Tag Archives: snakes

Bringing the outdoors in

Posted by Lesley on November 14, 2012 3 comments

When we first moved into this house, I was so excited about the Florida room.  Because it’s so Florida, of course, just a room full of windows to capture our state’s most acclaimed asset: the sunshine.  I thought how great it would be to have plants growing on both sides of the windows—vines outside and potted plants inside.  Just last week, I was thrilled when having left the door open, a gulf fritillary butterfly flew in and circled the sunny room for a good 15 minutes.

I was less thrilled with today’s visitor…

It took me 45 minutes with a push broom as my weapon and knee-high galoshes as my armor to get the damn thing out of the house.

Dream shattered…I no longer want to bring the outdoors in.  Outside, please!

{this week} Busy

Posted by Lesley on March 9, 2012 2 comments

Although John and Luke cuddling is adorable, it’s time to add a new blog post.  On really busy weeks, that sounds easier than it is.  Every time I get down to blogging or gardening this week, I’m interrupted…TGIF.  In five minutes or less, this is what you missed…

Ella won Student of the Month and got to eat lunch with her principal.

Doodlebop came for a visit. We planted morning glories and nasturtiums. No blogging about it because when he left, the three of us all took naps!

The amaryllis have started to resurface.

And here's the stupid snake that keeps running me out of my own garden!

 

Snake Break

Posted by Lesley on February 19, 2012 None comments

It slithered in, and I ran out.  Snakes are my least favorite part of gardening.  Not because they’re not good to have around, snakes eat other unsavory garden visitors like rodents and insects, but because they creep me out.  They slither in and out of plants, trellises, and trees so quiet and undetected that it’s unnerving to have them lurking in my happy place.

I should have never watched The Witches of Eastwick as a kid. The image of Cher waking up in a bed of snakes has never left me.  A run in like this used to take me out of the garden for a day if not a week, but my sister gave me a good tip: look to the lizards.  They’re everywhere in Florida but not when there’s a snake around.

The lizards have returned, and a brown anole has never looked so handsome!  Only a couple more hours of daylight; break time’s over.

Snake!

Posted by Lesley on August 13, 2009 3 comments

I don’t remember a snake in Charlotte’s Web, but of course my twisted version has to include one.  This guy’s been lurking in the bushes for three days now, and he’s freaking me out!  I’m looking over my shoulder every time a lizard hops over a leaf.  He’s a Black Racer, a common visitor to any Florida garden.  He probably stopped by to see Templeton – better watch out little fella!  This one’s a biggie – about 3′.  And his name is indicative of his speed; he was too fast for me to get a decent picture.  That and I obviously spook easy.  The last time I was surprised by a snake in the yard, I lost both sandals during my frantic dash back to the house.  But this time I was prepared.  The minute Luke started barking at the bushes, I went straight for my boots.  They almost reach my knees and are entirely inappropriate for Florida in August, but the simple fact that the snake couldn’t slither across my toes made me much braver!