Over the weekend, Matt took the boys to a father-son retreat.
This means I was all by myself for the entire weekend. No one to cook for. No one to clean up after. No one to break up fights for. No one to get to soccer games.
Oh yeah. And there was NO ONE TO CATCH THE SNAKE I FOUND IN MY HOUSE!!!!!!!
It was something like 1:45 in the morning when I saw the slithery creature. I had stayed up WAY too late working on the computer, just because I could I suppose. I was getting crazy sleepy, so I got up once more to use the restroom. And that’s when I saw it.
Suddenly I wasn’t very sleepy anymore.
The snake wasn’t very fat…but it was a good foot and a half long or twelve.
I reacted at first by standing in the same place for about ten minutes. And I stood there. And stood there. I could not think of one option for taking care of a snake in my house at two in the morning all by myself. I wasn’t sure if “help I have a garter snake emergency” justified a 911 call or not, but I was thinking not.
Finally realizing that I couldn’t stand there all night…nor could I go to bed knowing there was a snake in my house…I grabbed the nearest shoe. I hear tell that dress shoes belonging to little boys are helpful in removing snakes from a house.
Once I had the shoe…I stood frozen for several more minutes. The snake slithered a little here and there, freaking me completely out.
Then I decided that maybe if I went and got a container of some sort, I could scoop it up and throw it outside. Somehow I mustered up the courage to run downstairs where I found a cottage cheese container.
Yes…a cottage cheese container. I would catch the snake in the cottage cheese container. Using the shoe.
The snake by that time had slithered down several stairs to a landing. The slithering was about enough to do me in. Oh, the slithering.
I decided that I did not have the courage to scoop up the snake…nor did the snake offer to go willingly into the cottage cheese container. I resorted to the shoe.
I threw it directly down onto the snake as hard as I could. Simultaneously, I shrieked quite loudly. There is just something so horrid about throwing a shoe down onto a snake…and then watching it slither into a ball that caused a really loud shriek to come out of my body. It was enough to wake the neighbors. Except that it didn’t. Oh how I wish a neighbor would have heard me and come over to lend a hand.
I tried the shoe two or seven more times. Apparently all I’d heard about little boy’s dress shoes getting snakes out of houses wasn’t true. The snake was not harmed but I was shaking like a little girl (who’d been throwing shoes at snakes).
Finally…finally…I was able to put the cottage cheese container on TOP of the snake, which was now curled up in a ball on the floor (trying to protect itself from the little brown shoe bombs).
I put several books on top of the container so that the snake wouldn’t get out. Then I put a few more books around the side of the container to keep it from moving from side to side at all. And then I put a heavy jar of tomato soup I’d just canned on top of the books. No way no how was I going to take a chance of that snake getting out.
Don’t look now, but there’s a snake in that container.
I then proceeded to pull an all-nighter. It would seem that snakes, shoes and cottage cheese containers in combination have the ability to produce enough adrenaline to cause a person’s eyes to stay open and heart to beat at a crazy pace for hours and hours. There was no sleep happening for me until right about the time the sun came up.
A couple of hours later my wonderful, fantastic Uncle Kenny graciously came and took the intruder far, far away. He also gave me a hug. Yeah, I really needed that hug.
After this experience…all I can say is that I’m just a little bit jumpy. Hopefully someday I will not feel the need to grab a shoe and a cottage cheese container every time I see a shoe lace or electric cord plugged into the wall. Hopefully.
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I’ve just gotta ask: What would you have done? Are you the type who could have just shrugged and picked up the “silly little snake” and thrown it outside? Or are you well…a little more like me when it comes to snakes? :)
I’m not afraid of snakes, so I would probably have grabbed it by the head and carried it outside. The other day, we were stacking firewood and disturbed a snake. I made sure all of the kids got a chance to get a close look at it and explained the signs of poisonous vs. non-poisonous, etc.
Now, spiders. (shudder) that’s another story. Here’s a brief glimpse at THAT horror: http://www.halleethehomemaker.com/2009/08/boys-will-be/
EEEEKKKKK!!! I’m sure I would have done the same exact thing. However, our German Shepherd may have been somewhat helpful – in the past, he’s assisted in catching flying squirrels in the house, so a snake should be a breeze for him. But I don’t want to find out!
So sorry you had to experience that trauma alone.
Ummmmmmmmm…Oh My Goodness.
I would have passed out. And I would have needed a large container…not a little cottage cheese container. Like a … storage tub. So I didn’t get so close.
I would also probably now be moving. :) You did great. I probably would have had to call someone.
Yikes.
You were so brave.
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!
There was a bird (or was it a bat, which would be worse) in my bedroom once when I was in junior high. My mom and my brother ran around my room with two laundry baskets trying to clap them together at just the right time with the bird in between. I think it actually finally worked. I got a few laughs out of it, I’ll admit.
