Wasps...

One of the things we have been on the lookout for this summer is where there might be a wasp nest. My dear husband, with his eagle eye located one behind the shed in the backyard and was able to 'take care of it.' However, we were still getting quite a few wasps in the front yard, especially around my hanging plant on the front porch. I have diligently been watching to see where they fly to...if there is a particular place they all seem to 'hang out.' No such luck. Until yesterday afternoon. Jim and I were sitting out front in the driveway, taking a break with cold water. There was absolutely no breeze. It was the kind of day when everything just seems to stand still in time. Jim's eyes watched as a wasp flew around the basketball standard. Then a second one joined the first one, going behind the backboard but not coming out. Then there was a third one! He gets up and mosies on over there to take a look. He was armed with his wasp spray. As he looked up he saw several flying in and out of the wholes that are in the "arm". Up went the spray and covered the area. Out flew wasps. He was kept quite busy for several minutes. He waited a little bit for things to settle down before going again and 'attacking' forcibly. Finally, he said he would wait till today to actually climb a ladder and get inside the pole a little better. He did and was able to finally get the nest wet enough with the spray, as well as a number of new wasps. It definitely looked like a wasp battleground when he was done as you walked around the area of the driveway where they just lay dead. We will keep our eyes open for more activity but I imagine that this'hang out' has been closed for the season!

I discovered another snake on the wood pile. Yes, it is a tiny (according to my husband) (but in MY book, that snake is too big) garter snake. But, I do not like snakes...at all... I never have been a huge fan of them but ever since I had a "close" encounter with one I have totally detested them!

It was a summer Saturday morning (about 2 years ago) and James had left early to go hiking up in the mountains and Jim had already gone to bed after working all night. I had slept in a little later than usual. I was up and went in to use the bathroom. I stood up and went to flush when I noticed a stick on the back of the toilet seat, right near the brackets that hold the seat on. I peered closer, confused on why a stick would be laying right there, when I gasped! It was a snake! A snake wrapped around the toilet! I guess I didn't faint because I went screaming out of the bathroom with such speed....right into our bedroom, still screaming for Jim to WAKE UP!!! HOW could he be sleeping at a time like this!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! He opens his eyes and I scream again that there is a SNAKE (as venomously as I can) in the bathroom wrapped around the toilet! That actually brought him right up out of bed. It was so preposterous! He runs in to the room and I stand at our bedroom door, offering encouragement and helpful suggestions. He decides we should just close the door and wait him out because when he pulled on the snake the snake just tightened his 'grip' around the toilet. I told Jim that wasn't an option because that snake could slither through under the door. His only option was to KILL the snake! He called to me to hand him a coat hanger which I was able to toss into him from quite a distance out. At first he tried to pull him off but then he had visions of snake gut going all over the room (and I would NOT be the one to clean that mess up!) and so he decided not to pull the snake apart. The coat hanger proved to be the item needed and he prodded until the snake decided to make his move at which time Jim grabbed him. Jim mentioned that he would put him out in the garden and I told him, "Absolutely not!" If he thought I was going to give that snake a chance to come back into the house, he was crazy! He ended up going across to the elementary school and placing it in an area in the back where hopefully, some little boy would discover a snake and be the envy of all his friends. James came home and realized that he had missed all the excitement! *Bummer* And, I, finally realizing how close that snake had been to my backside, did just about faint! To this day we still have no idea how that snake got in. Of course, now whenever I get up to go the bathroom at night, I make sure I have my glasses on and the night light is burning!