Saturday 7 June 2014

Lester has a fright!

It is not normal for Lester to have a fright. But he did. It was the snake that did it. And it was not out in the grass, where you would expect a snake to be. And had he not recently taken precautions about this very same thing happening by cutting paths through the long grass so we could walk without snakes running over our toes. No, this one was not out in the long grass at all. Nor was it rolling along over the newly cut paths. This was on the stones. Of the courtyard. Just by the doors to the half barn. Ready to roll across unsuspecting toes, which it almost managed to do, but was thwarted by the toes of Lester being encased in sturdy thick socks, which was a good thing. It would not have been nice to have had a snake hanging from Lester's foot. 

Lester was quite disturbed, as would anyone, especially because he was en route to his favourite patch of ground to do a bit of 'natural' watering, and had left it a wee bit too late so was quite pressed and needing to do some urgent action. One foot outside the door. The other foot outside the door. Hey presto. One snake slithers past within an inch of his next step. A big snake, he said, huge, and 'this long'. 

Phew! 


Into the wood pile, he said it had gone. 


....so on a snake hunt he went.....


.....but changed his mind after lifting one piece of wood off the pile. It was not a snake hunting day, he decided. Best to leave that for another day. 

Indoors we all went. 

Then a while afterwards, the exact same scenario was repeated. Loo stop needed. Quicker to go water the courtyard that trundle through the house. One foot outside. Two feet outside. Snake zooms across his path, within inches of his feet, going from where it was to where it was going, which was in the log pile again. 

OOOooeeerrrrrr!!! It would seem that our menagerie is increasing!



For Lester's parents......(his father is very ill)



...and one of the four olive trees in pots alongside the front of the house,
and covered in blossom. 
Looks like I shall have to investigate how to harvest olives and what to do with them afterwards!

Hope you all have a good weekend. Vx

11 comments:

rusty duck said...

One day my olive tree will look like yours (I'll have to move).
With very best wishes to Lester's father.

Vera said...

Hello Jessica, it is a surprise that the olive trees are doing as well as they are because we really do not look after them! Thanks for the best wishes.

Elizabeth at Eiffel Tells said...

We discovered little harmless grey snakes and some bigger venemous red snakes in our French garden during our last visit to France - quite unexpected.

ally said...

Was it a whip snake? Our friends place in the Correze is infested with them. They wear wellies all the time . Not a cool look if youre sunbathing! Our place in Normandy seems snake free but martens in the attic and ants in the kitchen. Moles in the paddock and hornets in the stonework. Mice in le cave and bats in the barn... Love your blog!

Denise said...

It's not the snake that has been stealing the hens' eggs, is it? Sorry to hear Lester's dad is unwell. Hugs to Lester. X

Ohiofarmgirl said...

Vera that is amazing! i had a brush wiht a big rat snake a while ago - it was almost as long as i am tall! do you have dangerous snakes there? poisonous or whatnot? for heavens sakes!

northsider said...

Gosh Vera I wouldn't like snakes wandering around the smallholding. I am always telling our smallholding household to keep the windows closed so that we don't any rats taking up residence. The cat and terrier seem to be keeping them away at the moment.

Vera said...

Elizabeth, not sure what this one was, just that it was thick and long!

Ally, have just looked on the internet and it was indeed a whip snake! Thanks for the info.

Denise, possibly! Everything else eats the eggs before we get to them so why not the snake as well!

OFG, crikey, your snake was a horror of a snake! Just had a quick look on the internet and apparently there are poisonous snakes such as adders here, but most of the other types are not poisonous. Still, best to stay away from them all I think!

Dave, no use keeping doors and windows shut here to keep the rats out because we have loads of holes in the walls through which they can still enter!

Diane said...

Sorry to hear about Lester's Dad. Hope all is well.
Our neighbour also had one 'this long' eating the eggs in one of their bird nests which is up high in the tree. I suspect it was only an Aesculapian Snake but they had smashed into an unrecognisable mass!! Take care Diane

Jean said...

Having googled whip snakes it seems they're not a serious threat to humans but they are to eggs and small animals! Not very nice to encounter at all though.

I see that they are "in decline" but common in our part of France as well. I will look out for them next time we are chez nous.

Vera said...

Jean, oh that's great news! Firstly, that they like eggs, which is perhaps one of the reasons why we can't find any! And secondly, that the whip snakes like being here, which is good news for them! I don't mind snakes.....it is just that they give one a startlement!