Dry as a chip

Just a quick update from Cool Shade!

We got back from the beach safely, it still hasen't rained here. No one has hay. The large round bales are non-existant so I'm reduced to scavenging square bales:

Unfortunately, this is 1) more expensive, 2) more labour intensive, and 3) I'm allergic to hay. If I handle it much, I break out in hives wherever it's touched me, and I get horribly congested, my eyes swell, and it triggers my asthma.

Ugh!

Worst news is that Evil Genius Husband stepped on an enormous nail and has just now been able to resume helping with the chores. Poor lamb hobbled about in pain for days and I had to open the wound up every day and drain the yuck out of it. (Ewww!)

So that means that I was solely responsible for all chores (and getting hay!)

Did I say, UGH?

Our new pup is doing great though:

He's getting huge and is quite naughty. He fits in perfectly around here.

Yes, that's my ugly foot he's licking.

So, yeah ... snakes.

I've been out working on the turkey pen all day and clearing the area where I'm putting the horse* barn**.

I went in to check my email and popped back out to put up the gate on the cage before Evil Genius Husband had to go get the comics. As I'm passing by the pigeon pen guess what i saw?

Snake #2! A bit bigger, a bit longer, and definitely not happy about being caught.

He also had a big wide head. Handsome fellow!

No problem. Two days. Two snakes. It happens.

So I dropped him in a pillowcase (after showing him to the babies - who loved it) and toted him back up to the shed to await relocation. I stepped into my shop, part of which is the interior of the pigeon pen (where they roost and nest), and I damned near stepped on another snake!

I kid you not.

This bloke was at least a foot or so longer than #2 and v. v. unhappy about being nabbed. I had the bagged snake in one hand (hadn't tied the pillowcase yet!) and the big honker by the tail with the other. I tried dropping #3 into an empty 33 gallon trashcan. He just reached right up and slithered out.

Finally I tried holding #2's bag closed with my knee and grabbing #3 behind the head. He was bloody quick to disagree with my proposal:

Finally I just walked back down to the house and in the back door holding #3 by the tail (with my arm all the way over my head - he was that long) and yelling for another pillowcase.

Here's EGH, professional snake bagger:

So how was your day?

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* It's a maddening wee pony.

** It's a wee shed for a maddening wee pony.

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snakes, farming, snakebite, rat snakes, chicken snakes, black rat snakes