outdoor plants indoors?

From now on the plants stay outside. Great story, Zada.

Thanks for the heads up Zada.
I bring in my plants before the first frosts arrive in late October.
We don't have a thriving snake population in the UK, but with global warming... who knows if things might be different now.

Ha! Great story, Zada!

I have seen garter snakes around here, and I do have plants outside all summer that I bring in around mid September. I'll be on the lookout for sure.

Loved the story Zada,
The snake part reminded me of an incident that happened at my house with I lived in Peekskill, NY.
I had converted the basement into an apartment and a young Italian couple rented it. The entrance to the apartment was at ground level with a screen door. During the summer, Rita saw a snake slither in under the screen door and she let out a shriek and ran to my neighbor for help. (I was at work at the time.) Carl came over, checked everywhere and couldn't find the snake. Carl was always joking about something, so he told Rita, "If you want to catch that snake, make one of your best Italian dinners. Set in in the middle of the floor and place Edie"s (her husbands) shotgun next to the plate. When the snake tastes the food, he'll pick up the gun and commit suicide."
It was Rita who relayed the story to me.

Thanks for the warning. I keep herbs on my patio and bring them inside when it gets too cold.

I've never brought a snake in with them, but one spring while I was still living in Houston, a few days after I had worked on my outdoor herb garden, and had it looking really pretty with its deep purples, paler lavenders, and various shades of green, I stepped out onto the patio and nearly stepped on a very large water snake. Water snakes look a lot like copperheads, except for the fact that a water snake's skinny head has no protruding pockets with fangs and venom. They are basically harmless, but they are still snakes. And that snake, which I noticed on closer look, was female and pregnant, slithered right into my herb garden. Snakes in gardens are not a good thing. I didn't go back onto the patio, or into the garden, for the rest of the season.


Ann

Did she survive or is he doing life? Loved it Zada.

A couple of years ago, I had one of my son's friends working in my yard. He was wearing those low-riding baggy pants the guys wear, and a garter snake slithered up his leg.

He said he screamed like a girl, jumped around shaking his pant leg until it came out the other leg.

From then on he wore shorts to work in the yard where he could keep an eye on things.

thehairymob wrote:

Did she survive or is he doing life? Loved it Zada.

There was a typo in the last sentence. It should have read, "That's when he shot at her."

He failed to see the sneaky snake that had slithered under his foot as he stepped forward to pull the trigger ...

To be continued ...

Once, a few years ago, my son lived with us. He had a bedroom and a bathroom that he could call his own space. He never cleaned anything and left everything on the floors where he took them off or happened to drop them.

We lived in a mobile home, up off the ground a good three feet, surrounded by critters and varmints of various persuasions trying to make a living in this wilderness. A lot of the inhabitants of this acreage found that the underneath of the not so mobile home was a godsend. A paradise of shelter from the elements, a good place to give birth to children, and with a food source near by, the answer to prayers.

I was a diligent house keeper even though it was a losing battle. I tried to keep the inside in and the outside out.

I do not see well. I wear contact lenses and glasses just to have an edge on blindness. When I go to bed, I am virtually blind and when I get up, it is the same before I put in the lenses, ect.

I went into Kenneth's bathroom (son) and saw what I thought was his belt on the floor in front of the toilet. I reached and grabbed it and it came alive! It startled me so without my vision that I was angry. I stomped off and put on all my seeing gear. The snake was gone, of course. I never saw it again. I imagine that it was so frighted by me that it left, forthwith!

I am not afraid of snakes, even the poisonous ones. I know that they just want to get away. I let them do that. It works for us both.

Love,
Betty

Shelagh wrote:

thehairymob wrote:

Did she survive or is he doing life? Loved it Zada.

There was a typo in the last sentence. It should have read, "That's when he shot at her."

He failed to see the sneaky snake that had slithered under his foot as he stepped forward to pull the trigger ...

To be continued ...

Did it then bite the hand doing the shooting, or crawl up his pant leg?

Betty, please be sure to put your 'eyes' in and on your head before you try to clean up; we would hate to lose you to a snake bite!

zadaconnaway wrote:

Shelagh wrote:

thehairymob wrote:

Did she survive or is he doing life? Loved it Zada.

There was a typo in the last sentence. It should have read, "That's when he shot at her."

He failed to see the sneaky snake that had slithered under his foot as he stepped forward to pull the trigger ...

To be continued ...

Did it then bite the hand doing the shooting, or crawl up his pant leg?

No, he took an unexpected trip to Carpetland. His wife thought he had been trying to shoot the snake and grabbed the gun from his hand and aimed it at the sneaky intruder ...

Shooting her husband in the foot!?

Maybe going through the floor and hitting something explosive in the basement?

zadaconnaway wrote:

Shooting her husband in the foot!?