I shall not (yet) admit to getting any laughs out of your snake experience but if you get ready to laugh about it ever, let me know.
Oh my!
I wouldn’t have done that much. I would have called someone! :) BUT, we are talking about the woman who every time goes to pick up what looks like a toy snake, kicks it before she bends down to touch it. My least favorite thing of the boys to pick up are their “play” creatures, I NEVER know if they are real or not!
Oh my.. I laughed SO HARD! I would have done the EXACT same thing, including, but not limited to, staying up until all hours working on the computer while hubby and sons are out of town. I read this out loud to my 9 year old daughter who then said, “she sounds just like you Mommy. Do we have a cottage cheese container?” LOL!
Oh, you poor thing!
I do not like snakes either! I do not know what I would have done, but there would have been screaming for sure :)
And shuddering. Lots of shuddering.
I bought my little guy a book on snakes just to counteract any fear of snakes that I’ll pass on to him. Hopefully he’ll be around (and old enough to help) when I need him as I do not think his daddy likes snakes much either.
What a night!
Heather
I probably would have gone for a broom over a little boy’s shoe. Maybe that would have been more successful. However, touching it? I think not.
oh my goodness! I just can’t believe that happened of all times, when your husband was gone. I would have done the same as you except I probably would have been standing on a chair.
I was so relieved to know that you had someone come get it for you.
I am not sure what I would have done, probably the same thing. Once, a long time ago, I was cleaning behind our couches and found a scorpion. I sprayed about half a can of oven cleaner on it, covered it with a plastic container and put a hand weight on top of that. Then I picked up the baby and left the house until my husband came home. The couch was still in the middle of the room and my husband laughed, but was very kind and sympathetic…
I would have found a bigger container or box to put the snake in. then taken that outside and dumped it out into the lawn.
I would have been a little freaked… but would have been calm.
OMG!!!! I would’ve screamed and called someone to come and get it for me. That’s what I did when I had a squirrel in my house when I was preggers with my son. Run screamming while grabbing a phone then lock yourself in a bedroom just in case the squirrel knows how to turn the doorknob.
That is crazy–a snake in the house!! I would have screamed–def. not touched it. Actually,I probably would have called 911 :-)
LARGE container. And maybe a shovel. I MIGHT have been able to bring myself to shovel it up and run outside with it. Maybe.
Yuck. You did good!
I wouldn’t have done anything, because I would have been outside the house as quickly as possible. I am terrified of snakes, and just reading your post made me tremble at the thought of going home today and finding one… AGH.
LOL! I can’t imagine if there was a snake in my house… *shudder*!
However, several years ago we were living in a triplex, and one of our housemates came banging on the door really late at night. We opened the door to find mom and teenage daughter standing there in their jammies. They had a snake in their sink- could my hubby please come get it out for them! It was totally freaking them out.
It was at that point that I learned that my husband harbored a deathly fear of snakes! He turned pale and simply said, “I don’t do snakes”. Well, then I was all sorts of annoyed with him, rolled my eyes, and then said I would take care of the snake myself.
So I go next door and find a rather young garter snake in the neighbor sink. Totally creeped me out, but I grabbed it, WITH MY BARE HANDS, and took it out into the street. I had the admiration of the entire neighborhood for being brave enough to tackle a snake.
Wow! What a reaction! I would have just scooped it up and sent it out. I know a guy who would have scooped it up and made it his friend…a little odd but to each his own! I have a few pet snakes, but I’ll never keep a wild one.
Oh my goodness…I’m shuddering just reading this post! You are the 3rd person this week that I “know” who has found a snake in the house while her husband was gone!
The way you reacted is exactly how I react when a lizard gets in the house…I absolutely HATE them! I’ve been known to unload an entire can of hairspray on one. By the way, it doesn’t work. They just stick to the floor and squirm around. EWWWW!
I’m glad you finally got it out of your house!
I woulda cried. And called the burliest man I could think of to come RIGHT THEN. Even if it was 2 AM. Maybe.
I am a wimp. I mighta slept outside.
If that were to ever happen to me, I would guess I would run out of my house, screaming at the top of my lungs. I would probably drive far, far away and just pray that my house explodes before I have to return to find the snake.
I have a slightly irrational fear of snakes…
Oh, and I would have called 911, or at least the local cop to see if he could help me out of the situation!
I found another little one in the basement today while I was doing laundry…I will leave out the details of what had to be done. Eric will have a surprise when he gets home for lunch.
i laughed so hard i had to tell my readers to come here! i have loved your blog for awhile now and this just makes it better!
i would have done exactly like you!!!!
