa L. said it looked like one to him, too.

Here's the video so you can decide for yourself:

Water Moccasin / Cottonmouth from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

It didn't stay where it was for long, but the last I saw of it, it was still too close for comfort.

Now for a week or two of not feeling safe in my own back yard! You always know they could be out there-- and probably are-- but when you actually see one, it's uppermost in your mind, for a while. For a day or two, at least, I'll be walking the dogs on leashes and keeping them inside the rest of the time.

Random Things

Over the weekend, our vacuum cleaner vacuumed its last rug. We've had it since we got married (2001), so it had a pretty good run, considering that "they don't make things like they used to". I'll be looking for a replacement, next time I'm out shopping. After talking to Mom about her new vacuum cleaner, I think I'll probably get a bagless machine, this time around. (Not having to buy overpriced bags does have its appeal.)

. . . Probably nothing says "You're Getting Old and Boring" more than feeling excited at the prospect of a new vacuum cleaner. . .

~~ ~~ ~~

Speaking of the vacuum cleaner, over the past few days Donald and I have both accidentally referred (a few times) to both it and the dishwasher as "the lawn mower". There must be some deeper meaning to this odd occurrence, though I don't have any idea what it could be. It is fortunate that no-one was around to see us when I did it, the last time, because we both burst out laughing and would very likely have seemed to have lost a few marbles.

~~ ~~ ~~

Here are a few bits of news from Sweden:

Donald's farmor (father's mother) was recently in the hospital for surgery, but she's doing better, now.

Donald's parents have redone the cabinets (and a few other things) in their kitchen.

This has been a good year for chanterelles. Ingela and Britt-Marie picked over 30 pounds of them on one outing! (I'm not sure how many pounds would be average, but certainly much less than thirty.)

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I'm over halfway through watching Berkeley Square (since NetFlix finally saw fit to add it to their collection) and have been enjoying it. I suppose it is a little bit "soap opera"-ish, but not nearly as bad (or with such bad acting) as you typically see in soap operas. (Also, it has the benefit of having being finite, unlike real soap operas, which just drag on forever. You can't tell a good story without giving it some sort of conclusion, whether happy, sad or indifferent-- something the inventor of soaps must not have realized. . .) Of course there are much better sets and costuming, too. (Nineteenth-century clothes were so much prettier to look at than what we wear now, however impractical or uncomfortable they may have been.)

So far, only one scene was actually painful to watch, in terms of bad writing and/or acting. (Um, there's a big SPOILER coming up, here. . . SPOILER ALERT! I repeat, SPOILER ALERT! Skip the next paragraph if you don't want the series ruined for you!)

I'm thinking of the bit where Bertie's telling Hannah that she should have saved Charlie (Charley? not sure how it's meant to be spelled. . .) and somehow or other she's supposed to just blurt out the truth (that she has a son of her own). It just felt odd-- more forced than how things would naturally progress. Like the writers needed something to make Hannah tell Bertie about the baby, and this was the best they could come up with. I'd have to watch it again to decide whether I'd lay more blame on the writers or the actors.

Of course, you can't expect perfect acting from a child, and apart from that one scene, I have to say that Bertie is one of those rare "TV kids" whom I like and feel motherly towards. So many TV kids are just bratty or sickeningly "ooh, I'm SO blatantly (falsely) cute that you HAVE to love me-- So there! :P". This one's actually quiet and polite, and he has that starved-for-affection look (emphasized by such big eyes). Definitely more appealing than most of the children I see on TV and film.

~~ ~~ ~~

I've been taking a break from news, again. I can only take so much of it before I'm fed up. When it begins to have a negative impact on my state of mind (not to mention my blood pressure), it's time to take a vacation from "big news". After all, it's not like I can do anything to change the country or the world, right now, beyond what I'm already doing. It's frustrating, though, that the. . . I'll let you supply your own word, here. . . keeps cropping up on blogs and other non-news sites. It's nearly impossible to really block it all. Sometimes I feel that there are just one or two politically sane people on the Internet!