Boy was he hopping mad! ...

Indigo snakes are so very lovely and so good for our farm. They are constrictors and do a job on rattle snakes, their favorite meals.

I must, I must!

Here is the story of The Indigo 500


When Wooffer leaped off the porch steps that morning, he knew right away that something was very wrong. There was no bird singing his good morning song, no frog saying goodnight. Everything was silent. Even as he sniffed the air, something did not smell right. He could not put his nose on it right away, but something was definitely wrong! As Wooffer stood very still and listened, a sound came over the wind… a wail of sorrow… not very distinct, not very loud… but there it was all the same. He listened with all his might and sniffed the air in all directions. Just as Wooffer was about to run in the direction he thought he had heard the sound coming from, Cho Lee Yen came limping up as fast as he could. “Come with me, quickly, and don’t stop to ask questions!” he said, and led the way as fast as he could to an area in the yard where the grass grew especially tall and thick. As they weaved their way through the tall grasses and brambles, the wailing became more distinct, although it was still a very quiet sound. At last they came upon a small, trampled area… and there on the ground lay Margaret looking very dead.

Reginald was wailing and hiding his head in his wing, then looking at Margaret and starting all over again with the wailing and hiding of his head.

Wooffer went right up to Margaret and sniffed her all over. She was still breathing, but she looked very bad. Every little while she would start to twitch and shake all over and Reginald would began to wail again and hide his head. Wooffer said, “What has happened to her? Do you know?”

Well, Reginald did not know. He was so worried, he just wanted her to get better. Cho Lee did not know either, but he said she had been fine earlier in the morning.

Wooffer decided that the first thing anyone should do was to go get his mom. He went off at a trot and brought her back to the trampled grass. She picked Margaret up and took her into the house. Wooffer told Reginald to try to be brave and not to worry. He knew that Reginald would worry his beak off anyway, so he asked Cho Lee to stay with Reginald until Margaret was well.

Wooffer’s mom called the doctor. Wooffer vowed then and there, to find out what had happened to Margaret… for the sake of all the animals on the farm. Who knew what terrible things could have happen. Perhaps there was a poisonous snake loose, or a rabid animal, or Brutus, Chipoff, and Blocko might be out again. He did not want to think of anything worse.

Poor, brave, decent Margaret had to get well… she just had to! Reginald waited and Cho Lee kept him company, telling him all the great things Margaret had done… fighting the dogs, saving his life, teaching Basil to kick… on and on he talked, and Reginald began to think that Margaret would be alright. She just had to be!

Wooffer had started his search with a good sniff all around where Margaret had been laying. There was something, but he could not put his nose on it, exactly. It was a strange smell, but he had smelled it before… somewhere… but where?

At one time or another, Margaret had been very rude to many of the animals on the farm. And at one time or another Margaret had actually flown feet first into almost all of their faces. Everyone had a motive to get back at Margaret, but not to really hurt her. Everyone admired and loved Margaret. At least Wooffer hoped this was true.

Wooffer had decided to find out what each animal knew about Margaret’s unfortunate accident. He started with Ho Chi. Ho Chi spent her days looking out at the world from her pen. Very little escaped her notice. It was not that she was a nosey busybody; she just did not have a lot to do except to watch the rest of the farm animals during the day. If anything happened within her area of sight, she noticed it.

“She left early this morning, she crossed the ditch, and that is as far as I could see.” Ho Chi motioned Wooffer to come close to her and whispered, “She was upset with the crows. They always laughed at her for trying to hatch eggs.”

The crows would be Wooffer’s next stop. It was not far because they were in the tree waiting for him to go away so they could eat Ho Chi’s corn. Wooffer looked up at the crows. they were nudging each other and and smirking and pushing until they were about to fall out of the tree.

“Did you see where Margaret went early this morning?” Wooffer asked.

“Look who is asking us!” sneered one old crow, “It’s the tree dog, free dog, one of a kind!” With this remark, one crow actually fell out of the tree on his head, he was laughing so hard. “Why don’t you FLY up here and ask us in person?!”

Wooffer could see that he was not getting any information out of these crows today. He knew they knew more than they were willing to tell, but they were such CROWS that they would not give him the time of day. He would remember this.

As Wooffer walked toward the house to see how Margaret was doing, he was trying to remember the smell that had been where Margaret had been lying. He still could not put his nose right on it, but it was coming to him…

When Wooffer reached the back door, he looked back at Ho Chi. She was surrounded by Crows. It seemed to Wooffer that the Crows were still laughing. It did not seem right.

