A very old lady was hanging clothes on an outside clothesline when she suddenly gave a whoop and jumped up and to the side with the skill and grace of a veteran ballet dancer. The seventy five year old went nearly four feet high and landed five or six feet away spun and ran to the house. The impetus for this feat was a four foot garter snake.I understand Arlo’s curiosity. Amusedly,C.
When I was about 12 I rounded the corner of our pig shed in the dusk one evening and 10 or 15 rats ran out of the manure pile in front of me. Next thing I knew, I was on TOP of the shed. No memory of going from the ground to the top of a seven- or eight-foot shed roof… I know what Janis is feeling.
I wanted to do that yesterday when I was taking a shower and saw this huntsman spider (a large spider) on the wall next to me. I tried to drown it in the drain, with hot water, but an hour later, I saw the same spider on the wall outside the shower. Bug spray had little effect, so I finally got the fly swatter. Huntsman spiders are fast, and very hard to kill.
The housing development where we lived when I was growing up had been a farm, and every once in a while my mom would find a garter snake. She’d pick it up and if I promised to be VERY careful and gentle, she would let me hold it for a few moments, before we took it into the woods across the street. As a result, I never learned to be afraid of snakes, but I do know – on sight – the difference between poisonous ad non-poisonous snakes, so I don’t get too friendly with copperheads.
“A snake seldom bothers man; actually is his friend…”-I leave most snakes alone, but let’s be honest, snakes don’t have friends nor do they understand the concept of friendship.Snakes simply are.
During Summer vacation one year my dog and I were exploring a mostly dry creek when she found a snake which she proceeded to shake. On one shake she lost her grip and the snake (I believe it was a cottonmouth) landed between my feet. Snake looked up at me and I looked down at snake…..from the safety of the 10-12 foot embankment I suddenly found myself standing on! Still don’t know how!
…she moved away from the snake so fast, and in a motion that usually would look completely unnatural to anybody not familiar with running into one of their phobic triggers, that arlo thought she was being pulled back by wires, much like the ones used in various martial-arts movies…
Problem is venomous snakes are generally the apex predator in their locale, with a correspondingly low reproductive/survival rate. Take them out of the equation and it can mess up the entire natural balance. Mice, anyone? Ghastly things like Rattlesnake Roundups in the southwest are examples of mankind’s ability to be monsters.
At around 14yo I was jogging down the shoulder of a country road. I noticed that my left foot was about to land within inches of a snake. My left foot landed beside the snake and my right foot came down on the opposite shoulder – a 16-18 foot broad-jump perpendicular to my original motion. Luckily there were no oncoming vehicles, but there rarely were on that stretch.Now, I don’t have a thing against snakes and have met up with many a rattler over the years, but my primitive flight response has a much faster response time than the rest of my brain. As for the snake, the little 4 foot rattler was, unfortunately, already roadkill.
copperheads just have a nasty disposition. Had one that sunned itself under the clothesline every morning. I had a new baby and lots of diapers to hang out (LONG TIME ago), One morning I had enough and blew it away with the shotgun. Problem was, there was a mountainside behind the closeline and I took out two upstairs windows with ricochets.
Back in 2010 my sister asked my to go outside to check on the dryer vent to clean it out. Went out through the garage and around to the backyard. I had flip flops on and was walking towards the vent. I happened to look down and saw I garter snake. I am terrified of snakes run back into the garage yelling snake, snake.
Pharmakeus Ubik over 11 years ago
That’s a Brigitte Lin move.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
There’s nothing pulling her, Arlo…it’s just those serpentine anti-magnetic forces pushing her.
chazandru over 11 years ago
A very old lady was hanging clothes on an outside clothesline when she suddenly gave a whoop and jumped up and to the side with the skill and grace of a veteran ballet dancer. The seventy five year old went nearly four feet high and landed five or six feet away spun and ran to the house. The impetus for this feat was a four foot garter snake.I understand Arlo’s curiosity. Amusedly,C.
JoeStoppinghem Premium Member over 11 years ago
My mom ran across a rattler one time while dumping the trash out back.She told my brother to get dad and the shot gun.
