The Snake Chronicles, Part IV

Well, it happened again last Sunday night. Steve came in my office, and quietly said, "Hon, we have a snake in the house." This is our fourth episode of Snake in the House at our current house. At our Broadmoor house, we had a little Blind Snake that was more like a speedy white worm that our cat Shadow probably brought in for everyone's amusement.

Inside our current house, this is our second King Snake. We also have had a Bull Snake. Plus a little one that Steve couldn't identify before it disappeared forever into the kitchen cabinets. The two that we were able to deport from this house went willingly, as we barricaded a path to the outdoors and stamped our feet until they overcame their fear enough to slither away to freedom.

This snake was the first to require elaborate snake removal apparatus. After Steve nearly stepped on it in the dark dining room, it went into his office, and thankfully for everyone concerned, it turned left behind his door instead of right along the impenetrable walls of bookcases and stuff. We threw a blanket over him while we pondered our strategy. He stayed put.

Using a technique we have perfected from years of gecko deportations, we put a plastic storage box over him. Then we slipped a piece of cardboard under the box and flipped the box over and put a lid on it.

Until our orange cat named Sunbeam appeared in our yard, we were glad to share the outside of the house with snakes, although a coach whip did chase Steve once, and that was sort of scary. But last summer we were horrified to see an enormous bull snake disappear into the grass, and watched Sunbeam stalk it. Fortunately, she mistook a hose for the snake, and pounced on the hose instead, but we realize that this cat just doesn't seem to have good sense.

So we had to release our most recent home invader away from the house. We drove to a secure, undisclosed location, and let him go. We hope he does okay there. We know he may not.