Business has not been great, it seems that I’m loosing more than I’m making, right now. The house renovation is a daunting task, and winter is coming on fast. So I’ve been a little out of sorts the past few days and really trying to find some focus.
So, the other day I a
m walking around my back pet enclosure, making sure that the hole that my dogs got out of is patched securely, and find a snake in my yard. Now it wasn't just a garter snake that I'm used to, ho no...its a copperhead. Ok, now I haven’t been talking about the snakes that have inhabited my space as I renovate this house, well, because I’m trying to focus on other things. But it’s hard to focus on other things when your heart keeps getting thrust up into your throat when you least expect it.Did you say you needed FOCUS? Well, this was not the focus I was expecting...obviously!
This isn't the actual snake( found it on Google) since I didn't have the camera on me and I wasn't thinking about photo ops at the time...
First it was the black snakes or Rat snakes that have been living
in the ceiling. We have opened up the ceiling to make it cathedral like since the house is so small it needs to feel bigger. The roofers said that we had a resident black snake, but I didn’t see him for a few weeks after I’d been living here. Needless to say it was startling to meet him the first time since he was about 3 to 4 feet long falling from the sky in front of me as I worked on installing a new window. Or the new juvenile that I met recently that swung from by bedroom doorway while I was watching TV one night. But today was a copper head.Of course I’ve been a city girl for so long I wasn’t sure, but I’ll assume the worst since I’d rather err on the side of caution. So I run inside to see if I can identify the little bugger, who is about 3 feet long, and see if it’s safe to put my dogs back there so I can go to town. I plug in and wait for my dial up to get going so I can do a Google search to find pictures of the snake in question. Now as I wait, I’m thinking of how to get rid of this guy. Barbeque tongs come to mind a box a sack to move it etc…I can’t kill it. It’s not in me. I’m having trouble with the rats that have invaded as well and the decision of the “humane” way to get rid of them, and those suckers I shouldn’t have a problem killing off, but I do.
Now, I understand, inherently that the snakes would only be here if there is a food source, which are the rats-so you’d figure I should be happy with their presence. Well, I would be happier if they’d do their job! I still have the one rat living under my bathtub, I think. And now the copperhead under the utility room, I think I got rid of the snake in the ceiling by sealing every hole I could find with Great Stuff expandable foam, thats readily available at Home Depot or Lowes.
My real issue is my animals 2 cats and 2 dogs, and as I mentioned, being a city girl, these are city pets. Mind you they’re having a great time running around a very secluded 30 acres but they haven’t ex
perienced the country, and that worries me. Bailey is the hound dog hunter/pointer telling Kashi, my striped “Pt-Chow!” where things are and to go get them, as if to say “OOh OOh Look, look there it is! Get it!” And Kashi will abide this and make this sound that is primal as if coming from her ancestors, not a bark and not a growl, but its excited in its tone and delivery. Bailey’s hound nature makes her bark incessantly and the same tone and repetition make it hard to tolerate for long. But you can’t deny nature. She will be out until all hours hunting something dark and unknown in the woods, while Kashi lays at my feet occasionally looking up then at me wagging her tail as if to say “ I think she’s a little obsessed, Momma”. To which I agree. This animal will rip siding off the house, move rocks that are at least 20 to 30 pounds out of the way to get to whatever it is. She’s even gone so far as to dig through the siding in the back and attempt to go through the new sheetrock in the kitchen to kill the rat, or whatever it was. 
This is the fear, Bailey is an instigator, Kashi is the follower, both are very smart but Bailey is too smart for her own good and this is what I fear will get her killed by something she’s never encountered before, be it poisonous snake or large furry creature with big teeth and claws like a black bear.
So you see my dilemma do I put them in the back so I can go to Asheville for the day and risk a showdown with a Copperhead or do I keep them inside all day in the attempt to protect them? What’s a mother to do? Especially, since I'm doing this alone for the first time in 10 years. My partner is the knowing nature person who is experienced about the NC woods and its inhabitants.
Research- that’s all I can do find out the nature of the snake, is it aggressive or not, where they tend to hide what they eat etc. I saw an episode of “Dirty Jobs” which I never watch, but they had the exterminators on there and they had a simple and inexpensive way of dealing with snakes, mothballs. Apparently they don’t like the odor and will head for the hills. Since knowledge is power, that’s all I have right now, I’ll try anything. I found serpent repellent spray online, but its $50 bucks a bottle. Too much for a “maybe it’ll work” .
Living in a rural area has proved an education in itself, I go into town and tell of my dilemma or experience and these ol'country folk always have a remedy. "get one of these ol'country boys to getcha a king snake an' you ain't gonna have no more copperheads or ratt-lers", or "get you some motoroil an' pour it down the hole an' light a match, they won't come back". Too bad he's under my house...
I can’t protect my babies all the time, they have to experience life and the risks associated with it, and so do I. I make them sound like children, but they are, they’re my children, and I worry about them. perhaps I'm creating things to worry about so I don't worry about other things, like myself...