The doctor had been to see Margaret and had looked her over very well. He had told Wooffer’s mom that she seemed to have been bitten by someone. “It could have been a spider, or a vole, or even a snake,” he said, “but she will be alright.” He had given Margaret a dose of medicine that had stopped her shaking and quivering and she was now sitting in a big box with a towel wrapped around her to keep her warm. Her head was tucked far under her wing. Margaret had a terrible, terrible headache, and she still could not talk.

Wooffer ran back to Reginald and Cho Lee to report all that the doctor had said and that Margaret was going to be all right. Reginald was so happy that he cock-a-doodle-dooed and erka-erka-erka-ed all around the yard. The birds began to sing again and the squirrels went back to their chattering. The silence was broken, at last, but Wooffer still wanted to know who had bitten poor Margaret. He ask every one he knew, but no one knew anything that would help him find the vicious fiend that had bitten Margaret. It seemed that the Crows were the only ones who knew anything, and they were not going to tell him.

It seemed that the only way he would ever know who bit Margaret was if he could remember what the strange smell was that he had noticed when he had sniffed all around her as she was lying close to death on the ground.

Just as he was going to talk to Ho Chi again, he saw a large, black crow standing just outside Ho Chi’s pen. Wooffer ran as fast as the wind and caught the big Crow by the wing just as it was about to fly. He held it down with his big front feet and said, “Now, tell me what you know about who bit Margaret, or else.”

The crow was so surprised that Wooffer had him held down, that he blurted out, “She went to the races! The Indigo 500… You know, the Snake Races. She got in the way and one of the snakes bit her!”

Wooffer let the crow go. What a crazy thing for a chicken to do! Snake Races! Now he knew what the strange smell was. It was an Indigo Snake that he had smelled. He would find this snake and teach him not to go around biting defenseless chickens!

Margaret got completely well in two days and was back with Reginald. Everything was back to normal with the animals on the farm. Wooffer was helping his mom pull weeds at the greenhouse when he smelled the snake hiding under some tall weeds. It was a chilly morning so the snake was not warm yet, and was still mostly asleep. Wooffer crept up so quietly that the snake never knew that he was there. Wooffer grabbed that four foot Indigo Snake by the tail and took off running as fast as he could. The snake’s head just bounced along the ground. Thump… Thump… Thump… all the way to where Wooffer’s mom was working. Wooffer dropped the Indigo right in front of her! Now, that mean old snake would get what was coming to him!

Wooffer’s mom screeched… “We don’t play with snakes! No! No! No!,” and picked up the snake by the tail and threw him across the fence. Wooffer smiled to himself thinking about what a surprise that Snake had gotten. It was worth getting yelled at by his mom!

When Margaret and Reginald and all the other animals heard how Wooffer had drug the snake by the tail and thumped his head along the ground, they all had a good laugh, too. “You are really and truly one of a kind, Wooffer, our true friend,” they all cheered. “Hurrah for Wooffer!”


Love,
Betty

i have another one about the outdoor plants. It is about Pogo, Wooffer's brother, who had to move from his old familiar neighborhood to a new place and how they all coped with the move.


Pogo (Wooffer’s brother), and his whole family were moving… moving to a NEW house in a NEW neighborhood, with a new yard . Pogo was not sure he wanted to. He liked his old house and knew where everything was. He liked his old familiar Lizard friends and the old familiar squirrels in the old familiar trees. He knew all the neighbor cats and all the neighbor dogs, if not by sight… by the sound of their voices. He had his TERRITORY.

Pogo had a long talk with his dad one night, and his dad told him how the yard was like a big field compared to the yard they had now and that there was a lake and a big forest close by. Pogo was still not sure. He needed to talk to Wooffer! Wooffer would know about big fields and lakes and forests.

Pogo’s mom had been putting everything in boxes for weeks, it seemed to Pogo. He could not find his favorite toy, he could not find his favorite blanket, and finally, he could not find his bed. It was just a blanket on the floor, but he wanted it very much. He wanted to cry. Why did they have to move, anyway?!!!!!!!

Finally, the day came to start moving. The family started to arrive.

First, came Wooffer and his mom. Of course, Wooffer and Pogo went off by themselves to discuss the move, and the happenings, and who was there, and what was going to happen next, and did any one know what they were doing, and what a lake and forest was and many other things that are important to a dog and his friends on moving day.

Everyone had a job to do. Pogo and Wooffer’s job was to make sure that everything was moved to the new house and nothing was left behind.

Pogo and Wooffer took their job very seriously. They followed every box, piece of furniture, rug and candle and watched it being loaded onto the trucks. When the trucks were full, and everyone left to take the stuff to the new house, they stayed and guarded the old house. This had been the only “home” that Pogo had ever really known. His friends were here! His territory was here! He just wanted to stay here… home!!!!

