Unwanted Visitor

I saw him/her/it the other day. As a matter of fact, I almost stepped on it! I was trying to get out the back door with a basket of laundry to hang out on the line. As I was about to step out onto the back door step, I saw that I was just inches away from stepping on it. In the space of one second I threw the door open, banged my elbow on said door, double-stepped in air, almost lost the basket, tripped on my own feet and jumped - really j u m p e d - and landed in the grass three steps down. My heart was racing and I thought I was a goner. When I looked back, the snake was just lazily making its way into the space between the steps and the rock foundation on the house. Its heart certainly wasn't racing!

I tried to capture it with my snake stick. I had made one years ago with a long branch and I had attached a thin rope to, with a loop at one end and the other end through that. After looping the loop around the snake's head, I'd pull the other end of the rope and the noose would tighten around its head. Jimmy would then take it out to the field and release it. This new stick was made by Jimmy. He took a closet pole and attached the rope with an "eye" screw. Same principle, same result. His just looks nicer.

Anyway, I tried to capture the snake but its head was next to the black-eyed susan plant and the leaves kept getting in the way. It escaped into the bushy plant. Drat! Now I have to stay here and watch to see where it goes. I have a paralyzing fear of snakes. I know that black snakes are probably harmless unless you step on one - then it WILL bite you! I even know that they aren't poisonous. Doesn't matter - the fear is still there.

We've had five snakes in the house in the past. A couple of weeks ago, I was about to open the back porch window when I saw what looked like a black tube lying in the window sill. My heart just about jumped out of my throat when I realized it was a snake! It disappeared down a small (really small) hole in the sill. I had Jimmy nail a board over the hole so it won't get in again. One came in through the (dislodged) dryer vent hose and shed it's skin and then left. Left to go where??? I was a nervous wreck for weeks after that! I have lots of snake stories. Gives me the chills just to think about them.

Today I was watering the new plants. As I was walking back to the steps I saw the tail-end of the snake as it disappeared back under the steps. My nerves can't take much more.

Is it having babies under there?