Ok – you have me laughing hysterically. I am sooooooooooo sorry for your terrible night but your kids are going to be telling this story forever after they hear about it. I would have called my husband, who always has his cellphone with him, for moral support. Then I would have described the snake to my husband. If harmless, I would have gotten a broom and asked my husband to stay on the phone for contiued moral support. If poisonous? Well, there’s a hotel down the road.
oh my heaven’s! I would have done the exact same thing! I think I would have been freaking out a little more…you handled it calmly in my opinion! Great job!
I am right with you on the yuck and EEK factor of snakes. I am not sure I would have made it past the shoes and onto the container though. I might have called uncle Kenny in the middle of the night to come help and forego the morning hug just to not have put the container on it.
Snakes are not something I like at all!
Angie
You handled it better than I would have:)
This was the best laugh of the day! Thank you! I always said the worst stuff makes for the best stories…and this confirms it! Glad you’re ok.
With it definitely being a garter snake, I would have grabbed the thing behind the head and thrown it outside. We have garter snakes around our house, and my 4 y/o – who had never seen any other snakes besides the huge ones at the zoo -wanted to play with the cute little snake. Her feelings were hurt when it “heeeed” at her (her word for hissed) and bit her finger – that’s when one of my other girls came in to say 4 y/o had been bitten by a snake. Of course I ran outside to see what kind (because it was also rattlesnake mating season). The snake was small, and definitely a garter snake, but we called the doctor and ended up going in anyway. No harm done.
I grew up in the country with little green grass snakes and garter snakes a common sight, and sometimes we’d accidentally cross paths. My husband is a city boy and won’t even touch a frog – much less a snake.
LOL!!! Oh that poor little snake! I would have picked him up and let him out the back door.
Snakes are now a part of my life. We have about 5 that live in our yard that we have named and the kids play with all the time. My favorite is one eyed Jake. We also have a large coastal garter snake in the house that my older son has as a pet. He was caught on a snake hunt. Sundays after church a bunch of families get together to spend the day together and who ever wants to will go on an outing to hunt for snakes (also bats,lizards, squirrels, fish…etc) A large bucket comes home for show and tell and after learning a little about what critter we have its let go back where it was found.
So NOTHING surprises me anymore! lol!
lolololol
You told it funny- but that AIN’T FUNNY!
Once upon a time, when a mouse got in the house, I SLEPT IN THE CAR ALL NIGHT!
How will you ever sleep again? Better still, how will Matt sleep with you clinging to him for dear life?!?!!
And how do you ‘snake-proof’ a house?
I have been laughing so hard at your story!! (Not AT you – but WITH you) :)
You are my hero – I wouldn’t have had the presence of mind to even do the things you did! I was completely impressed that you took a picture of your snake “trap” to share with us!!! What a fantastic story – this one will be passed along to the grandkids for sure!!!
Thanks for making my day :)
A couple of weeks ago, we went over to my mother-in-law’s house to supervise while she mowed her lawn…she LOVES to mow her lawn as long as she has company. :) And after the back fence was weedeated (weedate just doesn’t seem right! lol!) my son wanted to put the weedeater in the shed, so he was fidgeting with the lock trying to get it open. I happened to catch some movement a mere few inches from me and by the time I could tell what it was, the 12-14″ long garden snake was directly between my MIL’s feet. I knew I had a choice to make – if I told her she would scream and jump and likely step on it, making it mad. It was there for just a second and then it went to the shed and was inches from my kiddo’s feet trying to get into the same shed (he still hadn’t opened the door) and he was concentrating so hard he didn’t even see it. I calmly said, “There’s a garden snake” at which time my MIL shrieks and my son starts jumping back and trying to see what I saw, but it hid in the woodpile beside the shed. Once my MIL caught her breath, she asked, “Did it touch the side of my leg?” “Yes, it did.” It was a riot – she told me I made a good choice to not say anything until it was past her! It was a beautiful snake and even though I was surprised, I wasn’t scared – a HUGE shock! I used to be TERRIFIED of snakes! :)
Wow, you did much better than I would have! Any creepy crawly thing gives me the heebie-geebies (sp?).
My husband hates bugs, spiders, etc. too but I keep trying to convince him he’s the man of the house and it’s HIS job to deal with them. When I do kill them, I have to have him pick them up and dispose of them for fear they’ll suddenly come alive while in the tissue :-)
A snake would have sent me packing to the nearest hotel although our golden retriever would have probably tried to play with it.
My best advice is using grilling tongs. You know, the really long ones? They work pretty good.
Oh, Laura you poor thing!!! I would have FREAKED out FAR worse than you did!!!! I have a snake phobia (no foolin’) and at the sight of a snake I have a panic attack (not every time, some times I can talk myself out of it :).
My father (in all his theraputic wisdom and sensitivity) tells me that there are snakes everywhere I just can’t see them. Nice.
I would have left the house.
I am terrified of any snake. Small, large, baby. WHATEVER. I am not a snake person.
I would have died of a heart attack!
