Stepping Up Our Wildlife Game
S is for snake! This little lady was laying right in front of our door last night when we got home from shopping at Target. I mention the Target part because we do not live in an area where this type of snake roams free. And truthfully I didn’t even see it. I apparently walked right over it. Stevie too. Mason started yelling from the door, “Are you kidding me?? Did you guys NOT see this giant snake sitting out here on the ground?? Are you kidding me??” I am paraphrasing for time. Add many more swear words and repeat 10 more times. I thought he was kidding. Nope.
Of course she slithered herself in between the outdoor plastic tub we have and the house. It was near dark when we found her and could not get a good look. She was rattling her tail and beating it against the ground and bricks while trying to move. So we thought rattlesnake. This is my night pic. The only one I could get:
Looks like a rattlesnake to me. Sounded like one too. So we called the police because we thought they need to know about potentially dangerous animals. They do. BUT. This isn’t really in their scope. They sent an officer who helped us move the tub so we could catch it. We did. Put it in a plastic bin and then into a pillowcase. Left it outside by the garage. Then went to the internet to try and identify. Success! I feel kind of smart too since that is a crappy picture and memory is not as good as you might think when you are terrified that a rattlesnake is going to bite you or try to crawl into your house. Our pretty little snake though, seems to be a Fox Snake. Often mistaken for the rattlesnake in Illinois. Often. Quick FYI’s and possible, relevant, future knowledge, you might need too someday:
Rattlesnake: Similiar colors, but, with a lighter enhancing outline around the dark pattern. And shaped like bow-ties. Thinner in the middle.
Fox Snake: Darker, rectangular pattern with light background. Picture proof obtained.
Rattlesnake: The rattle on the end.
Fox Snake: No rattle, but tries to mimic the rattle, by vibrating the tail just like a rattlesnake. Yep. True that. It rattled that rattleless tail alot to scare us. But, no rattle. Also confirmed via pictures.
Rattlesnake: Slit eyes with vertical pupils. Vertical. Up and down. Very scary looking.
Fox snake: Round eyes. Round pupil. You can see her pretty eyes in the above pic. And here. We really got in there this morning with the picture taking.
Rattlesnake: Light bottom. Similar coloring to top.
Fox Snake: Yellow bottom. Or orange. Could not confirm that until today. Yellow.
Both snakes are available in various lengths, but the Fox Snake is 3-5 feet. Ours is prob 4 feet.
The head is lighter in color, like the pattern gets blurry or smeared, whereas the rattlesnake head keeps the pattern same as the body.
And constricting. Bites for defense, but not poison. The internet claims it doesn’t hurt. Hmm. That will remain unconfirmed. Eats mice and rodents. It’s a sub species of rat snake I guess. Not aggressive unless attacked or threatened. Also, most likely female, based on size. We are just going with it. We played with her for quite awhile this morning and she never attacked. She did try and constrict and curl and keep trying to get out of the bin, so I picked her up bare handed and was able to look at her closely and then put her back into the pillowcase without physical harm.
A few phrases come to mind: “Snake charmed.” They do have a mesmerizing magnetic effect that makes you want to keep them and touch them. “If it was a snake it would have bitten me.” I NEVER even saw the damn thing laying straight and flush against the house. Camouflage in action. “Snake wrangling.” We were quite hilarious and ridiculous last night chasing that girl all around the house trying to pick it up with rakes and sticks. Little did we know we could have just grabbed it. But in our defense it was pretty “strikey” last night until we calmed it down.
At any rate, I posted it on Facebook for anyone to have. We can’t keep it, but we won’t kill it or let it loose somewhere. Could be a pet that got free, because it is not really indigenous to our particular location. One more interesting factoid: It is unlawful to catch, keep or kill this snake in Iowa. Endangered I think. Protected maybe. Mason found that info. There are like, 39 different kinds of snakes in Illinois at any one time, (4 are poisonous), and we get an out-of-towner. Seems funny. And don’t worry, I’m not going to just give it to anybody. It’s not food for something else or material for shoes or purses. If no one legitimately can take it and care for it properly, I am calling a private owned pet store we know of–that only deals in fish and reptiles–to see if they want it or can at least take it and fine a home for it. No animals will be harmed in the making of this post.
So, that was our night. We have to go to a grad party now (Yay Jesse!! High School Over!! College Bound!!) and prob won’t be back until dark again. I cannot wait to see what will be hanging outside the back door later on! The lost reptile wildlife of suburban Chicago must know we specialize in taking care of fish and turtles and are hoping to expand the family with snakes. What will it be tonight? I am hoping alligator! Or crocodile! Either way, it’s going to make an awesome photo gallery tomorrow! Last shot because I have one more picture I want to use.