They were both laying on the porch just waiting, when a small voice said, “Hey! Pogo! What is going on?” It was Leroy Lizard, one of Pogo’s closest friends, and sitting on the tree nearby was Nudzy Brown, who happened to be Pogo’s favorite squirrel in the world.

Pogo explained that they were moving.

Leroy said, “Oh, No! Things will not be the same without you, Pogo!” Nudzy said that they certainly would not!

Pogo sobbed, “I don’t think things will ever be the same again!” And then he cried as if his heart would break. “ OOOHHHH, OOOOHHHHH, OOOOOHHHH.”

Wooffer felt so sorry for Pogo. He knew how he would feel if he were never to see his friends again. He had to do something! But what?!!!!

At last, everything inside the house was moved, and Pogo’s dad started to load the plants onto the big truck. They had a jungle of plants, of all sizes and kinds. It gave Wooffer a wonderful idea! He must find Leroy at once! Wooffer found him sitting in the Pomegranate tree, and whispered something in his ear.

Leroy sounded the alarm for all the lizards to run home as fast as they could and stay there no matter WHAT.

Such a leaping of lizards has never been seen before, and probably will never be seen again. All of Leroy’s family…

children, wives, aunts, uncles, grannies, grampies, cousins,

and friends ran home as fast as they could and sat very still.

“It will work! Yes, it will!!!” said Leroy, leaping for joy.

When all the plants were finally loaded onto the truck… all the LIZARDS were loaded on the truck, too, because all of them had homes in the plants. Leroy thought that Wooffer was a very smart dog, indeed. If it had not been for Wooffer, they would all be looking for a place to call “home” this very minute! Now they could keep their homes and be with Pogo at the same time!!! Yes, Wooffer was definitely “One of a kind.”

Pogo knew nothing about this, of course, and was still feeling very low. He was saying goodbye to Nudzy and his other squirrel friends, and was about to cry again, when Nudzy said, “Don’t worry, old pal, we can always come and see you on the High Way.” (It seems that every squirrel the world over knew about Sir Ryte (Dickey) Doodah’s discovery) This made Pogo feel a little better. But not a LOT better.

Wooffer’s mom came to find Pogo and Wooffer and said, “It is time for the final walk around to make sure we have taken everything. Come on you two beautiful babies!” (She always had nice things to say to them) Well, the three of them, Wooffer, his mom and Pogo, walked all around the yard. The plants were gone, the picnic table was gone, the bird feeder was gone, everything was gone from the yard. Next, they walked all around each room in the house. Each room was empty. They could hear their toenails clacking on the tile and echoing off the walls. Not a thing was left. Pogo thought, “This is not a “Home” now, without any one and nothing in any room. It is just an empty house.” His home seemed to have disappeared.

Wooffer’s mom knelt down and took Pogo’s face in her warm hands, looked him right in the eyes and said, “Well, Pogo, are you ready to go home now?”

Home… home!… home!!!! The sound of the word sang in his heart!!! Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! Pogo was ready to go home! Pogo and Wooffer jumped into the truck and they left. Pogo said, “Can’t you go any faster?”

Wooffer’s mom smiled. “It is only a little way, Pogo, we will be there in a few minutes.”

It seemed longer to Pogo, but at last they were at the new house. Pogo leaped out and ran right up to where his dad was unloading the plants. He could not believe his eyes! There was Leroy and every lizard that he ever knew! Oh, Happy Day!!!!! They all started talking at once, telling Pogo of their great ride and how they had just gone home and had gotten moved to where he lived, too!!! What a coincidence! But that was not all. Pogo looked up, and there on the telephone wire, was Nudzy and his whole family and a few that Pogo had not met, going off toward the forest. Nudzy stopped and yelled down to Pogo, “We came and saw the forest and the lake! We like it better than our old home, so we are all moving over here, too. We can see you a lot now!!!”

Pogo stood gazing up at the squirrels as long as he could see them on the wire and then he went into the house. There was his favorite toy, his favorite blanket, his bed, his dish and best of all, there was all his family. Dad, Mom, and Jenny and Jessie (his human sisters) his uncles, aunts, grannies and grandpies. There was everything that he remembered in the old house. He was home.


Love,
Betty

Betty, you are truly a wonder and a wonderful story teller!!

Dear Zada.
You know how sappy I am. I never mean any harm by posting the stories. I do not know what else to do with them. It feels better if someone could read one of them and smile, and that is why I do it. Not because I think I am a great writer, but because I do love these characters so that I hope someone else will too.

Love,
Betty

Betty, the stories ar great--they make ME smile, and I read them happily, even anxiously waiting for the next one to show up. I am sure that I speak for others, as well, even though I can't be certain. Your stories do the opposite of harm. You give voice and life to the little creatures in your stories, and any of your stories that aren't in books should be.