Early this afternoon, there was a great need for me to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House. While I love my little place, sometimes, the "great outdoors" calls and I have to heed its beckoning. It is never a good idea to not bend to the whims of Mother Nature. Since the plants in the greenhouse needed watering, I figured that would be a grand excuse. When I finished watering, I could mosey around to my heart's content before heading back inside to chores.
It did not take much further than the back steps to find something interesting. Of course, Son always claims that I am easily amused so, perhaps, others would not have been so enthused about my find. It seems that I have a snake living under my steps! A tiny black racer was out basking in the warm sunshine after a freezing night. The little rascal was as thin as a lead pencil and only about fifteen inches in length. The sighting was enough to cause me to drop to my knees and spend the next half hour photographing (and talking with) the little snake. At one point, Son came outside to find me having a full-blown conversation with what he assumed was a pile of leaves. It took me only a few seconds to point out his blundering ways! There was, indeed, a very likable creature receiving my words! Next thing I knew, Son was on his knees, too! He has as much interest and liking for these fine critters! "I would love to see this little guy hang around." was Son's remark about my new found friend.
The tiny snake was most likely hatched late this summer or early fall and was hoping that it had found a safe and warm place to spend the brunt of the winter. The old wooden steps form a perfect nook for the little one to bed down during the cold nights so I was really happy to see it slither back under after its sunbathing time was over. The snake should be relatively safe there from any predators and it will have a ready supply of foodstuffs as I have a tendency of tossing small scraps out the back door to fertilize the pear trees on either side of the steps. Any number of slugs, snails, bugs and lizards can be found there daily. On warm days, the snake will not have far to wander to get its belly full! It sounds as if I may have a very smart snake taking up residency under the back steps! Sounds good to me! I think I am in love with this little snaky! (And, yes, I really did climb under the house to get the photograph of Snaky Friend in his abode!)
While out and about the hillside, I always take the camera. You never know what might pop up as a chance to get a great photograph. Plus, I am still on the search for "hidden" critters to send to my grandlittles. Sometimes, however, those critters refuse to hide. Recently, a warbler kept trying to perch on my camera. I had to shoo that one away several times before it got the idea that perhaps I was a bit protective of my gear. Then, there was today.....
This afternoon, the sun made it a tad too warm to do much gardening so I headed back to the creek. Being in a bog is relaxing and far more cool than the sun drenched yard. I found a spot to rest on a leaning tree as I waited for critters to become accustomed to my presence. Other than an occasional gnat, the area was rather peaceful. I could watch for visitors to the sun dappled clearing, yet, be comfortable at the same time. The trunk of the tree where I was sitting was only about a foot off the ground so it gave me a good view down under the small brush. As I was sitting there, I heard the slightest of movement to my right. It was more of a slithering than a footstep making me think a large skink had come to say hello. I turned ever so slightly to find not a skink but a small snake.
A tiny, fifteen inch black racer eased its way closer and closer to me. It must have been curious as to why I had invaded its territory but was not acting like a predator. About six inches from my leather moccasin, the snake stopped. It curled up and eyed me cautiously. After about ten minutes, it seemed to be satisfied that I meant no harm so it relaxed enough for me to gently move the camera in range. The snake was almost too close to get clear pictures. It did not even attempt to move even though I had to change the camera lens to get a better shot.
The little black racer was such an adorably sweet snake and I felt truly blessed to have gained its trust. Even when I stood up to head back to the Little Bayou House because of pending darkness, the snake remained. Only after I took a few steps did it slither back into the leaf mulch to hide for the night. Tomorrow, I will visit the leaning tree again to see if my new found friend will return. Oh, the things you find in bogs! Such happy places!
Early this evening (just before dark), I went out to coax the old cat inside. It takes a lot of effort on her part and a lot of encouragement on mine to get her up the steps. She refuses to let me carry her so this is a good ten minute or so process...usually. Tonight, she was having no part of it. Instead, she sat staring in the weedy daylily garden. Well, that was a bit different. So, I sat down next to her and stared into the garden as well. It was not long before I spied what held her interest.
A sleek black and white head slowly pushed its way up through the oxalis plants. Ahh, what a beauty! A Black Racer was hiding among the leaves! This called for a photo session! I hurried inside for the camera. Of all things, the cat followed wanting to be fed. Ok...feed and water the cat then photograph the snake...if it was still there.
It was a great surprise to find the snake only inches away from where it was originally found! I knelt on the little deck and got face to face with the friendly Racer. It did not move other than to slowly sink back under the leaves. I waited. I knew that it would not take long before that curious snake came back up to investigate my presence. Sure enough, five minutes later, the snake's head poked up through the leaves. This time, it had slithered closer and was just a few inches from the camera. Nice! We sat there quietly watching each other for quite some time before darkness and a hoard of mosquitoes chased me inside. What a thrill to find this lovely snake in the garden!
The action of the snake rising up to investigate is one that all Black Racers seem to do. It is called "periscoping" and is one of the identifying behaviors of the snake. They are curious and will rise up a good ten or fifteen inches to get a different view. These snakes are great to have in the garden as they eat plenty of pests and will even eat other snakes.
Had the Bayou Queen (cat) not been so obstinate this evening, I would have never seen the snake and would have missed out on a lovely encounter. Love these snakes!
