Bug Close Ups. A New Low.
Why? My computer will not let me pull up and crop my bench pictures. It is taking way too long to get the images. I have to work today. This is my long week and I am impatient. These two pics were all ready to go. And they are in the folder that needs to be used. I am desperate to post something every day if possible. I guess this is desperate. Anyway here is some phone camera action for you to enjoy on WOW Wednesday. More like, Wait. What? Wah. Wah. Wah. Wednesday. I took the one above with the GS4. Stevie took the one below with her IP4. Yep. That’s it. Have a great day!
Classic Bunny Pose. Right Before We Fed Him To Our New Pet, The Snake.
Just kidding. However, we do actually have 2 little baby bunnies that seemed to survive the nest we found a few weeks back. Looked like 4 inside, but we only see 2 every day now. Oh? You don’t want to hear about these bunnies? What happened to the snake? Well, I’ll tell ya.
The snake survived fine, overnight, in the pillowcase, the first night into Sunday. We had discussions with family about who to call, what to do, where the snake should go, blah blah blah. We had some nature preserve ideas, natural habitat locations, and I did more research on the internet to find a decent solution we could all live with. We had a pretty good plan in place, but when we woke up Monday morning, it seemed that nature was going to decide for us. The pillowcase was wet, but only in a certain spot, as if something tried to attack it and either the snake was now dead, or it defended itself and released liquids of some defensive sort. I don’t really know enough so I thought, dead. I got gloves, cause, ewww, and when I picked up the bag to untie the cord the snake was rattling and angry. But alive. So we let it out nice and slow like they say to, and it calmed right down. I was able to hold it and inspect it and it looked OK. But, it definitely could not stay in a pillowcase, inside of a plastic tub, in a backyard, for anymore days or nights. Based on more research and a few phone calls, the best course was to let it go in its closest natural habitat. The snake is one of our Illinois snakes, and it is considered mostly passive as far as wild snakes go. And they move around at night in the summer. So, maybe it just got really lost. We have, well, let me say, we had, a wild, wooded area right at the end of our block-set mere weeks ago. But after several episodes of flooding, the town, or county, or whoever, leveled all the trees, bushes, grass, etc., and created a retention/detention pond-type area. It was quite dense and wild. It had coyotes. We saw them over the winter. At any rate, they’re all gone now. The land is flat and I’m sure the animals that didn’t get killed outright, moved themselves out asap. And maybe our little friend finally worked her way over to our backyard looking for shelter. Or she was just passing through and just wasn’t fast enough. OR. She’s been hanging out in our backyard for god knows how long because of all the wood we had piled around and since we moved some of it in our clean-up attempt she had to move too, but we just never saw her until the other day. Eck. We could have been sitting and standing near her for days. Or weeks. Eeesh. Let’s not think about that though. Let’s think about this instead: The nice thing about living in the suburbs is we live very close to, “the end of the suburbs”, which is basically open land and fields and forest preserves. We picked the best one that had everything: Prairie-like land, woods, marshy swamp area, and water. And not visited or populated by many people. Some areas see lots of traffic, the one we picked has very little, in general and by comparison. We drove over there Monday, nice and early. No people. took a walk deep into the back, a nicely wooded and flat area, where the secondary, smaller pond is, and let her go along the tree line. It’s a good spot. Lots of space for a young snake. (We have been thinking juvenile, totally based on color and patches, via the internet again. I could be completely wrong of course. Male. Old. Dying. Who knows.) Anyway this is her new home:
We let her out of the pillowcase, onto the ground, behind where we took the picture. Thick woods, away from the roads or parking areas, with that view across. She layed for a minute in the grass and the sun. And slowly slid into the trees. Then she was gone.
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.
And This Is Really Showing Off
Again, with the S4. I took it this morning when I was dead heading my flowers that I have somehow managed to bring back to life. Please feel free to click the image so it gets really big, and you can get in there, nice and close, and see all the detail, clarity, and acuity I am working with over here. Using my phone camera. I have to go to work now, but hopefully my son can impress everyone later with the pictures he took with his S4, before we had to replace it. I managed to forward about 10 of the 50 or 60 pics on the camera before it got shut down. I scrolled fast and tried to save the best. We’ll see.
