Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Return Of The Prodigal (and GIANT) Ratsnake

First, my apologies for the casual dress ... it was a hot day.

Yesterday, I was working on (swearing at ...) the stuck rear window zipper of my JEEP soft top, when Junior asked for a whetstone. He wanted to put an edge on his sword (don't ask, just pay attention).

I told him where the whetstone was and he trotted off to the barn. At that point, I really needed a mental holiday from the zipper issue, so I followed his path, thinking that the whetstone probably wasn't actually where I had said it was as the barn was a mess.

As I walked along the same path Junior had trod a few moments before, I came across a wonderful sight!

The giant ratsnake that had escaped the back pack on Friday night was stretched out in the yard directly in front of me!

Sweet Sara N. Dippity strikes again!
What are the odds we would cross paths at just the right moment?

  • What if I had continued wrestling the JEEP zipper?
  • What if I had gone inside for a well deserved glass of unsweet ice tea at that moment?
  • What if I had trusted Junior to find the whetstone on his own? (he did, by the way)
  • What if I had walked with him? Apparently it wasn't there a few moments before as we walked the same path.

Weird, but you have to love Sara.

I called to Junior to go around and get the camera from the JEEP and bring it to me. He did that licketysplit and then I had the inspiration to have HIM be the photographer while I captured the snake.

He did a great job doncha think?
Sure, I'm sideways at the end, but he was going for a vertical shot and didn't think about that fact that video doesn't work that way.

So, as it turns out, you DO get to see the giant ratsnake after all, thanks to Miss Sara N. Dippity and a junior videographer.



Last night I released her in my barn where she is free to stay and eat field mice, or leave for the wider world.

31 comments:

Mark said...

Wow. That's either a really long snake, or you're a small person.

Anonymous said...

Ohhh Goody! Just wait to see waht kinds of critters and wildlife we'll have out on Wise Acres! Hope you guys have fun with Thunder this week and that he accomplises what he has set out to do!
Lightnin

tai haku said...

I know you said the other day it was big but wow that is a monster.

I've done the video switch to vertical a load of times myself - its one of those things where you kick yourself as soon as you start to watch it. I know you can reorient it but, like junior, I always seem to rotate whilst taping.

robin andrea said...

That's a very big and beautiful snake, fc. Junior did a great job videoing you and your twisty six-foot pal. You certainly have a way with Miss Sara N. Dippity.

Aunty Belle said...

what possesses a fella to pick up a snake??? Let them thangs be.

(Like Eve, I has a proper fear of snakes now and fer-ever more!)

Nice video tho.

jean said...

You Sara have a weird yet special relationship. Go Sara.

Sayre said...

Oh, he's beautiful!!!! Or she...

Still, I'm sure your wife is glad you left the bag on the porch.

h said...

She's probably tired of you capturing her every other day! Unless snakes don't have memory.

threecollie said...

That is an amazing, impressive, wonderful snake!!!

Timothy said...

Wow! Great Video! Did you approach the snake from the front as to not startle it? I don't know too too much about snakes. Next time you're out snorkel fishing for crab try and get an underwater case for that camera so we can see how that works too. I was interested in the rock crab article you wrote about how it worked. Thanks for the neat post!

Sincerely,
Debris
DebrisCentral.BlogSpot.com

cinbad122 said...

Love the broken trampoline in the back!

Smilin-buddha said...

That is a very large Specimen

Florida Beach Basics said...

what a beauty! marge

Sandcastle Momma said...

You weren't kidding when you said it was a huge snake! I'll bet the mice in your barn are making relocation plans as we speak LOL

Jen said...

Beauty!

MamaHen said...

There was a snake in the video?...oops, heehee.

lisa said...

great video? Love those snakes.

R.Powers said...

Mark,
I'm Joe Average ... about 5'10+". It is a very big snake!

Lightnin,
Haven't seen that boy yet. He's busy accomplishing stuff.

Tai,
I've done the vert thing too so I had to laugh. It really was a monster of a ratsnake... much bigger than my resident one I'm always posting.

Robin,
Sara and I have a thing going on.
:)

Aunty,
But they are so cool! How can you fears em?

Jean,
I think Sara is stalking me.


Troll,
No chef, this is a new much larger one than the one I catch every other day.
Hey, I took my drunk food pics for the smack down.

3C,
My feelings exactly... some snake!


Debris,
Yes, a rear approach would have just sent it slipsliding away. I like to approach the biting end first.
I wish I had UW capability!


Cindy,
A victim of overweight relatives who did not bother to notice that when they moved the tramp, it wasn't set level!!!


SmilingB,
The biggest I've ever come across.


Marge,
I agree. She was spectacular.


SCMomma,
I hope so!!

Jen,
She is and what a mouser she must be!

Annie,
You always know the right thing to say!
Thank you maam.
LOL!

R.Powers said...

Lisa,
The lad proved to be a good vidographer!

Carol said...

I have at least one red rat, one yellow rat and one black rat snake that visit my back porch every once in awhile..We're a bit more swampy in the Hammock. But none that big yet.

www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

Miz S said...

Very cool, Mr. Snake Man.

Doug Taron said...

The thing that surprises me is that you never get musked. Is that accurate, or do you just choose not to share those special moments? Nice specimen!

Pablo said...

So now I know where the boy gets his tendency to go shirtless all summer. I thought it was that he just didn't have any shirts.

Anonymous said...

Seems there was a distraction in the video and it WASN'T the snake! Guess the snake was too small for SOME to notice! LOL

Sharon said...

Happy you found her/him...and even more happy that you found her/him down there so I know it's nowhere close to me!! LOL :)

Dani said...

Holy Guacamole!! What a beaut!

Kimberlee said...

Can't wait to show this video to some of the kids around here. Their jaws will drop open when they see you so casually grab and hold a snake...especially one THAT humongous! I just love that she flickered her tongue as if right on cue. You've got all the wild things trained around there, don't you?!

Anonymous said...

Wow, FC - you really know how to show a snake a good time.

cinbad122 said...

So...you know where the dump is...or have you really turned into a "red neck"?

R.Powers said...

Carol,
What a great trio of snakes!

Miz S,
She was tres, tres cool.

Doug,
Well, ... define never.
LOL!
I have been, but I'm less aggressive in my captures than I was as a kid, and I really think that has something to do with it.
I'm gentler than I was.

Pablo,
It was the first time in a long time that I didn't wear a shirt all day (cept for that trip into Walmart) and wouldn't you know it, a video moment pops up!
I prefer almost shirtless as you know.

Anon,
LOL! It was the sunglasses wasn't it?

Sharon,
I hope she's still hanging around here.

Dani,
My thoughts too! Holy guacamole!
Bout as big as they come I think!

Kimberlee,
She was a lot more cooperative than I expected. I hope the kids like it!
It may be that the wildlife has ME trained.


Wren,
You gotta treat her like she's a lady.

Cindy,
Turned?
Was I ever not?
LOL!

Ericka said...

sara stalks me routinely too, but generally doesn't treat me as kindly as you.

VERY cool snake. um. will the smaller one end up as dinner? that would be a shame.

so, early in the season, or spf 100+ 'cause my friend you're nearly as pale as your hat!