We have gone from frost nine days ago to temps in the mid nineties. It takes some getting used to. so I guess we will just get used to it. The corn loves it anyhow, and what with all the frigid weather, it needs it. Cows don't like it much. We have been keeping them in nights and feeding them hay, because the pasture they are on has temporary fence. (Not to be confused with permanent fence, which is, in theory at least, more reliable.). However, last night with every fan in the place running full speed they were panting and hanging their heads. We took a gamble and let them back out. I went over with the boss and Liz this morning, to help get them back in even though it is my morning off, because the two-year-olds have yet to learn where their stalls are. They didn't bother much though, for which I was most grateful.
Yesterday must have been milk snake day. Liz caught the itty bitty one above yesterday out on the bridge between the farms. It was so cute and perfect, right down to the egg "tooth"
Some of the photos I took actually show the tooth, but are otherwise blurry, because I was in a big old hurry to get Liz to let the little thing loose again. The boss thinks he turned a nest of them out when he was moving earth getting a lane ready to put cows in another pasture.
Then last night, while we were finishing up Alan caught a great big one in the same spot. The second one was as long as my leg from knee to ankle and as big around as a finger. When he let it down and it poured itself away over the ridges and bumps in the barn yard its beauty was amazing and indescribable. Milk snakes are my favorite of the slithery clan. They remind me of the Oriental carpets my dad used to get in the antique store sometimes when I was a kid. Wish I could have photographed the big one, but we were getting done real late last night (dump run, house work, fence building, Liz made spaghetti and homemade bread and garlic bread, shopping for a new string trimmer to get weeds out of the fence...all in all a long, busy day) and I needed to finish helping with the cows.
Then this morning the sun came up amid solid HHH. The weather is going to be a major source of misery for the next few days, but it is still pretty. Alan has gone to the big tractor pull in Dansville today with his big brother. I will worry...it is my job. He will have fun...that is his job...and he took the little camera so hopefully he will have some nice pictures of the big rigs for you tomorrow.
As always your photos are beautiful. Such a view in the morning :)
ReplyDeleteAs pretty to look at as that milk snake is, I would have been a half mile in the other direction had we crossed paths! Not my favorite creatures I'm afraid. I don't hurt them but I do remove them from the barn if one shows up. Normally the cats keep the barn clear of critters like that :)
Isn't this weather crazy? Try to stay cool ~
Show me a snake and I come out of "LURKING". Just a beauty!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful snake. Don't think we have any like that one around here. Wish we could have some of your rain down here. Very dry. Although I guess the folks putting up hay are glad for the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteCan't say I like any snake but that one is pretty. Just keep it away from me. I love the photo of your morning there. It's so calm and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous barn mouser.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Linda and Deb, I got the chills just seeing the picture of the snake. I'm always glad when they go the other direction. I saw 3 in the greenhouse this am.
ReplyDeleteHe is a pretty one though - love the sunrise! Sorry about the heat!
Weather has been soo hot but I must admit that we never had a sun set like you photographed! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteOk what IS it exactly with people in the East and their fascination with wiggly things with no arms or legs? Blechhh... Yeah they're purty and all but ours tend to rattle somewhat an on a hike or mt. bike ride you REALLY don't want to hear that. By then, someone has really buggered things up. And I believe your sunrises are the best. I don't get to see something like that until it sets over the ocean and since I have no low light talent for pictures, well, these are just better!!
ReplyDeleteDeb, thanks so much. I know I probably post way too many shots of the sun coming up, but it is one of my favorite things about summer.
ReplyDeleteWe are working on, but not achieving, cool here....hope you are doing better at that, and thanks
Dani, I am so glad the kids found a snake then! Thanks for visiting and for delurking...milk snakes are simply my favorites scales down. Glad you liked the little guy.
Tipper, we are fairly dry for around here...it only rains when we have hay ready to go. Wish I could send you some though
linda, Thank you, it is my favorite time of day, especially now when I can easily be the first one up to enjoy it
FC, for some reason I have never seen one in the barn...wish they would come in and hunt. In fact if one wanted to come in the house.....
Nita, what kind do you have in the greenhouse? We usually don't see much except garters, milk snakes and ring necks...and thanks for the kind words.
Mon@rch, thank you so much
Steve, sorry, I have been weird that way all my life. There was a very large and entirely uninvited garter snake at my graduation party.
And, yes, it was mine.
And dang it, if my baby brother had kept his mouth shut no one would ever have known that it had gotten loose...sure cleared out all the great aunts though.
I probably would be a lot more leery if poisonous ones were more common here, but we are just a hair far north for copperheads to show up much and the rattlers are on the other side of the river...which is an excellent place for them.
Just garters in the greenhouse and bullsnakes here and there. The rattlers are on the dry side of the mountains, so no worries. I know the garters are doing their job, but it still startles me...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nita, I have never seen a bull snake. Not sure if we have them this far north or not.
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