I have been telling my kids for years that there is no need to get any pets because we have so many animals that live right out the back of our house. Years ago we named one of the squirrels that lived in our back rocks Caroline and I would let the kids feed her. When they fill out papers at school that asks them if they have a pet I always remind them about "our" pet squirrel. Besides there are always hundreds of deer that come down the mountain each night and walk right back behind our house. One year we even had a big Moose walk right through our back yard. This morning I saw a mother deer and two tiny baby deer walk right behind our house. Emilee told me that she thought they were just born this morning because we have never seen deer so small. This year we have been lucky enough to have two bird nests in our trees in the back yard and have had so much fun watching the mother birds coming and going as they have taken care of the eggs and now her new little babies. We can see the little babies eating right from their mothers beaks and can hear their cute little chirping all day long. Well tonight we found a few more pets just making their way through our grass. YIKES!
Jason and the kids saw this not so little snake just slithering around in our back yard. Jason went to get something to catch it in and when he got back it had worked it's way right into our rock wall.
We tried everything we could think of to force it out of the rocks. I tried the hose, bug spray, scaring it with a shovel but it was staying put.
After a lot of waiting and persistence by Jason we got him to crawl back out. If you know Jason he does NOT like snakes!! When we lived in our old house he saw a couple of garden snakes in our yard and put our house for sell. Little did he know he would be dealing with a lot bigger snake problem here.
The kids sat and waited on high ground because they were too scared to walk on the grass.
Once it slithered it's way out of the rocks Jason pinned it with his hoe and Emilee called Dillon McSpadden to bring down his pellet gun for back up. Thank heaven's he did! Darrin and Truxston came too as well as some cousins. As soon as they walked on to our grass the nearly stepped on another snake. We were scared with the one snake but I was petrified when I saw that there were TWO big snakes in yard at the same time. Jason and Dillon's uncle wrangled up the first snake while Darrin took on the second snake by himself with a little hand shovel.
We gathered quite a crowd with all the excitement. We went and disposed of the snakes and were happy to be heading home snake free! So we thought..... 
The McSpaddens were just heading back home to continue with their family barbecue when lo and behold Jason spotted another huge snake, right in the rock wall where the first one was caught. I thought he was kidding. Luckily the McSpaddens weren't too far away and came back for round 3. Darrin and his brother in law used their snake catching skills and took care of him too. I am still in shock that we had 3 snakes in our yard all at the same time. Thanks to the Mcspaddens they are gone now. (At least those 3) We are hoping we don't see more anytime soon! There have been so many snake sitings lately including a rattle snake in our neighbors garage today. And a kid in our stake has been at Primary Children's all week because he has been bitten by a rattlesnake. So everyone keep your eyes out for snakes! I know I will! My kids say they are never playing outside again and I definitely will not be weeding my rock wall in the back ever again! !
18 comments:
This snake infestation we're experiencing in our neighborhood is making me loose sleep at night. I hate snakes!! I worry about all our little kids and the rattlesnakes. I'm sure glad I could supply a few more boys and some weapons for the battle. They'll be telling their brave stories all summer, but you can see I didn't volunteer to come down and join in the fun.
I'm a little freaked out too...Chris brought the rattle snake they had in their yard to our house to show us because he thought Steve was afraid of them(he's not)...he knew someone was...it must be Jason. We were also at his house when he decided to finally kill it several days later.
Where in the heck were we when all this happened? We have not seen any snakes so far, but my kids still talk about Chris's rattlesnake. I'm gonna have to start packin a sidearm when I do my yard work. You must have had a whole pack, nest, den, or whatever you call it, of them in your rock wall, I hope there are no more!
Come to the Bean Museum and I'll have one of my students show your kids some snakes that live in captivity. Notice I said I'd have one of my students... I'm freaked out by them
I live in a condo high off the ground so I won't have to deal with them ever... only at work!
I heard your story. With all of these snakes the past couple of weeks I can't even walk barefoot in my own house for fear of stepping on something slithery. I will seriously have a heart attack. So seriously, why do you think we have this problem this year so much more than any year past??
Holy Cow! I can't believe you guys had 3 big snakes in your yard! Scary!!! Lew would have freaked if he would have saw those! That is so sad about the little boy in the hospital! Miss you guys! Tell Jay happy fathers day!
That is an incredible story! I have heard it about three times and it just keeps getting better and better! Thank goodness for good neighbors!
Next time you find some, head down this way so you can go to the grocery store with rat girl and the snakes can eat them off her shoulder...The way I see it, it's a win-win!
holly crap that makes me a little nervouse to come play on your grass.. glad you were so brave and took care of those monsterous snakes.
Oh my heck. . run for your life! Tell the kids to stop dropping their popcycles in the lawn, maybe that is a snakes favorite food.
Hey Kim,
I got your blog address thru Sammy's. It is so fun to see your family and how cute you all are. We all sure miss you guys.
I remember when we lived in the neighborhood we caught a few rattle snakes. It always freaked me out weeding in the rocks. I would sometimes jump and think I was hearing something in the rocks.
Good luck! One thing to remember they eat mice. I think I hate mice worse than snakes. Except for the poison danger of the rattle snake. Especially for little kids. I have heard the baby rattle snakes are the most worry. Don't know if it's true.
Thought I should post a hello since I have been observing for a long time :0)
Jeannie
I can't believe all the excitement! Tony HATES snakes and would have died to have 3 in our yard. I hope none make it this way or else we will have to call you guys to come over and help us out.
Okay, I'm no longer walking in your yard. Those snakes were HUGE!! Why are you the lucky one that gets stuck with them :) I can't believe the problem were having this year. I'm scared to have my kids play outside now.
I think that I would have died if a snake that big was in my yard!!! Lets get together and do dinner soon.
Kristalyn
Ok, guess what I found out, blo snakes eat rattle snakes! So don't kill those anymore, go set them free in Bishop's yard or in the field, that would make us all feel so much better to get rid of those rattlers.
Funny about the animals, while you were gone, in the middle of the afternoon a deer was eating bushes in your front yard. Those deer are gettting brave, I tried to get a pic with my phone but it moved to the back yard and I wasn't getting out of my car in that heat! :)
I hate to say it, but better you than me! J/K Man we certainly have a mystery on our hands. Why so many snakes? What's going on? I did see a baby rattle snake a couple of weeks ago by the slides at the park. And than all these other sidings started accruing. AAHHH! I think we need to send some brave men on a snake hunt. Anyone? Anyone? I heard there could be like 200 snakes living in a den at a time. Crazy!
ok that is freaking me out!
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