~~ ~~ ~~

On a related note, I'm tired of doom and gloom.
Honestly, World-at-Large, I just don't want to hear it.
:o)

Why?

Partly, because I don't think things are as bad as some sources would have us believe. Maybe I'm wrong-- or maybe there'll soon be all kinds of horrible everywhere you look-- but for now, I don't want to hear about it, read about it, or-- least of all-- think about it. Unless and until there's something I, personally, can do to improve things, leave me in peace, thanks-so-much.

Again, I may be waaay off, but I get the impression that the average American lives a life of incredible luxury-- a longer life with more creature comforts and less back-breaking physical toil than the average person living at any other period of history.

Or in other words, things could be a lot worse than they are, or are likely to be, assuming we keep our wits about us. (Now if we could only convince so many others that they need to get their act together, too. . .)

I hope I don't live to regret that whole "things could be a lot worse" line. . . ;o) Seriously, though, I think it's best to keep things in perspective and try to remember the positives of "right here right now". And keep in mind, this is coming from one prone to needless worry!

Maybe that's why everything is bothering me so much. Maybe other people can say "This is bad-- that's worse-- and we'll be lucky if the world's still here tomorrow!" then go right back to Life as Usual with nary a backwards glance. Meanwhile, as a natural worrier, I've taken it all too much to heart and am left to brood over it in the back of my mind for days.

Ugh, time to remind myself again: Every day of life is a gift. Enjoy it while you're here! Leave worrying for another time. (A dose of Pollyannaism to counteract the world. . .)

~~ ~~ ~~

Hm. I'm not pleased with the direction this post has taken.
Time for something nice and trivial, right?
But not necessarily positive. . .

I watched the first two episodes of Fringe with hopes that it'd be a fun paranormal escape-- a cross between LOST and the better episodes of The X-Files. (One of the writers behind developed/wrote/had something to do with this new show, too.) As I wrote, I've only watched two episodes, but I haven't been that impressed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either, IMHO. It's probably just as well, though. Maybe I'll spend more evenings reading if there are fewer TV shows for me to keep up with.

On the subject of reading, I'm 100 pages (or so) into To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis. I was intrigued by the blurb. Comedy of manners, sci-fi time travel, Victoriana, mystery and romance? Oh, and also throw in references to Three Men in a Boat and other literature? Yes, count me in (even if I'm ten years behind everyone else)! It's enjoyable, so far. I'll be surprised if it's one of those books I end up rereading time after time (à la Jane Eyre, for instance), but I'm certainly finding it a pleasant read.

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Fast forward to today-- Tuesday, Sept. 30th. (Yes, this is another of those "a bit at a time" entries.)

At about 10:30, Donald and I were walking Trixie up to the road to put something in the mailbox. We'd paused for a moment-- probably to coax Trixie to keep walking, because she's still not completely used to the concept of a leash. I looked further ahead along the easement and saw a snake stretched out across our path. (I'm a poor judge of distance. . . It was maybe twenty feet ahead of us? Far enough that we were safe, at least.)

As usual, it took a moment for me to process what I was seeing. I pointed it out to Donald before I'd even fished the word "rattlesnake" from my memory. It was fairly large-- five or six feet long, and pretty hefty-looking, with the unmistakable diamond pattern emblazoned across its rough scales. (It had a rattle, too. Fortunately it wasn't feeling threatened enough to rattle at us, but we saw it.)

It was making its way off my grandparents' property, toward an old fence and the scrubby wooded area beyond, so we didn't think there was any point in going back to call someone about it. (Yes, I mean calling someone about maybe coming to kill it. Sorry, conservationists. Hate me, if you must, but I don't want to lose one of my dogs to a snake, if I can help it. Neither do I want myself or a member of my family to suffer a painful and potentially life-threatening bite because we might get too close to a snake before we see it.)

It was quickly across the road and no more to be seen, beyond the fence, so we cautiously continued to the mailbox. I figured we'd see no more of it-- for today, at least-- but on the walk back, Donald spotted it well ahead of us on the easement. Apparently, it had come back onto the property further south along the road-- closer to our yard. While we watched, it went back through the fence again. I got the phone and walked back out to see if it had come back, but it was nowhere to be seen.