I hate snakes no matter how much they eat other things. I can handle crickets, spiders, etc. but not a slimy, yucky snake.
My house would be up for sale.
We have a detached garage and we have a garter snake in there. Guess what. I do not go in there NO MATTER WHAT. My husband can deal with it not me.
You are certainly braver than I am. Hope you never have that problem ever again!
Uh…yeah…I would have done exactly what you did.
I’m shuddering from the story…and praying I don’t have to ever deal with that situation on my own.
Snakes- ewww!
I am like you on this one. I have had a small snake in our house before and it was scary to me. We also had bats flying around when I was 9 months pregnant several years ago. Needless to say, my screams on the phone sent my husband home from where he was at in a hurry. :-) My mom used to stand on the table and wait for my dad to take care of mice when we were little. Of course, we thought it was fun, but I imagine that contributed to my fears of things like snakes, mice and bats. I know they are God’s creatures, but I would prefer they stay outside.
Oh, my goodness. I am horrified for you. You POOR THING!! I would have just died…after exiting the house and waking up a neighbor to take care of it. I feel proud of you. Go rest.
Oh my gosh Laura!! I totally can sympathize with you! About two weeks ago I was folding laundry at my kitchen table.It was the kids first day of school and I noticed something crawling out from underneeth our kitchen cabinet.It was a tiny baby snake.I called my friend to tell her.I was a little shaken up,but after all it was just a baby.She had said that she had an encounter with a snake a while ago and her husbands friend had warned her that there is usually more than one.Well,just as she said this I saw the mama crawl across our kitchen floor.I screemed so loud and ran outside.(because we all know there are no snakes outside!Lol!)I had told her what happened and that I was planning on staying on our pourch until someone came to get rid of it.After I called our town they sent some really nice men over from the water department to capture it.I thought for sure they were going to find a whole pit of snakes in our basement,but fortunately they just found the one wich had made it`s way into our livingroom.He said it wasn`t poisonous which was a comfort.I will say,I was shaken up for quite a while though!
So,anyway I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that you are not alone.I too have had an encouter with these creepy creatures!!
I must say, I audibly said “oh! poor little snake!” When I read that you were throwing shoes at it. You see, I love herpetology – espeically snakes. Garter snakes and Bull snakes are my little friends.
If I saw one in my house, I would have picked it up. Garter snakes don’t bite. However, they do produce a stinkly film, which makes them smell dead, so that preditors would not want to eat them. The worst a garter snake can do to you is slime you, and it washes right off with soap and water.
I’d held many wild (non poinsonous) snakes and lizards. They are actually sweet little critters.
Now, poisonous snakes I have no qualms about killing. In fact, a friend brought over a dead rattle snake the other day, and we skinned and gutted it, then had it for supper, LOL.
I have a video of it on my blog – if you are up for trying to desensitize yourself to snakes and guts, that is. ;-)
I can’t give any advice because this is how I am about roaches. I can’t even stomp one, I just spray it with cleaner hoping it will drown to death. I don’t think I would have survived the night. Thanks for this hilarious story, sorry it happened to you though!
Yeah, that’s a good idea. I might sleep in the car. :)
Yeah..I’d have been worse than you sweetie…
I would have been doing my best ‘Sipderman’
imitation from the middle of the celing while shreaking all the while! The whole darned city would have been wide awake..no.. the county!
Keep the shoe bomb and cottage cheese container,books and tomato soup handy..oh, by the way the hero soup looks really yummy!
I think I’ll repost this in a bulletin if you wouldn’t mind on myspace and one day I’ll share my rooster story with you..smiles, Mickie
I would have been much worse than you, I’m afraid. I would most likely have called my dear old dad if my hubby was out of town…. even in the middle of the night! Yikes…
It fit in a cottage cheese container?
I had a black rat snake in my house once. There is no way it would have fit in a cottage cheese container. lol!
I guess I would have directed it towards the door…as I have with other (bigger) snakes that have found their way indoors; a squirrel (!) and a few birds…my dh dealt with the one bat we have had (that was as eek! as I’ve gotten…and extrememly thankful that he was home!)
Brooms with long handles and extra large Rubbermaid storage tub lids are very useful items in these situations.
oh my goodness! Thank you for such a great laugh!
I had a similar situation at bible camp once. All 6 girls were freaked out and up on the top of the bunk beds and I was standing sleepily in the middle of the floor for what seemed like hours before I finally mustered up the courage to just grab it and throw it out the 2nd story window.
Hmmm, should I tell Laura about the two, yes… two 4-foot bull snakes that my hubby found in our BASEMENT (a cellar, really. we never went down there) when we lived in a yucky old house in Wichita?! I SOOOOOO wanted to move!
Hey, I love the story! I actually left a spider (I believed it to be carrying it’s babies like the do sometimes. IF you don’t know what I’m talking about, be glad.) in a container just like that for my husband to dispose of.
