Gus the Snake Killer

Gus the little terrier that is is, killed one of these guys that had managed to slither into our yard from the reserve behind the house. With only an iron fence between us and the great outdoors, we have various wildlife visiting from time to time.

It is a Diamondback Water Snake. Non poisonous, thank goodness for all of us. We heard a big commotion in the yard in the afternoon, with very strange sounds coming from beneath a tree. More than the usual barking at something in the woods. Tom rushed out to find Gus going at it with the snake.

I managed to get Gus and Greta(who had come out to investigate) back inside. The many dollars of dog training -"drop it" did pay off. I corralled the dogs inside, while Tom got his long reach pick up tongs to pick it up and out of the yard. We worried that it might be a poisonous snake, and that Gus could have been bitten. We quickly pulled out the Texas Snakes Field Guide. Pretty useless book, to find a quick ID or indexing for identification, especially when Tom had quickly gotten rid of the snake into the woods behind the house. I did see the "yellow underbelly" so we continued to try and figure it out. It was quite long.

Tom finally figured it out and we were releaved to learn that it was harmless although quite an adventure.

We still have not seen the armadillo that is visiting the back yard at night, turning over the soil. It probably knows not to cross over the fence until late at night. I would prefer not to run into it myself.

Tom Petty Show

Tom Petty came to town. I had to have one of those horrible frozen fake margarita's. They were over $10.00 each and in a really stupid long plastic glass, that you have to hold as it would fall over. Probably to get you to drink fast and have more.

Show was great, fantastic seats, Steve Winwood opened.
Tom Petty was great and it was so much fun.

Wildlife in Suburbia

My neighbor Toni forwarded this to me. She lives around the corner, in a patio home with a small yard with neighbors on all sides with fencing all around. She was surprised to see this deer in her back yard. It had jumped a 6 ft iron fence on the side. By the look of its ribs, it must be hungry.

We are having a nightly visit by an armadillo, but I have yet to see it. The back beds have all been turned over, but not other damage to the plants. I asked our neighbor James (he is all Texan, and knows all about such things) as to what might be causing this type of digging, and he confirmed it would be armadillo. Seems they are looking for worms, grubs and other crawly things under the top layer of dirt. Since it has been so dry, they are coming up from the creek that runs behind our house. I was surprised that they can get through the iron fence, but he said they can. They must be very quiet as Gus and Greta have not been on guard to any intruders in the yard at night. I would like to see it, but it also might be a bit scary if encountered.

Take a Chance on Me

Talk about Public Service

Today in the blotter in the local paper our tax dollars at work

- The WFD was dispatched to a service call at 58 West Palmer Bend. Truck 104 responded non emergency with 4 from District 4. Arrived on location. The home owner has a CO detector in the living room that has been chirping for a couple of days. She is unable to change the batteries and wishes the fire department to assist her. The sofa in the living room was moved, the home owners ladder was used to access the detector. The batteries she had bought were incorrect. She did not wish us to put the detector back up, she would have someone come and put up a new detector tomorrow. There were 2 other CO detectors in the home.

Little Lost Dog Update

UPDATE

Owner found. They finally called after 4 days.

Lola is back home with owner.

While driving home tonight I saw a mini Schnauzer running down the street. I stopped to see if it had tags. The dog came right up to me, had a collar, but no tags. She is obviously someones pet, so I did what I would want someone to do for me. I opened the car door, she jumped in. I took her over to my neighbors to see if he knew the dog. He didn't but he said he would keep her while we tried to find the owner. I put up about 50 found dog signs around the trails, but so far no one has called.

I hope someone calls soon or we will have to take the dog to the shelter.

The Other End of the Work Day

After sitting for 9 hours at the computer in my non ergonomic office set up, there is a reward at the end of the day. The cramped shoulders were rewarded with a swim and a soak in the spa. When Tom works late, I can blast my Abba's greatest hits from the outdoor speakers letting the tension soak away.

I am not sure what I can stir up for dinner. Popcorn and coffee ice cream is an option, but there must be a veggie burger and some sort salad fixings deep in the reaches of the refrigerator. I know there is wine in the back of the shelf......

Then to start a new painting attempt and watch Kathie Griffin and Ace of Cakes. I love watching the extreme creations that Duff and team make and it seems like they have so much fun at work. Although I can't imagine that the cakes actually taste good. I would hate to spend that kind of money on one, and then watch it be eaten. But they are amazing.