I hope it'll stay that way. . .
But this is still frustrating! I'd been letting my snake-guard down, already. Silly of me, really. It hasn't been that cool, yet, and snakes are obviously still out on the move, around here.

~~ ~~ ~~

Well, enough clickety-clacking. Time to get up and do something useful!

Spilt Milk and Other Matters

Yes, it's more tidbits. Don't tell me you expected a cohesive entry with real substance! ;o)

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A few weeks ago, Donald and I found milk in a new type of package, at our local Sam's Club. It's cheaper, so we've been buying it, even though the jug looks a little odd:


I wouldn't hold its odd appearance against it if it weren't for the fact that it seems to be a very poor design for reasons other than aesthetics. You see, we find it difficult to pour from this jug without dripping a bit. (And no, it's not our faults. (g) We've both been pouring liquids without spilling for several years, now.) True, it's a very tiny bit-- but it's still annoying to have to wipe up every time you eat a bowl of cereal or have a glass to drink.

To add insult to injury, the last jug we bought had this label on one side:


"JUST TILT & POUR"!

Gee, thank you, Mr. Milk Jug! Thanks so much for the lesson in how to pour milk! I feel like such an idiot, now! I'd been trying to pour it by getting Donald to hold the cereal bowl a yard away and sloshing it at him. (Too much sarcasm? Sorry about that. In future, I'll try to hold back.)

Well, ok, I thought. I'm pretty sure I've tried that "just tilt and pour" method before, but I'll give it another go. . .

Nope. Still very nearly impossible to pour without a little dribble or drop of waste and annoying dairy mess! And the very fact that they have this informative little label suggests that it isn't just us-- that they may have actually been getting complaints about their defective design.

It's a little thing, but still I manage to make time to grumble about it. ;o)

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

We're still planning the patio. We've mapped it out-- sat on a "pretend patio" to get a feel for how much room it would actually give us-- Donald's made little cardboard models-- I've taken photos of things at different times of the day to calculate optimum shade potential-- etc.

Then, the last time we were discussing it, a totally new idea presented itself. Shade cloth. It's pretty fancy stuff. Depending on the type (and color), it can block as much as 90% of sunlight and harmful UV rays. It's supposed to be very durable. It's not cheap, but it could be cheaper than buying lots of wood to make a more traditional pergola roof. Plus we wouldn't have to paint (and repaint) so much wood. And it would provide more complete shade than the wood, most of the time. (Donald is fair-skinned; I don't want skin cancer, either = We luv shade. (g))

My main concern is how it would hold up against violent thunderstorms and, of course, hurricanes. I hope we won't have another major hurricane here for years to come, but you never know. . . Of course, even an all-wood structure could be completely destroyed, if we had bad luck.

As you can see, we still have some decisions to make. Unfortunately, I seem to be incapable of doing anything without considering all the possible resultant problems. ;o)

One thing has been absolutely decided-- When we buy supplies for the patio, we're also getting supplies to build for a pump house. (Still no concrete plans for how we'll build that, either. . . Maybe I'll ask for advice at the family get-together this Friday. Family, you have been warned. (g)) It has taken way, way too long for us to do that. Once it's done, there'll be one less reason for me to hang my head in shame (figuratively).

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The house finch with a nest in our back porch is still in residence. No sound of baby birds, yet, but I don't imagine it'll be too much longer.

There's another bird nesting in the decorative birdhouse Grandpa W. gave us a few years ago. Seems like there's a bird in that house every year. This time, it's right outside a window! Of course, it's almost always covered by a closed mini-blind, so I guess they don't feel they're being scrutinized too closely. (g)

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Donald has some vacation time stored up, and he has to use most of it by a particular date (in August, I think). We're still thinking about what we want to do. Maybe we can use a little of the time to work on the patio. That is, assuming that we've decided by then how we want to build it. . . ;o)

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

I had one of my "I'm walking around outside and there are snakes all over the place" dreams. They come up from time to time.