But the snake, if it was that little? I probably would have caught it and thrown it out. Unless it was poisonous, then I would have killed it, although, in the house–how would one do that?
I did however catch a hummingbird in my hands this weekend. I blogged about it too.
I found a northern water snake in my garage this summer and became absolutely HYSTERICAL. It wriggled. It hissed. It had a triangular head. Who knew it’s the one southern snake with a triangular head that is not poisonous. Oh, the stress of killing that beast shortened my life by weeks.
That was way too funny! I’m one of the ones that would have just grabbed it and taken it outside. Then again, my daughter probably would have wanted to see it, so I would have needed to put it in a container until she was able to see it.
I’m not afraid of snakes, but I’m also not fond of getting bit, so I would’ve trapped it (in a cup like you did) and would have helped it out the door. :)
Okay, I have to give you mega kudos for staying in the house with the snake! I hate them, absolutely fear them, and if I ever saw one in my house, I’d bolt out the door even if it was the middle of the night, lol! (We live near a 24 hour Wal-Mart and Whataburger, so I’d go make myself at home there til someone could rescue me…)
And forget about getting close enough to put a bowl on top of it… ^^^shudder^^^ that gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it… yuck!
Well, we had a flying squirrel in our basement last fall. Yeah, my dh had heard something suspicious in the basement before leaving for work, but didn’t really think he should check it out. So when I went down there and saw a disaster in my laundry room and then rounded the corner to meet face to face with a flying squirrel I screamed and jumped on top of the washing machine. The kids thought it was really funny. The squirrel didn’t really move for a minute. Then he sauntered off and crawled in my husband’s boot.
I then called my dh and he refused to come home. So I went to the store and bought an animal trap. I set it up while my son stood guard with a stick to hit the squirrel if it came out of the boot. It didn’t – all day. I hid upstairs.
When my dh came home we put a box on top of it and then slid the whole thing into a bag and threw it all on the front lawn. The squirrel ran out and up a tree and then flew across our driveway about 30 feet and landed in the back yard and ran away.
So I am not much better than you when it comes to wild animals in my house. I think I would have stayed up all night too. Glad you are OK though.
ummmm, this doesn’t resemble heavenly homemaking in the least. ;0) But I have no idea what I would have done. I would have screamed, that much is for certain. I think I would have gotten the courage together to go find something to capture it with.
But the ironic thing is that you experienced exactly what I have been worried about the past few days. We came home from going to town on Friday and there was a rather large snake right by our front door… a door that gets left open by my 3 year old way too often. great. Now I not only have to worry about mice and bugs, but also snakes. Glad you survived!
This was hilarious!!! I’m the kind of girl who would have picked it up and scared my husband with it before tossing it outside.
I’m afraid of spiders, he’s afraid of snakes…too bad we only have spiders around here!
Hope you are well!
Oh my gosh! Your story was so hilarious because you sound so much like me…except my story was about a MOUSE!!! My five year old trapped it by luring it out with cheese and put a bucket over it while I sat on top of the counter screaming!!! MY FIVE YEAR OLD!!! Then I proceded to call my husband and ask him to drive 30 minutes on his lunch hour to take the mouse out far far away. Had it been a snake…I would have done the exact same thing…or maybe my daughter would have!!!
haha…I needed a good laugh and this definitely provided it for me!!! I couldn’t believe that Asa was at Midwest last weekend!! What?? You have a kid that is youth group age? Crazy. I don’t blog anymore…just got too busy with everything. I joined a homeschooling group here. There are about 55 moms in the group!
Glad you got the snake…I would have just keeled(sp?) over right then and there. I have a really good spider story for you!
Short version: HUGE black spider in my van after hauling a load of firewood. Knew he was in there while I drove around for a week scared to death that he would show up while I was driving. Yeah…he did…only I wasn’t driving…thank goodness!!!! Fischer said…hey mom there’s a cricket! Out of the corner of my eye I saw the big black hairy beast right above my head!! I jumped into the back seat of the van and Franklin had to pull over and dispose of him. I told him that if he didn’t catch the spider our marriage was over! HEHE…we both had a pretty good laugh about it!