Guess What This Is
My usual boring stuff can wait for another day or so. Especially when my girl sends me much better things to share. I almost can’t believe this colorful guy was just walking around, in view, waiting for his moment of internet fame. He’s from Kentucky. Appears to be several years old. May be single. Hard to tell because he took all day to get across the road. The camera loves him. I don’t know. I’m just making all that up. Here’s his head shot:
He was sent to me without comment. Along with some underwater pictures that I will put up next. Then, back to my regularly scheduled programming. Unless…my son sends me something later too. You definitely want to keep checking back for all this mystery and excitement. Do we need the sexy side view? Chilling on the side of the road? Of course we do!
My momma done inter-veened me
Too bad all we did was go to breakfast and take MORE distorted pictures. We were laughing like lunatics but at least I was out of the house and away from that cursed computer game. For the record, everything in that picture is extremely exaggerated EXCEPT for the hair. That’s really how big my mom’s hair is. It’s really getting out of hand.
So, THANK YOU MOM!! I will see you Thursday.
Besides I still have like, seven and a half hours before I can get my free spin! Loo-oo-oozer.
Since we were in the world we decided today is a good day to go get new hummingbird and regular-bird feeders. The ones we had were quite destroyed and no hummingbirds were coming anymore. Hopefully this will turn things around on the back patio.
We also got our boarder-dog, Juneau, some supplies. Yes, we have had a dog here for the last two weeks. He’s a good boy, but so furry. We gave him a nice bath and brushing this afternoon. The hair is endless. We’ve been brushing him every day and even though it looks like we brush off a smaller dog every night, by morning there’s more hair shedding out. What’s that? Well of course there’s pictures. Sillies.
We are like a nature center over here. I have lots of backyard animals. Hmmm. I’m sensing a new feature. To go along with all the other new features I never follow through with for more than a day or two. Let’s see if I can break the streak.
Ready. Set. Let’s go.
To the Wild!
It’s Official!
Just checked the website and the scores were posted for the Final Exam I took today. I was sure I was in the “A” category, but not positive. I am not above making a read-back error (although I will strive to never do that in my professional career).
I worked real hard for this. Just like all my classmates. The mood was serious and intense. We were all first-course nervous.
The professor posted a message saying a few of the questions were reviewed and modified for accuracy. You may have an additional point or two on your score.
Click over to the grade section…yes! Official! I am now solidly in “A” territory! What a boost for the next semester! Longer and harder I hear. More intense. We’ll be getting right into the good stuff. I have to keep up!
Thank you, all, again, for the suh-port! It helps when you know you have people out there pulling for you!
Thank you professor! Now I can say how awesome she was without sounding like I am sucking up.
Good luck fellow students! If any of them might happen to ever stumble upon this: I hope you are just as happy as I am!
I feel like I took a marshmallow pill or something. I’m getting all soft and gooey.
Drink time! I’ll make it a beer. We only have one in the house so it will be a short celebration, but it’s all mine!
I’m going to go outside, fill up the bird feeder, take a seat, watch the wildlife and soak it all in enjoying the moment. Talk later.
Giant Spider. Giant. Spider. Giant. F-ing. Spider.
Eeewww. Yuk. Creeped out. Goosebumps. Hair standing up. Bleh bleh bleh…. Still.
I almost went into cardiac arrest last night getting up to turn off the light.
The LARGEST. The HAIRIEST. The BLACKEST. The CREEPIEST. Spider I have EVER seen in a house, was on my floor last night. Chilling and reading a magazine. I think I saw a cup of coffee in one of his hands? Claws? Pincers? Yuck. Yuck. And Yuck.
I’m no baby about wildlife. I’m not really afraid of spiders. The concrete slab we live on is full of creatures from the underworld that like to come topside every now and then to remind us that we are NOT alone. Fine. Whatever. But this was NOT a “spider”. This was a SPIDER. Like how a tarantula is a spider. Huge and in its own weight class. Yuck. Just typing it is making me feel all creepy inside.