I was walking a dog/puppy, and was worried the snakes would bite it. One of the snakes was very exotic-looking-- purple and dragonish and sort of "hinged" (like those plastic toy snakes that kids have-- the ones that seem to move on their own). I went inside to look it up and blog about it (g)-- but on the way, I discovered weird burned/singed spots on the floor-- and in an "it made sense at the time" flash of brilliance, immediately deduced that there was some bizarre geothermic phenomenon at work and that was what brought the snakes out in hordes. (Apparently, in my dream-world, there are lots of snakes living in holes in the ground around our house.) At that point, I think I forgot the snakes and began worrying that the house was about to erupt. ;o)

And I just realized where the burned floor bit came from! Last week's episode of CSI. On the one hand, I'm mildly disappointed that it wasn't my own concoction but something I recycled from TV. On the other, at least I can be fairly sure that this wasn't a vision from God warning me to vacate the premises because of impending destruction of hearth and home. (g)

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

I have a feeling I'm forgetting something I wanted to mention. . . Oh well. It must not have been very important. Hope the week's off to a good start for you all!

Tid-bits again. . .

I found a small (about a foot long?) snake on the easement, this morning. I'm not sure how it died, but it may have been crushed, as it was right in the middle of one of the tire tracks. (By the time I went back to take the photo below, it had been driven over a few more times, and it was getting pretty squashed. I tried to crop out the gory parts. (g))

It gave me a nice little shock. I think I'm paying attention as I walk along-- looking out for snakes in particular-- but somehow I still didn't see the thing until I was right upon it-- just a couple of feet away. I guess my mind wanders. . .

I think it looks like a moccasin (aka cottonmouth), but I probably tend to think every snake looks like a moccasin. ;o) What do you think?

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I came across this link today: Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time. I've read through the top ten, and there are some good ones. (g) (Donald had already told me about #3, as it happened in Sweden.)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Donald and Jocke (our visitor) killed three of those giganto monster bumble bees, yesterday evening. Added to one Donald had already killed, that makes four. Maybe now we'll now be able to come and go without being harassed.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Somehow our plans to fix up our "temporary" step to the kitchen door morphed into "wouldn't it be nice to enlarge it and give a nice spot for pets to rest?" (It's one of the shady spots, and it's near a door, so it's a natural choice for an afternoon nap.) Then that somehow grew into a little patio with some type of shading so we can enjoy it, too.

Of course, this is all still theoretical. The only things really growing are our plans. ;o) But we did buy some concrete pavers, so we're definitely going to be building something. . .

It's hard to see what color they are, in this photo. . . And they actually do change color a lot, depending on whether they're wet or dry. They're a pretty close match to our tinted mortar, if you're familiar with that. Sort of a slightly reddish/maroonish brown.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

We put the bottom layer of pavers there on Sunday, and all the rest on Monday. Yet already I found some ants trying to colonize! They don't waste any time!

Industrious little creatures. Too bad I'm going to have to demolish them. ;o) Yeah, I'm pretty heartless. I may feel a small twinge when I do away with them, but we don't want a yard crawling with fire ants! I've already done one round of ant poisoning this year. Looks like I'm going to have to do another one soon. . .

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

It suddenly strikes me that there are a lot of dead or doomed critters in this entry. . . I hope I haven't put a damper on your day. After all, they're all pest-type animals. ;o)

First snake of the year, etc.

We saw the first snake of the year down by the pond, yesterday evening. I'm not sure what it was, or how long it was. It was a dusty grey color and looked dry and rough. It could have been a moccasin, but we took a detour and didn't get close enough to ID it.

Donald was the one to spot it, and when he froze, I knew at once what he'd seen (or at least that he thought he'd seen a snake), so I had one of those awful moments of dizziness I always seem to get in certain situations. It's something like the "slow-motion" feeling you sometimes experience (especially when you're falling). I hate it when that happens! I feel totally out of control-- for less than a second, probably, but it's still very unpleasant-- especially when I need to be getting away from something (the snake).

Anyway, snakes are apparently on the move around here, so be careful!