Um yeah. I would’ve had a stroke. I had a situation a week or so ago when I was working in my music studio, completely engrossed in a project and, like you, I stood up for a potty break. On my way back, I saw what I thought was one of my boys’ plastic lizards on my floor. Now, let me pause and say that I’m not a girlie girl. I can handle myself around critters and I don’t mind a little dirt and some bugs every now and again. But oh my lord, did I lose my ever loving mind when I saw that thing take off running as I stepped closer to it. It ran under my piano, poor thing, as I stood there screaming and trying to figure out what to do. Fortunately, my husband was home and he had a good laugh at me yelling and screaming over a tiny lizard. I say “hooray for you!” based on your resourcefulness. I only hope that the next time I find a lizard in the basement, I’m on one of my cottage cheese kicks! :)
This is like my worst fear–especially living in Texas! I have done similar things for much smaller creature, so I’m sure I’d go for the old container trick, too. Although, I’ve seen Lindsey remove snakes with tongs, so I might have considered that. Would absolutely have stood staring at it for quite some time. And if my babies were home, and in any danger of being eaten by 12 foot long snake, I would grab it with my bare hands and chuck it out in an instant! ;) (Well, I hope so, anyway)
Oh, I would have screamed and prayed the dog would have dealt with it, but since he wouldn’t have, I probably would have thrown legos at him.. I ended up with SIX mice in the house while dh was away.. Yeah, six of them. I not only screamed when I found them, but screamed as I tried to dispose of traps. My six year old son rolled with laughter over the whole thing, as did friends who read the blog entries.. all six of them. My dh and his brother had a hoot reading the blog entries from afar too. ;)
oooooohhhhhhh, I am as freaked at as you probably were, just reading your account! But I did laugh aloud at the picture of your “trap” That is pretty funny. However, I would have been just as scared, and I’m not sure what I would have done. I would like to think I would have slid something flat under neath the container and then carried it outside to release it. Of course after taking pictures of it to “log” the experience. Well, congratulations for surviving your “man of the house” experience, and thanks for sharing your vulnerable moment with the rest of us!
LOL, you are hilarious. I would’ve been mega freaked out too. I can barely deal with a roach much less a snake. Your a trooper. I don’t know what I would’ve done. Yikes!
I HATE and fear snakes….oh my I HATE them and am so very scared of them. This weekend we were out playing w the kids and I almost stepped on a huge bull snake. It sent me running and screaming and all the kids stood there watching me as they knew by how much I was running and screaming that there was a snake. The kids then stood there and watched daddy kill the snake while mommy still shaking….I had to go in the house after that! Oh I am so scared of snakes. If I were you I would of had to leave the house… LOL :)
Laura, we just found a snake in our basement!! Trent saw it first and said Tyler you need to leave now. I was like why what is it? Then I saw this itty bitty snake and screamed and sprinted upstairs! Now I’m just shaking waiting for him to tell me when it’s gone. I just had to tell you!
I’m sure you are getting such a kick out of all of these responses. I echo so many of them. Your story was hilarious. I love your sense of humor. I definitely would not have slept. I definitely would have used a bigger container, and I DEFINITELY would have surrounded it so it could not move. But that’s just me. :) You did good, and I hope you were able to catch up on your zzzz’s once Uncle Kenny took it away.
Ok… I 100% totally and completely understand your fear and response, but I too was thinking, “Oh that poor little snake”. :) It was probably just as afraid of you, as you were of it.
Of course I am a science nerd, and I love snakes. They are not slimy! I had a garden snake named Fred when I was a kid. I kept him over the winter one year, then released him the following summer. Such a sweet snake. (I won’t tell you how he would give me kisses on my cheek :)
I also had a spider that lived on the ceiling of my bedroom, when I was a girl. It turned out to be a mama spider, and I never bothered her, and she never bothered me.
To this day, when I find a spider has taken up residence somewhere in my house, I will observe it for a while before eventually relocating it outside when it’s time to clean. I could never kill a spider or snake. Now house flies… if I can get them… they’re dead!
Thanks so much for the laugh, and I hope you never encounter a snake in your home again!!
Oh my! The responses are as good as your story. You’d probably be totally freaked out if you were here the last time we found a snake. It was outside near the trash can and I used a pair of kitchen tongs to pick it up and put it in a container so we could bring it inside and examine it. Hey – it was summer and just TOO hot to stand around outside and look at a snake.
But, before anyone begins to wonder about the level of girliness around here they should check out the blog I posted a few days ago about the girls and the spider. I still have scratch marks from the one trying to climb me to get away from it, and it’s a miracle the oldest one stayed on that chair with all the dancing around she did. My 17yr old laughed at your story and wished she would have been there to take the snake out for you.
Oh my goodness! No way would I have picked up that snake either. But I am sending you big pats on the back and kudos for your creative solution. You go girl! You trapped that snake all by yourself! I’m not sure I would have gotten past the standing there frozen part.
Oh, I’m so sorry that you had to go through this trauma. I would have been scared silly. Thank you for sharing your story – hope you can laugh about it now (or at least in the years to come).
I am a total outdoors-girl. I love nothing more than to camp, fish, hunt. Few things gross or freak me out…
But I believe that the outdoors should stay outdoors, and when something comes into my house [insert heebie-jeebie dance here] I freak a bit.