This Happened Last Night
I don’t really follow hockey, but apparently LOTS of people where I was hanging out last night, do. This was driving around the neighborhood and the owner and GF were convinced somehow, to stop and let pictures be taken, and then even stayed for awhile and enjoyed the party. Of course I jumped on the bandwagon. This is the goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks, I am told. The name starts with a “C”. That’s as much research as I will be doing as I cannot remember the name and do not want to look for it. There were many photos taken. Alone. With the girls. With the boys. With the girls doing obscene things to this figure. With the boys doing obscene things to this figure…I think there were even animals involved. I don’t know. This truck parked in front of our friend’s house attracted a lot of attention. People were walking up from all over the place to ask about it, talk about it, take more pictures with it, etc. The one thing I can conclusively state is, that some of these male hockey fans are pretty darn good looking. I mean seriously. If I didn’t already have a BF, I’m telling you, I may, may have, been able to get lucky, wink wink. I’m just saying. Some legit hotties were rolling up and hanging out. Good for the old ego, and I stress the word “old”, especially after you’ve been feeling your mortality lately like I have. Also, I was told the girls that like the hockey are pretty attractive too. Must be something about all that testosterone, fighting, and no teeth. Real manly man stuff. Anyway, we stayed out until 1 am. That’s my latest night out in a long time. And I was…tipsy, let’s say. Good night. Good party. I feel fine today. It’s Sunday. It’s beautiful. I will try to post more. Later.
Tomorrow Weed For Women Behind. What the??
What could this mean?? This could sort of be categorized under “Weird Shit You Find Around The House”, but it’s also a mystery that must be trying to tell me something. These two things were sitting on the table in the living room, together, all by themselves. Obviously left for me (?) or as a reminder to my daughter for something she wants to remember in the morning (?) maybe (?). I really don’t know. But, I really don’t think it was my son. It’s not his writing. And the words, even though they seem to make no logical sense, or form a complete, coherent thought, are all spelled correctly.
It looks like a flower. Boutonniere, actually, (I super-hesitated to type that word because I can’t spell it–but once again, the computer is smarter than me! Thank you Spell Check!), that she may have gotten from the NJHS induction ceremony she went to tonight, to bring in the new 8th graders, to replace the graduating ones–of which she is one–in fact, she is the president of the NJHS in her school–not to brag or anything…and a 3×5 note card that she wrote those five specific words on, in green marker, no less. An act of convenience? Just a scrap that she took out to lay the flower on with no meaning to the words written upon it? And if that’s true, someone still wrote the words at some time and they must have meant something. What this really means is I need a day job so I don’t stay up half the night over-thinking some garbage left on a table in a quiet house at midnight.
Anyway…I got home and it was the only thing sitting on the table with it’s cryptic words on a plain old postcard. Tomorrow weed for women behind. I’ve read it over and over thinking that I must be missing something; like a reference to something; or a word that I’m reading wrong. Is it a slogan? Is it a chore? Something to do? Or maybe my brain is just not processing language correctly because I can’t seem to make the connection between these five words.
Alas, I must sleep with the unknown for tonight. As must you. I want to wake her up and ask, but that never works. My kids sleep so deep that if you do try to wake them up, they just get really confused and start talking out loud to whoever, and about whatever, they were dreaming of. Sometimes they get kind of angry and act all upset that they were even woken up. Pshh. Kids right? Plus that would probably be a really bad “mom” move. Especially since it’s already 2:30 AM, and I should be asleep myself. I should never be allowed to complain about being tired when I should have put myself to bed an hour ago instead of posting this ridiculousness in the middle of the night. At least we can be sure it’s not me, with a “language” issue, because I sure managed to waste alot of words taking about how I can’t understand words. Let me end this now before I write anymore of those words. Later.
Since I Need To Post Something…
Why not make it the most disturbing picture I took all week. I call it: Baby Head In Corner. Third day, out of four, in a row, at work. Late nights. Saw this as I was leaving. Hesitated, but took the picture. Showed anyone I saw on the way out and everyone agreed it was creepy. Some even went to go see it for themselves, as if I would lie about its placement and location. It is kind of frightening if you stare at it too long. And there is no logical reason why something like that would be where it was. It was gone the next day. Is there any lesson here? Or bigger message? Occasionally look down? Sometimes, don’t be afraid to peer into the corners? Ask why? Or at the very least, take a picture. For proof. Later.
Good Morning Nicor!! Thanks For Scaring The SH** Out Of Me!!