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I was just looking around for photos of different types of snakes. (It can't hurt to re-familiarize myself with some of the most common venomous snakes in our area.) I found some random guy's blog, where he described killing a snake that he thought was a moccasin and which his wife had found on their porch. He'd posted a few photos of the snake in question.

The entry received some rather venomous (pardon the pun) comments from people who were horrified that he had killed what turned out to be a yellow-bellied water snake-- not a moccasin. Some of them just corrected him, though they couldn't resist the opportunity to point out how valuable these beautiful creatures are, etc., etc. But a few perfect strangers berated the man for his callous action-- told him that cutting the head off a snake is a cruel way to kill it, as they don't die instantly (What's a kinder way to kill it, then? Shoot it in the head, maybe?)-- called him a "selfish fool" and asked him how he dared to kill the animal without researching its "breed" (which is mighty hard to do when you've got to to keep an eye on it and make the decision on the spot)-- and so on. These people seemed to be personally offended that he'd killed the snake. You'd almost think the snake was a friend of the family. At least one person seemed to think that even if it had been poisonous, he wouldn't have had a right to kill it. (He was supposed to call a "wildlife re-locator". Because we're running so short on venomous snakes in the U.S., I guess?)

After looking at the photos, I have to agree that it probably wasn't a moccasin. The pupils aren't slits (as far as I can tell), and there don't seem to be "pits" in the face-- but the body does look like a moccasin, so I can't blame the guy for being confused. If I were in the same situation, faced with a split-second decision (because the snake was fleeing into a wooded area, but could have come back at any time), trying to protect a small child (or even just me and my pets!), I'd probably err on the side of caution. I figure that even if I kill two "harmless" snakes on accident every year, the world probably won't come to a screeching halt. But maybe I'm just an insensitive brute. ;o)

I definitely don't advocate torturing any animal, nor do I think you should go around killing animals with no legitimate reason-- but good grief! Is a person not to be allowed to kill a potentially harmful animal when it turns up on his private property? What's next? Maybe we shouldn't set mouse traps or spray wasp nests! Actually, why not ban antibacterial cleansers-- or soap in general? I mean, bacteria are living things, too, and who ever said that we have the right to kill them?

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Thanks to the time change, there's just enough time for us to have a walk or spend a few minutes doing something else outside before it gets dark, when Donald comes home. No complaints about that-- but I'm still not completely adjusted to the new schedule.

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I finally got around to uploading a few photos I took of a pin cushion I made to put along with Mom's birthday gift this year. (She has it now, so no worries about spoiling the surprise. (g)) I made it using felt, a few glass beads, and a little "fiberfil"/stuffing.


(There are a few other photos of this on my Flickr account.)

I used a variety of websites for inspiration, but I ended up just making up my own pattern. It's pretty simple. (And I have very limited experience with needle and thread, so that's saying something!) All you really need to know is how to do a simple stitch-- the blanket stitch is a common choice.

To make it the way I did, you'll need the following:

• felt in the desired colors
  
• I just used the cheap sheets of felt you find in the craft store, but if you want to get fancy you can use wool felt. I've read that even if you're going to use polyester felt, you might get better quality stuff if you buy it off the bolt rather than in the pre-cut rectangles. Like I said, I used the cheapest stuff, and it still "worked".
  
• embroidery floss and thread
  
• I'm sure you could use regular thread, but the embroidery floss is nice, if you have it. I divided mine into two or three threads to prevent it from being too bulky, so it goes a pretty long way. You can choose floss/thread that matches your felt or colors that contrast-- whatever look you prefer.
  
• needle (or two-- a very thin one, if you're going to be sewing on tiny beads)
  
• card stock or thin cardboard
• I just used what I had on hand-- thin "cardboard" from cereal boxes or other food packaging. Use this to make your templates, if you like, and to stiffen parts of the finished food shape.
• pen
  
• This is for tracing your pattern onto the felt, if you like. I found that the pens I used tended not to dry on the poly felt. (Or if it dried, it took a very long time to do so.) It was a little bit messy. You could use pencil, I guess, or experiment on a scrap until you found an ink that dried. Or just don't worry too much about it and try to dab the ink dry with a tissue.
  
