Why'd it have to be snakes?

So what prompted me to finally start writing this blog was a little incident that happened this evening, when the girls were putting the chickens to bed. (We raise two coops of chickens. I'll talk more about them later. LOTS of things learned there, believe me!)

I needed to get to the store for cookies -- my older daughter's class is having an "end of the year" party tomorrow -- so I asked them to go put our four Silkies to bed and close up their coop while I continued on to the house. Before I even got in the house I heard them start to scream "DAD!!!!"

I started running towards to coop even before I could yell "What?" and halfway there I hear "There's a HUGE SNAKE IN THE COOP!"

Thankfully, my kids have more sense than to tackle this themselves, but even if they didn't, I'm thinking this might have stopped them. In the corner of the coop was a huge black mass, about the size of a cafeteria tray, partially obscured by some debris on the floor of the coop.

Now, fortunately, I knew that a big black snake like that is likely a Black Racer, which is not poisonous, so I wasn't particularly afraid. But when I looked to see which end to drag it out of the coop by, what do I see but not one tail, but two.

Yes, apparently my children had unwittingly stumbled upon a snake ... um ... love affair. (Try explaining THAT to your ten-year-old.) Carefully but firmly, I grabbed both tails and dragged them out of the coop to see that they were more then three feet long and ... um ... occupied. (It's purple, if you're interested in that kind of thing. Apparently I jostled them a little.)

I didn't feel like transporting them any further than necessary, so I left them about 15 feet from the coop with a firm commitment to pick up some snake repellent at the store along with those cookies.

But I did learn some things from this, so I hereby provide you with the benefit of my experience:

1) Not all black snakes are Black Racers. In this case, in fact, it appears that we are dealing with Black Rat Snakes, also known (appropriately, in this case) as Chicken Snakes, as they are known to raid henhouses to eat eggs and sometimes chickens.
2) Black Racers will get away from you as fast as they can. Back Rat Snakes are more likely to freeze in place, or to very deliberately slink away. (Rat Snakes are apparently very good climbers, as well, which is how they got into my coop.)
3) Neither are poisonous, but both will bite. (Thankfully these were ... um ... occupied, and I escaped unscathed.)
4) You can buy snake repellent. Most snake repellents are a combination of strong smelling things like garlic or menthol. (I wouldn't want to come near that either.)
5) In the absence of snake repellent, moth crystals will do. (But if you use them, make sure they won't be eaten by other animals. For example, chickens will peck at and taste anything they see, so make sure you don't get/track any in your chicken coop or yard.)
6) Snakes like to lay their eggs in mulch, dead hay, etc., so I should probably clear out the old chicken bedding under the coop.
7) Snakes also like the damp coolness of long, long grass, hence the expression "snake in the grass", so I really need to get my hands on a mower and knock down this meadow I'm calling our property.
8) Chickens will kill and eat snakes, but apparently not if they're this big.

Things I've Learned Living In the Country

I've been threatening to write this blog for a long time. I grew up in the city, but when I met Sarah (who'll be joining us here, she says) she gradually started moving me out to the country. First it was the suburbs, then unincorporated county land, and then finally onto a farm.

I couldn't be happier.

But there are some things that you just don't appreciate when you live in the city. Things that have fascinated and amused me.

Things I'm going to share here.

You may find some of it, or even most of it, to be obvious, trivial, or just a little too bizarre to be of consequence. Well, that's fine, you don't have to read it. I'm sure there are some sports blogs somewhere you can use to occupy your time.

But if you stick around, I promise you that Sarah and I will try to keep fun, or at least interesting!