Enough Visitors. Really.

This little guy whom we found enjoying the pool was admittedly very cute. But my first question was, "Where's his mama?" He arrived after a storm, so I'm not sure if he was blown in or came of his own volition, but there he was very competently swimming in our pool.

I grew up on the Dark Continent, so I've seen my share of snakes and even come face-to-face with a cobra, but I really don't like them in my backyard where my kids play! I guess this drought is driving them to the pool and to the dog's water dish. I was pleased to note this little guy was very bashful. Everytime I tried to photographically capture his lithe little reptilian frame from the front, he would dive way under and take off...fast! Mark caught him no problem with the net, though.

I think I found him on the internet under Brown Water Snake, a harmless snake common in this area and often confused with the poisonous Water Mocassin. In my online reading, I came across many authors who implored the readers to stop misunderstanding and mistreating our reptilian friends and killing them needlessly. You know what? They're snakes! I don't want them in my yard. I don't want them around my children. If it weren't for one very infamous snake and one very luscious garden...well, you know the story. And I'll tell you...as pertaining to this cute little guy, I was not very understanding and, upon my request, the Valiant Snakekiller mistreated him to his death.

A Follow-Up on Our Visitor

I've had several people ask me about the venemosity (yes, I know I just made up a word!) of our little visitor last night. I did some research comparing pictures and as far as I can tell, our snake was a Black Rat Snake, common in this area (hopefully not too common). Not poisonous thank goodness! Of course my husband tried to convince me that Black Rat Snakes mate for life and have lots of babies, but since I haven't seen him doing any research, I'm only keeping one eye open for our guest's life partner and all of their offspring.

A Visitor's Demise

We had a visitor tonight...of the reptilian sort. As we were finishing dinner, Mark got up from the table. Glancing out the door, he said, "That's a really big snake." He said it very nonchalantly as if we have snakes of varying sizes stop by on a daily basis. I went over to the door, expecting to see a snake barely bigger than one of those worm-sized snakes you sometimes happen across when gardening. But what I found was this guy:

I have not seen a snake this big on this continent except in zoos, and this guy was NOT in a cage. In fact, he was not only in my backyard, but resting comfortably on the threshhold of my back door, about a foot and a half from where my baby sat eating her dinner! Mark went out the other back door and grabbed the pool broom which he used to trap the snake. I went to get a shovel. After delivering the shovel to him, my valiant husband played with the snake for a few minutes while I ran to get the camera. Unfortunately, the playing lasted a little too long because our legless friend disappeared under the grill and wouldn't come out. I was beginning to have visions of Mark prepping the grill for dinner tomorrow night only to have this little beast strike.

Mark finally coaxed him out and promptly chopped off his head. The kids were then permitted to come out and inspect our visitor from a better vantage point than the family room window.

The boys thought it was very cool that the snake's mouth kept opening and closing even after Daddy had thrown its body over the fence. Alex said she thought she might throw up.

I have to admit that since I am so often home without the Valiant Snake Killer and I have 4 little people to keep safe and sound, I am feeling a little bit like Alex.