• scissors
  
• Good, sharp ones are best for cutting the felt.
  
• fiberfil-type stuffing
• I think some people are a bit picky about this part. Evidently certain types are better than others for preserving needles and pins. You can even fill the pin cushion with emery to help keep them sharp. I just used what I had on hand-- polyfil.
  
• small glass beads, sequins, ribbon, etc.
• These are just for embellishment, so use whatever you have on hand.
  
• weights / flattened marbles
  
• This is optional. I added a few flattened glass marbles in the bottom of this pin cushion to give it a little extra weight. You could use anything that's small and relatively heavy for the same purpose.
  

Basic instructions:

1. Decide what you want to make and break the shape down into simpler shapes. This may be harder for some people than others. If it helps, sketch it out on paper. Here's an example of what I mean: To make my slice of cake, I knew that I needed two shapes like triangles with a curved edge-- pizza slice shapes. One would be the top of the slice of cake and on would be the bottom. Then I'd need two identical rectangles for the long sides of the slice (the parts with the white stripes). Finally, I'd need one more rectangle just long enough to go around the curves of the "pizza slice" shapes. Those shapes would make the basic shape of the cake slice. Because I wanted to embellish the slice a little, I also needed two narrow strips of "icing"-colored felt (to give the illusion of a layer cake), some flower- and leaf-shaped pieces to go on top, and for the top and sides, so "piped icing". To make each section of the piped icing, cut three or four (or whatever looks best to you-- experiment!) ovals (or circles) of felt. Layer them and stitch together down the middle. When you sew them to the cake, you can pull the thread through the layers to make them come together and even "twist" a little.
   
2. Cut your shapes from the felt. I made cardboard templates to help me get things right, but that may not be necessary for you. Be sure to think about what each shape will be in the finished "food" before you cut. This helps you make sure you're cutting the right color for each shape.
   
3. Start stitching the shapes together. I'm not sure what's the best method to follow on this part. I just learned as I went, and I've forgotten most of what I thought I learned. ;o) I believe it's generally easier to save the bottom shape for last. Take your time. If it doesn't look like something's going to fit, you can still trim the shapes, at this point. Because felt doesn't unravel, you don't have to worry about protecting the cut edges. A simple blanket stitch works perfectly, but you can also use a whip stitch or whatever else you like. You'll want to hide your knots as much as possible, of course. I found it was easier to do as much as possible of the "embellishing" sewing before I sewed the whole thing together. What I mean is, I'd go ahead and sew the "icing" strips to the rectangles and the flowers to the top before sewing the larger shapes together. Ditto for the beads. It may be different for you, but this made it easier for me to keep my knots hidden. On the other hand, I think I did sew some of the piped icing on after putting together the basic shape of the cake.
   
4. Put in the stuffing, cardboard, and weights. As I said before, I saved the bottom shape for last. You can go ahead and stitch most of that last piece on, but pause when you have one side or so still "open". Now is a good time to add cardboard rectangles to the straight sides of the cake slice (if you want them to be stiff and not bulge out a bit). Next, start stuffing the pin cushion. I'm not sure how firm the ideal pin cushion should be, but I think it's easy to under-stuff, so it may be best to add a little more than you think you'll need. (You could try holding it closed and "testing" it with a few pins to see what it feels like.) To give your cake slice a flat bottom, put a cardboard shape (trimmed to the right dimensions) between the stuffing and the felt. If you want to add some weights to your pin cushion, put them in just before the cardboard. (I tried hot gluing the flat marbles to my cardboard shape, but it was clear that they wouldn't stay in place for long. You could glue them with something more permanent, if you really wanted them to stay put, but I think that as long as you put them at the very bottom, they won't be a problem, even if they are loose.) Stitch the final side closed. Do any final bits of embellishment you like, and then you're done!
   

Here are some links you might find useful:

• Blanket stitch on felt
  
• Whip stitch on felt
  
• Inspiration on Craftster forum
  
• Four ways to make a "cream puff"/"icing star" (Japanese)
  
• Baked goods inspiration (Japanese)
  
• Even more inspiration (in Japanese, so you just have to browse at random)