Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hello OM Gardens - please e-mail us your phone number.......thanks!!

Friday, August 14, 2009



Hope you have a great day!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

snake update

Just talked to my neighbor today who said that her daughter ran over a big rattle snake in the road between our house and the neighbor on the other side yesterday. Running over it did not kill it and they got a shovel and cut off it's head - whew, I know, too much information, but get this. They cut off the head and bury it because yellow jackets get in and while eating get the venom and if they sting you, you get poisoned!

The neighbor I was talking to works at the thrift store and we are standing there talking about the snake and the lady behind me says, "I didn't even know there were rattlesnakes here, and I have lived here all my life."

Sightings are rare. Thirty years ago when I lived in Northern California on the 100 acres we knew we were in rattlesnake county, everyone warned us, everyone had a rattlesnake story. It's funny even though the kid's dad saw several in the wild, I never came across one in all my tramping up and down those rock hills. I actually only saw one in all those years and it was coiled up by my back north steps. Just like this one the other day, coiled up by my back north steps.

Let me know if that jogs any meaning for any of you - rattlesnake, north steps, seems a weird coincidence.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Rattled!




Coming home from the river the other day, I opened the back gate and as I was coming into the yard I saw a lizard with a bright blue tail flash by and I jumped back. Good thing too, because as I was looking around for another glimpse of the blue tail, I saw right in front of me a huge snake coiled up by the water barrel, right next to the path.


It was definitely a rattle snake but I could not see or hear a rattle. If I had not seen the lizard, I would have walked right on it. I screamed and ran into the house and looked at it through the window. It did not move or rattle but stayed coiled up. I looked it up on the Internet to make sure, as we did not want to wantonly kill such a large beautiful snake. Once we determined yes it was a poisonous snake, William was going to try and kill it with the shovel as the snake started to uncoil and slip under the back deck. William tried to pin it with a shovel and then it rattled - a really loud rattle and got out from under the shovel and disappeared into the dark.


I did not go out the back door for 2 days. There is no trace left of the snake, but I am much more careful where I step. I did some research on rattle snakes and found that they often just coil when they feel threatened and don't rattle when they are around people as if they knew that by rattling it would draw attention and put the snake in jeopardy.


The snake was not aggressive at all, and I am glad it got away, but I was rattled for several days.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Who are Jon and Kate?? I am sick of hearing about them. Who cares!