Holy Hell! Dreaming dreaming dreaming. The last few nights it’s always about giving medications. Trying to get everyone done before I have to go home. Although technically, I was having this particular dream at 10 am this morning. But now I hear, what sounds like a tree branch falling on the roof and rolling down. And then I hear it again and realize I am NOT dreaming and something is happening outside. So I jump out of bed and start running around the house looking out the windows to see if trees are falling. Nothing. Calm. Looks nice out. But I still hear what now sounds like someone bumping against the house on the bricks. I dash back to the front, see the Nicor truck on the street, run to my bedroom window and see the Nicor guy hunched down in front of my meter doing something that I can’t see from my angle. So I get my coat on, put some shoes on and run out to the side of the house. I say, “Uh hello?? What are you doing??” He says, “Oh sorry. I’m just painting your pipes. I should have knocked but I don’t like to wake people up if they’re sleeping.”
Thinking: Oh yes, good call. I’d hate to be woken up with a knock on the door. Jumping out of bed terrified that the roof is caving in is much better. Then: Really? On February 13? Just my house? Seems kind of random. And I’m looking around like it’s a joke. So I said, “Oh ok thank God. I thought a tree was falling on the house or you were turning it off or something.” Then he looks at the tree. He says, “That tree??” It’s the tree that already fell. The one that we cut to basically just a trunk. Obviously it really can’t “fall” but still, I don’t know. I was dead asleep. So I say, “Well, it had fallen over the summer and blah blah so you are just painting the pipe??”
“Yep. Sorry ’bout that.” Ok. Well thanks. And I went into the house. Then I took his picture so you could see what I saw and then I poured myself a big cup of coffee and decided I am up for the day. And here’s your post. Not the one I originally planned for either. I had a beautiful picture of the fabulous sunrise I captured this morning. But I guess it can wait until later. I have to go get in the shower. I have work now for about, oh, the next week in a row. I know that’s what lots of people do, but I’m still feeling green about the whole thing. See you after midnight. Later.
On the way to dinner last night we ran into the CIRCUS! Seriously.
We received the free tickets. We knew it was coming. We forgot all about it. Boom. Big Tent. Calliope music. Small ponies. Dancing horses. And elephants!
Oh yeah! Three, huge, giant elephants wearing colorful vests waiting in the parking lot for their turn in the big top. A tent the size of a football field in the Steger, K-Mart parking lot! Come one. Come all. My kids were P.O.’d that we didn’t go. Next year for sure. Here’s the pictures to prove it.
So basically we couldn’t park anywhere near the area. We ended up going to McDonald’s. They were very nice and friendly. They had a really cool mural on the wall of the Chicago skyline. Of course I took the pics to share.
Well that didn’t last long
UPDATE 8/31: That headline is psychic. I think the Wal-Mart site is already down. You can try it, but I think it’s over. Sorry!
Back from the deep, philosophical place I was at (with zero study time) and firmly re-planted in the place where I usually reside.
I apologize for my sense of humor.
Click here or to the right in the link column. People of Walmart.
It’s all that you think it is.
House party explosion all over the ground! New feature! Back-to-school Special!
These are the odd things we found on the ground walking to school. They seemed so random to me that I had to take the pictures coming home.
Just think of all the fun we could have with this for the next YEAR!!
I’m always thinking of you guys! Where else on the internet can you find pictures of things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever and have no meaning to anyone at anytime in any life???
Candle Number 1
Spoon. Just laying in the street. I know. It's weird.
Candle Number 2. A block away. Carried and dropped? Or...?...what?
Kid Key. It's a baby toy. Stevie says her new brother Gavin has one. All by itself in the grass. Sad baby.
On the way to the second-day check-up…
I was sitting at a light. Big intersection. Waiting to turn. The medical building looming to the front left, a cemetery (?) front right, and houses to the side. Suburban residential. Life and death in four corners. And I’m just sitting there. And I think to myself that the truck in front of me turning the opposite way looked so strange. I was tired. It was sunny (no specs, they just broke remember?, didn’t get the new ones yet.) It was hot. 90° and you start seeing stuff. I say to my mom, “That truck looks so strange.” She just agrees. It was so red and square and it had those safety cones hanging off the front…I took the picture…my mom says, “You’re so weird.”
Bonus Cool Word! because I like to confuse myself, and I need this word typed out to understand.
Existential (adjective)
Definition: Relating to existence, living or occurring; Based on experience.
Thereby, Existentialism (noun)
Definition: A philosophy that emphasizes the absence of supernatural authority and the freedom of and responsibility of the individual in a universe that lacks essential meaning; Randomness of the universe.
The problem I have here, is that I believe in the randomness of the universe, but not in the idea that things like a solid, physical object can suddenly appear with NO explanation at all. Even if the explanation is that there is no explanation.
Confusing? I know. That’s my brain right now. Which means I have to stop. That’s what those philosophy courses are for at the big universities! My brain is going into shut down and I need it to drive my mom back to the doc for her eye check in a few hours. I’m going to go take a shower and watch TV. Hot water and television will restore all the brain cells I need to complete my day. Ciao. Internationale!
just shy of pretty 