I probably would have reacted the same way. The only exception is that once I contained it under the bowl, I likely would have slid a piece of cardstock (or cardboard or something similar) under it, and then carried the whole works outside… and far from my home. (This would have been followed by the mother of all heebie-jeebie dances, and possibly a sip of a grown-up beverage even though I don’t drink!)
Great job!
I would have jumped back in bed, screaming and crying!! lol
But I would have soooooo called someone! I just would not have the nerve to get close enough to put a container over it! You are braver than I am!!
I guess a lot of people don’t like snakes lol. My mom lives in Florida, and she’s had lizzards in her home… so an itty bitty snake is nothing.
I had a snake in my house too! I live in Ohio, so I doubt it was the same snake. I keep telling people around where I live and even the old time country folk have never been so blessed to have this houseguest. We woke up to him, her, it whatever laying in our living room. My husband found it and came to wake me up in his work boots and boxer shorts carrying my swiffer mop. I freaked!!! I asked him what he was doing with the mop and he said he was going to try to wrangle the snake around the pole to pick it up. (He watches way too much TV!)Anyway, I grab a tupperware container and hold it while he chases the thing in. When it moved I felt the blood rush out of my face. I closed the lid and proceeded to run through the house shrieking like a girl with arms flailing. I wonder if Wal-mart sells Snake-be-Gone or something. :)
oh my gosh, I’m PETRIFIED of snakes. Ummm, to the point that I would still be seeing it today, after 2 days have passed. Jumpy? Just a bit! I don’t know what I would have done. I can just hear sonny boy asking me why I would want to harm wildlife that inadverntly came into the house … … I do know I would not have let that snake out of my sight but also don’t think I would have been able to STAND there and look at it … I’m getting willies just thinking about it.
I am afraid of unidentifiable snakes. If I was sure it wasn’t poisonous and it wasn’t big, I’d do the same thing with a bigger container like a box and use tongs if I HAD to. What gets me by in those situations is thinking how I am not going to let such a thing ruin me…lol I get good and mad.
One night I kept hearing scratchy sounds so I finally turn on the nightstand light to check it out. There was a mouse on the computer table sitting on the mousepad. I kid you not, a mouse on the mousepad. Naturally hubby & both kids were gone for the weekend. The only thing in reach was my shoe. Slowly, carefully I pick up the shoe and turn it upside down then place it over the mouse. Yeah, I caught the mouse! Now what to do with it? I grab the other shoe then slowly scoot the upside-down shoe with the mouse in it to the edge of the computer table. Then I slide the shoes together capturing the mouse in them. Now what am I going to do? Go to the back door and throw it out. But how can I open the door with my hands full? I slowly, carefully set the shoes on the floor and mash them together with my foot while opening the back door. Then I throw the mouse into the yard. Yeah! Problem solved, or not. The dogs wake up and bark and play with the mouse, so I go out in my nightgown and try to shush them up. Running around in the dark I step in dog “you know what”. What a memorable night.
I would have been just like you! We have strict roles in our house: I get the spiders, Kev gets snakes and mice. I would have called someone or spent the night elsewhere. . .You’re a BRAVE woman!
It’s nice you can tell the story with HUMOR!!! I had a snake in the garage once when I was babysitting a friend’s two. I had 4 children, age 4 and under. I opted for a broom, swatting it to stun it, then turned a 5 gal. bucket over the top. Then I screamed. Then I was able to pull the upside down bucket across the garage floor to the open garage door and SCRAPE it across the gravel driveway until I could FLING it as hard as I could outside and quickly shut the garage door. The snake scurried off, anxious to get away from the moronic woman. Then I rushed inside to check on the kids. The guest 4yo had turned on the water in the sink full blast to wash his hands, the plug in, and left the water running. Over the counter, onto the floor, and my 2yo was dabbing up the water with a hand towel, saying, “Oh, oh,” It was quite a day.
Rather than staying up all night, I would have checked into a resort hotel and soaked in the hot tub. But, you handled it admirably, and your hubby must be very proud of his resourceful woman! You go, girl!
Oh, I forgot about this incident. How could I forget? About this same time last year, we had a rat snake on our deck. Apparently, they climb *shudder*.I called my husband and made him come home. He got so excited that he measured it, took pictures of it, and put it on his screen saver–eewww!! It was big-5 1/2 feet and big around as well! I have always had a fear of a snake getting in our house. Our friends live on a ranch in Texas and woke up one night to a copperhead curled up in a corner of their dining room. Thankfully, they listened to that still, small voice and discovered it right away. I think about that every time we visit, too!
O you are so funny!
I am NOT like you and I wouldn’t have just picked it up. :) I would have made a new door in a wall that previously didn’t have one and left the snake there! :) Yeah, I would have found a hotel with a lovely pool!
Your a good woman!
That’s one of those stories that will be so much fun to tell… later! Probably much later! I’m glad you put it on your blog now though!
