I have no idea why yesterdays blog post went AWAL. I also have no way to retrieve it. Life is a strange and interesting place.
Plus on top of that, yesterday, we lost internet for quite some time. But I have it back up now at 9.15 am and so am taking a minute out of the gardening and building day to get you all back up to date. We were working hard outside all morning – working on Poppy’s farrowing pen and look what Kim found.
Kim tells me this is a rat snake. We are not sure of the exact species. But he toddled about in her arms for quite some time rattling his pretend tail.
Even the snakes smile on the farmy.
The birds are fine, but will remain in solitary splendour for a week or so.
Tane on the other hand is even slower now. He gets up when encouraged, eats and drinks then moves very slowly to another space and heaves himself back down for another sleep. Naturally the Vet is not in his rooms today so he will be going for a check up tomorrow.
I hope you have a lovely day, I am off around to the West Barn to collect a ladder for the goats. I am going to train them to run up and down ladders – something I am sure I will live to regret.
Kim and Fede send their love and Berit is on his way.
Love your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
52 responses to “Snakes and Ladders”
Phew! So glad it was not just me lol.
Poor Tane, I have everything crossed that he is just feeling too hot (or maybe he just exhausted himself with too much jiggy jig?).
XO
So glad you are back! I was worried. I know I shouldn’t have been.
I would say your scaly friend belongs to the genus Pituophis. My best guess is a bull snake, but gopher snakes and pine snakes are very similar, and I don’t have the skills to differentiate yet. They are fun. All are drama queens – lots of hissing and tail rattling, sometimes nose-bumping, too. Never been bitten by one, though.
Hope Tane finds a way to get comfortable in the heat!
We do have bull snakes so maybe it is a younger version? there was tail rattling too, very funny, We tied Boo up and took it back out into the field to release it.. then later she found a garter snake but i was in the barn and missed out on that one.. c
I thought we had lost you! What a beautiful snake. Poor tane let’s hope he’s just overexcerted himself in the romance department. Have a lovely day x
I’m very glad to see you back and to hear that the birds are fine.
That’s a nice looking snake – I found a diamondback rattler while gardening once and literally jumped about 6 feet backwards involuntarily. I wanted to watch it for a while, but when the cat got interested I helped it move to the vacant lot next door, with a long garden fork.
Poor Tane – it sounds like he put his life and soul into his special purpose 😉
I’ve been worrying myself silly about you since your disappearance yesterday from the blogosphere. I’m so glad it was only a blip – I can’t function without my daily dose of farmy news and views.
That snake would scare the bejasus out of me – Kim is very brave.
I am positive you will regret teaching the goatlets to climb ladders. I can see them now in the loft pestering the peacocks!
love,
ViV
I’m with Viv. Found myself checking and checking to see if you and birds are alright! So glad you’re all fine. Biggest hugs. Such a relief 😀
Glad you are back up and running, I was worried that your blog was hacked although I could access the previous days page. We do not have snakes in Ireland (unless you count politicians! ;P ), so I would not be happy with handling them. Do they tickle?
Are Kim and Fede still at the farmy or have they returned from whence they came? We will miss their presence each day. Maybe Tane was a little young for all the excessive excitement! Take care.
Yes Kim is here right through next week and Fede goes home on Sunday.. and Berit is here today too so we have a full house.. c
Lovely, you will have help and we will enjoy the young people at the farmy. I do hope you will have regular updates from Fede he has really worked his way into our hearts
Still having internet problems!
Hi Grannymar! I’m an American 10 years now in Mayo, and know way too much about snakes. They are cool and dry, and do tickle if you let them wind around you wherever they want to! Being cold blooded they seek warmth, so your – ahem – cleavage is a tempting spot for them 🙂 I brought over a snake when I moved here, sadly he died, but I did so enjoy educating my Irish friends about snakes.
Hi Spiders, I was curious about the snakes, I only ever saw them in Dublin Zoo when I was young, I never wanted to touch them. Good to hear they seek warmth, that means I am safe! I am a very cold creature even in summertime my temperature is about 35C and often drops to 32C.
Oh wow! Maybe I liked them because I run hot 🙂 Snakes aren’t affectionate like cats or dogs or even pigs and rats, but they do like heat! I wish I could afford to get another one here, I did change a lot of minds. Worst comment I ever heard after someone touched my live snake the first time: ‘oh, it feels like an expensive pair of shoes!’ Augh!
‘Augh’ is right, some people never think!
Have a happy and healthy weekend on the farmy C.
🙂 Mandy xo
God help us! A rat snake. I must say that Kim is one brave lady. I’m glad to hear the peahens are all okay. I hated to read about drooping wings.
But now, what about Tane? Oh I hope he’s just tired and nothing more. I know what you mean about the frustration of the vet not being there when you need him/her. My cat must know Sat./Sun is get sick time.
oh help!!! you wouldn’t find me holding that horrible thing!! I’d be jumping over the moon!! so back you’re internet is up again ~ that’s enough to drive one crazy!!!
have a better weekend Celi!!!
Glad all is well and hope Tane is just recovering from his amorous binge. So funny, that snake does look like he’s smiling. No snake I’ve ever found was smiling. Happy weekend!
Snakes scare me stiff as a poker. Truly. Stiff. My mother does the same, so perhaps it’s a genetic thing. Good afternoon to you all. xx
I had to smile when i read this as it sounds as though your Mother scares you as stiff as a poker…..but i know what you mean..I do not like them either
I’ve learned to respect snakes here since they keep rodents under control, and since we have both venomous and non-venomous I keep a keen eye on what I’m dealing with. I used to scream and run. Now I just gasp and then shoo the snake away from where I’m working. That is indeed a rat snake you have. If they get in the chicken coop they’ll keep returning for eggs. Best to haul it off a few miles down the road in that case. Did you know the snake is the sign of healing and energy? Yes, so I take it as a good sign that it has made an appearance!
Illinois has a lot of rat snakes. They are really good to have around the farm because they help keep farms cleared of mice and rats.
I hope Tane is okay. Of course he was more active than usual a couple days ago, so maybe he’s still recovering 🙂
Maybe Tane sprained his…! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
that would be oainful.. this morning he is slightly more active in a very slow way – so hopefully it is only a torn muscle
A hernia perhaps? Do pigs have hernis issues?
Yes, you and the Farmy life have both been missed by us all – glad that everything is ok. I was worried a bit yesterday to read the first lines as you mentioned kind of a thing with the flock, but there was no getting in. So all is great so far. – Kim is indeed courageous… so the snake must be one of a non-venomous kind, isn’t it? I would not dare touching it…
Have a nice day on the Farm!
P.S.: I have your Shepherd’s Pie in the oven…. smells yum!