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Barnyard Buddies:  Lots of "visitors" to our house of late....  |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
 Posted - May 06 2007 : 6:05:27 PM
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My dog Elie, decided I need a couple of new friends...three days ago, he brought me these...
We just released them tonight, after they got their strength back and had full tummies...
Last weekend, my husband found this guy on our fence:
This little guy was singing at me today when I returned my gardening tools to the porch. He didn't leave, even with all the racket I made!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2007 : 7:04:30 PM
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some nice visitors..except for the snake..eeek!
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2007 : 8:16:34 PM
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You're telling me! DH took photos because he knew when he told me how big it was, I wouldn't believe him. Sure glad I was at the flower show--you would have had to pick me up off the ground!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2007 : 8:21:18 PM
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I hate snakes..even when they are the harmless kind..uggh. I'd have been doing the "princess 'mater heeby jeeby dance" (she mentioned meeting a snake in one of her posts and her subsequent dance around the yard..ha)...I sort of do the same dance whenever I encounter something like that..ha.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 06:04:25 AM
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Yep, Erin-- a black rat snake. I think they're the biggest we have in this area. They're pretty harmless, but the size certainly does intimidate!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Reepicheep
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
78 Posts |
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
2436 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 12:22:37 PM
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Wow.. what a busy dog!!
That snake is pretty awesome though.. isn't it??
Nice size too!!! wow..
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 1:00:08 PM
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Yikes! I saw a snake like that draped over the branch of a tree at Gettysburg once. I was very careful about walking under trees for the rest of the day! Glad to know it was probably harmless.
The bunnies are so cute. I'm glad your dog didn't eat them. |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 1:09:03 PM
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The bunnies are so sweet. I just love wild rabbits. They approach life with reckless abandon. The snake would have given me a heart attack for sure. Just wheel me off to the morgue. Goldfinches are one of my favorite birds. Like little dots of sunshine everywhere. Thanks for posting such nice pics. (Even the snake.)
Karin
Wherever you go, there you are. |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 1:11:57 PM
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Meeeee Too! Elie is a retriever, so he has a soft mouth. I was expecting company and the dogs were all outside, and I just happened to look out the kitchen door while opening the fridge and YIKES! I sternly told him to drop it, and he did. He's a very good boy, but then, I'll be darned, he went right back and grabbed another poor little bunny!
Everytime I go into our backyard now, I look over along that fenceline to see if our snake friend is in residence....spooky!
I hate to say it, but our elderly neighbor could be contributing to our wildlife population with her waist high grass in the backyard. DH thought about helping her out this weekend, but we don't have a bush hog, and he actually was worried about more rabbits (and I think, secretly, Mr. Snake )
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
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Bee Haven Maven
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
Beverly
Pennsylvania
USA
1862 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2007 : 02:31:59 AM
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Too cute...how are the bunnies doing? Yuck, snakes...we have one that lives in our woodshed....I cringe everytime I need to get wood....Tina, I know what you mean by the "heeby jeeby" dance!
Keep Smiling.....Bev
Check out my shoppe at www.honeybeez.etsy.com
www.beehavenacres.blogspot.com |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2007 : 06:01:02 AM
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Hi Bev. We released the bunnies on Sunday night, just about dark, after dusk (because of the hawks)...When I spoke to a wildlife rehabber, she said that they would probably need to rest up a few days from their ordeal with my lab, Elie, and get their bellies full. So, we fed them goats milks and greens, and by Sunday evening, they were active and full of life. She said, that when we set them into the release point, if they just stayed still, they weren't ready--that they should take off like a shot.
When we started walking into the woods, it was the cutest thing...those little ears stood straight up, noses twitching, and they were SO alert. When we set the cage down in the grass, they were jumping up the sides. I barely got my hands near the earth before they took right off out of my palm, just as she said they "should"....It did my heart good to see them sprint away into the brush. I didn't even cry, which is rare :)
SIDE NOTE: Contacted the KY Wildlife Extension office with photos of our snake...he confirmed it was a "very nice, very handsome rat snake, totally beneficial, non venomous"....so I guess we'll let him hang around (no pun intended)
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Bee Haven Maven
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
Beverly
Pennsylvania
USA
1862 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2007 : 6:41:55 PM
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As much as snakes can give some of us the creepie crawlies, as long as they aren't poisonous I don't mind them hanging around. They often eat things that would be much worse to have around- like mice and rats (ick!) That would make me have my own version of the Princess 'Mater icky dance :)
Alee |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2007 : 9:14:49 PM
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OOOOhhhh - those bun-rabs (as my little guy calls bunnies) are SO cute! I just love the "brown-ness" of wild rabbits. And the snake? Well, we happend to have plenty of water/garden snakes around here, and they really don't bother me (okay, don't bother me VERY MUCH, anyway). My little guy loves them, too - they are all affectionately named "Jake," by him, and shown much respect and given a wide berth... And the bird is just beautiful!!! Thanks for the photos and stories!!!
XOXO, Libbie
"All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar..." - Helen Hayes |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2007 : 06:44:04 AM
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How CUUUUTE ("Bun-rabs")...that's adorable, and they were adorable. I went "nose to nose" with those little ones more times than I could count.
As much as they make me quiver, I agree with Alee...snakes, although a bit creepy, have their place. That's why I contacted our local extension agent to see "who" he was...afterall, my four dogs spend a great deal of time in that area of the yard, and I would like for them to be safe. Our German Shepherd, Rose the "Nose" doesn't know when to leave well enough alone!
Alee...when I lived in Brooklyn, and came home late some nights on the weekend after dinner in the city and dancing with friends, the rats would be walking with you to meet your train in the subway stations!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2007 : 08:45:28 AM
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| Loved the bunnies, and I'm happy they have a happy ending. I feed birds and I get a lot of Goldfinches. They are so beautiful and the males are a really bright yellow! As for the snake....well....how long do you think that snake was? I found a garden snake in my garden, but not as big as the one in your photo. It didn't bother me too much (maybe a little, ha!). It seemed to be more afraid of me. When I watched it, it took off like a flash. |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2007 : 08:51:50 AM
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Hey Judy...Hubby said 4-5 feet in length, and according to our extension guy, this type can get up to 6-7 foot. The largest snake native to this area. He didn't seem to be in any hurry--maybe he'd just eaten and was a bit sluggish? DH said he was dumping some dirt over near that side of the fenceline, and saw it and sort of jumped back, and it didn't move. Then he tossed a small stone at it, and it didn't move. So, he went on about his business and a few minutes later came back with more dirt and it was gone. He said that when he noticed the snake was gone, it was the most eery feeling. He stood stone still until he could find him--then he noticed him on the fencepost where he took the photo.
We have some little garter snakes too, but they go quickly away from you when you approach! That's the kind of snake I'm partial to
Those little birds are so pretty, but boy do they get after one another at the feeder! There's always some hubub out there!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2007 : 08:58:44 AM
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Jonni-
Yucky Rats! When I went to NYC I didn't see a single one... Maybe I was just lucky or the city has been cleaned up a bit since then?
Alee |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2007 : 10:54:24 AM
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| Jonni, you said 4 to 5 feet in length, may be up to 7 feet?! Yikes!! Brrrrrr...I'm getting shivers down my spine! I'd freak if I ever met a snake that big. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Lots of "visitors" to our house of late.... |
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Lots of "visitors" to our house of late....