Just the other day I was on my way with my two girls going to playgroup. On the way we saw either a black rat snack or a king snake in the road (two lane, but still active road).
Well, I decided that I would “save the snake.” These types are so good to have around and it would have been run over. So I did a u-turn and parked my van on the side of the road.
I wanted to pick it up. I’ve handled snakes since I was a little girl. I imagined how cool it would be to take the snake to playgroup and freak many of my friends out.
But alas, no cottage cheese container ;-) It was too big anyway – 3 to 4 feet. So I “shooed” it across the road. And a car came up and yes – with my sweet children in the van I held my hand out to stop traffic! What was I thinking? It did however provide some amusement for the drive.
So I might have tried to “shoo” the snake. But inside a house – that might be more tricky. I think a pillow case would be the most effective for catching a snake.
I’m very encouraged that despite your fear – that you did not kill the snake. And after the shoe bombs, I’m sure he’ll be thinking twice about coming into your kitchen again!
My only experience with a snake in my apartment resulted in me and the dog (hubby was away)standing outside the house with the crowd of locals who had seen the snake. Seems this 6 foot critter had found its way in through a hole in the building and into my place above the window. There was NO WAY I was going back in there! As far as I was concerned, the snake could have the apartment. Finally an old man wrapped the snake around a rake, flung it into the common yard, chopped its head off and threw it in the back of his pick-up. So, it’s safe to say if it happened again..I’d leave the house until someone else took care of the critter. My leaving of course would also include screaming like a little girl and freaking out.
Oh that’s funny. I love to read your little stories. I can “see” everything. My mother hates snakes too. She has homicidal tendencies towards them if no knight in shining armor is around to save her. I don’t mind them so much but they mind me. Every snake I’ve ever touched has bitten me. Even when the handler has assured me “that little garter snake WON’T bite YOU” Maybe its that sin of the “mother” unto the seventh generation thing. My mother doesn’t have a computer but I might print this out for her. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and stories.
I am such a chicken! Last night there was a 1 inch scorpin (sp) under my night stand and I hit it as much as I could with the fly swatted and then it just disappeared so needless to say I grabbed the cat, shut the bedroom door and I sleep on the couch. I have taken a casserole dish several times and covered a roach and stacked it with something heavy. My husband has came home from work with a casserole dish laying in the middle of the kitchen.
Scary
OHHH!!! I had a basement bedroom years ago. I went downstairs to head to bed, and spotted a “wire” laying by my bed. “Where did that wire come from, what does it go to” i thought. I headed over to investigate, when the wire moved. I froze. Then the “wire” stuck it’s little tongue out at me. I almost fainted. Mind you, the “wire” was only about 7 or 8 inches long. My heart was racing so fast it was about to explode. The wire moved again and i panicked!!! i threw a book on top of the “wire” (snake’s) head, grabbed a plastic bag, picked the wire up by it’s tail, dropped it in the bag, threw it outside, and proceeded to smoosh it to pieces. All the fear and adrenaline made me brave, but after the ordeal I broke into tears. I didn’t sleep but a little that night and i did that upstairs on the couch. My bedroom was moved upstairs the next day. UGH!!!! you go girl, way to be brave!!!!!!
Oh that is priceless!!! I had a bat in my house and called the police (no not 911) to help. I’m pretty sure the dispatcher put me on hold just to laugh hysterically. I’m actually amazed he made it that long. Anyway they sent a rookie out. I didn’t know a man could run down 4 floors in less than a second!! I have to admit that after being dive bombed by a bat 3 or 4 times and locking it in a room it’s a pretty funny story!!
Too funny!!! I actually do have a friend who once called the cops while her husband was away when she saw a huge spider in her nightgown (she wasn’t wearing it at the time). And they came!!!
Wow! Just had that problem an about an hour ago. I was in my bedroom lying down, do I got to take my dog out for his last walk for the day. I open the door and there was the snake. I almost stepped on him. I am not scared of snakes in a controlled enviroment, such as a zoo when they let you hold a snake, but in my apartment thats different. On top of that didn’t have anyone who could get to me at that moment, plus my dog was out in the living room with it. I called non-emergency police they told me to call maintenance, called maintenance, they said call animal control. Finally my best friends fiance came to get it out. I am terrified to go to sleep because I have no idea how it came in and over a period of about 2 hours.
I love your dress shoe of death! When I was teaching art one year, I had a class full of junior high girls, and only one boy. A very large (about 3 inches long) cockroach came crawling out of the drain in the art room … I was the only one to see it and I knew the girls would “pitch a fit” as they say here in Tennessee. So I quietly called the only boy over, and told him to take it out in a cup I gave him, and to be careful the girls did not know. He succeeded, then sprayed it with bug spray and left it in his locker with the cup covered. It too the bug more than a week to die, with the boy checking it and respraying it a few times a day. I am just thankful the girls didn’t know.