Ok. So I see it, from across the room. Stop dead. Like not moving. I was immovable. Like stone. I barely looked at the BF to alert him to the situation. He saw it. You really couldn’t miss it. I’d say it was the size of a tealight candle. A black, hairy, tarantula tealight on my beige carpet.
Now, if you don’t think that a tealight is all that big and most likely not scary, try scattering a few of them around on your floor and then decide. And remember: It’s a spider. It can move. Fast. A hairy, black, fast-moving tealight. Yeah. No thanks.
I sneak into the kitchen so it doesn’t see me and get like, 10 papertowels in a bunch, to hand off to the BF. The BF made ONE step toward the spider and it just casually backed into the space between the TV and a speaker. Like, whatever, good luck, you ain’t getting me, I SEE you.
OMG! A spider with acute vision and brains. It’s like a damn hamster. Luckily it had no where to go except back out the front. The BF could see it from the top with a flashlight, just sitting there on the floor. The BF says, “If I just had something to coax it out with, like a stick or something…” Oh, OK. Good idea. I get the backscratcher. Straight, long, even has the curvy, scratch part you can use like a handle!
So the BF puts the stick down into his spider lair and holds the papertowels by the opening between the furniture. (I am way over on the other side of the room, by the kitchen door. I did go get a shoe to smash him with, just in case he made a dash my way, but I wasn’t looking to be a hero.)
I wish I was lying when I say the BF was literally, NUDGING this giant ass spider out between the two walls of the furniture. Nudging it like a mouse or a gerbil or a CAT. Yikes! I’m like, “Can you see it?” He says, “Oh yeah…he’s coming.”
What?!? Oh geez…it’s like pushing a fussy child toward the other kids on the playground. The spider had, like, 6 of his legs all locked down and in fighting stance while the BF is trying to push it out into the open with a back scratching stick that seems woefully too short at this point. The spider was holding onto the stick with his other 2 legs and trying to wrestle it away from the BF. Like tug-of-war, arachnid style. Thank god, I was not home alone. I would have had to go to a hotel or something. There was no way I would have been able to sleep knowing that spider was just hanging out, waiting for it to get dark, so it could come out and crawl on me. I’d throw it a sandwich and get the hell out of there.
Since this is real life and NOT a movie, the humans prevailed. The spider was overpowered; pushed into the light and squeezed to death in a wad of papertowels. I promise you, there was no way I was able to take a picture. I could not stop shaking from the heebie-jeebies. Trust that this spider was huge. No exaggeration. The BF is very level-headed and not prone to over embellishing a story like I might do….and even he said, very casually, “yeah, that’s a pretty big spider…”
So there you have it. A pretty big spider. Pretty dead spider now. I do feel kind of bad though. We had a large spider, (female, I chose to believe at the time–just a guess–nothing scientific), hanging out on our kitchen window. The outside. She had a huge web strung from window to house to eave, and she was just SO big! I felt that a creature that fearsome and strong, that could survive long enough to get that big, deserved to live and be left alone. I would just give the window a WIDE berth when going past to get in the back door. Those kinds of spiders jump when they’re startled and I did not want it jumping on me. Legs out, fangs sinking into my neck. I’d be dead before I even hit the ground from the shock. Mouth open, heart stopped, pants crapped. There wouldn’t even be a sound. She hung around for a few weeks and then she was gone.
At the end of summer last year, we had another large spider hanging off the free standing basketball pole/net thing we have next to the garage. This spider wasn’t so smart, though just as fearsome, and pretty lucky apparently. It was huge, but couldn’t seem to get the hang of stringing a web from the basketball pole to the garage. Too much gap. It finally settled on the garage gutter before it disappeared into winter. This one I took pictures of. I was scared the whole time but I think I captured it’s terrifying essence.
Keep in mind, the pictures are close-up, and against a standard roof top gutter. It is huge. It was huge.
But this one was still SMALLER than the one inside the house. If that was a quarter, again, the one in the house was a TEALIGHT. Wearing pants.
Take a big drink. Swallow. And peek through your fingers at these:
just shy of pretty 