Jorah over 11 years ago
When I was about 12 I rounded the corner of our pig shed in the dusk one evening and 10 or 15 rats ran out of the manure pile in front of me. Next thing I knew, I was on TOP of the shed. No memory of going from the ground to the top of a seven- or eight-foot shed roof… I know what Janis is feeling.
Kvasir42 Premium Member over 11 years ago
I wanted to do that yesterday when I was taking a shower and saw this huntsman spider (a large spider) on the wall next to me. I tried to drown it in the drain, with hot water, but an hour later, I saw the same spider on the wall outside the shower. Bug spray had little effect, so I finally got the fly swatter. Huntsman spiders are fast, and very hard to kill.
guy42 over 11 years ago
Huntsman spiders are for the most part harmless, are the size of a small dinner plate, and are one of the leading causes of auto accidents in OZ.
Dani Rice over 11 years ago
The housing development where we lived when I was growing up had been a farm, and every once in a while my mom would find a garter snake. She’d pick it up and if I promised to be VERY careful and gentle, she would let me hold it for a few moments, before we took it into the woods across the street. As a result, I never learned to be afraid of snakes, but I do know – on sight – the difference between poisonous ad non-poisonous snakes, so I don’t get too friendly with copperheads.
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace over 11 years ago
“A snake seldom bothers man; actually is his friend…”-I leave most snakes alone, but let’s be honest, snakes don’t have friends nor do they understand the concept of friendship.Snakes simply are.
Yakety Sax over 11 years ago
During Summer vacation one year my dog and I were exploring a mostly dry creek when she found a snake which she proceeded to shake. On one shake she lost her grip and the snake (I believe it was a cottonmouth) landed between my feet. Snake looked up at me and I looked down at snake…..from the safety of the 10-12 foot embankment I suddenly found myself standing on! Still don’t know how!
jadoo823 over 11 years ago
…she moved away from the snake so fast, and in a motion that usually would look completely unnatural to anybody not familiar with running into one of their phobic triggers, that arlo thought she was being pulled back by wires, much like the ones used in various martial-arts movies…
William Taylor over 11 years ago
Problem is venomous snakes are generally the apex predator in their locale, with a correspondingly low reproductive/survival rate. Take them out of the equation and it can mess up the entire natural balance. Mice, anyone? Ghastly things like Rattlesnake Roundups in the southwest are examples of mankind’s ability to be monsters.
Dr_Fogg over 11 years ago
According to my wife and kids Spiders are to be feared. I pick them up with a tissue and put them outside.
Comic Minister Premium Member over 11 years ago
Janis seemed spooked all of a sudden!
Llywus over 11 years ago
At around 14yo I was jogging down the shoulder of a country road. I noticed that my left foot was about to land within inches of a snake. My left foot landed beside the snake and my right foot came down on the opposite shoulder – a 16-18 foot broad-jump perpendicular to my original motion. Luckily there were no oncoming vehicles, but there rarely were on that stretch.Now, I don’t have a thing against snakes and have met up with many a rattler over the years, but my primitive flight response has a much faster response time than the rest of my brain. As for the snake, the little 4 foot rattler was, unfortunately, already roadkill.
sbwertz over 11 years ago
copperheads just have a nasty disposition. Had one that sunned itself under the clothesline every morning. I had a new baby and lots of diapers to hang out (LONG TIME ago), One morning I had enough and blew it away with the shotgun. Problem was, there was a mountainside behind the closeline and I took out two upstairs windows with ricochets.
sbwertz over 11 years ago
closeline? Oh well. Senior moment.
rlstephens57 over 11 years ago
With me, it’s spiders!!!
hippogriff over 11 years ago
MissScarlet: A large island in the southern hemisphere, short name for OZtrialya, mite.
Doctor_McCoy over 11 years ago
All is well. Janis didn’t fall on the clippers, where ever they went.
cupcake6880 over 11 years ago
Back in 2010 my sister asked my to go outside to check on the dryer vent to clean it out. Went out through the garage and around to the backyard. I had flip flops on and was walking towards the vent. I happened to look down and saw I garter snake. I am terrified of snakes run back into the garage yelling snake, snake.
harmgb over 11 years ago
I’m not wild about snakes….but they are beneficial and should not be killed.