Reginald

I hope never to meet Reginald again.  However, two sightings in one day and a story from last year leave me doubting we will never meet again.  I have been traumatised by our encounter.  Yet, my medication leaves me so well balanced that the anxiety experienced does feel much less than reptile encounters of the past.  Still, I never want to meet Reginald again.

It was mid morning.  I had enjoyed my morning coffee, completed a number of indoor tasks and was now heading out to the barn area to work on my day's list of chores.  I was at the back door, outside, on the deck and put on my boots.  As usual I made sure my inserts were properly in place, laced up the long laces to a comfortable tightness, tied the bow and was ready.  I stood up, turned to the driveway and took a step forward - and stopped very very quickly.

I shrieked as a very very long and large snake was disappearing under my car which was just off of the porch step.  I quickly turned around and went into the house.  I looked out the window and more of the length was disappearing under my car.  The camera was right there and I took a photo of the tail poking out from under my car. 

This was the BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen!!  And I didn't want to be there.  I didn't want it to there.  I didn't want to see it.  It can't be here.  This is my paradise.  It cannot be here. 

I turned away from the window.  I took off my boots.  More indoor activities were in order.  Calm ones to slow down my heart and respiration rates.

After awhile I deemed it relatively safe and prepared to go outside.  I had things to do.  Normally I don't take Beau dog with me up to the barn when I have lots to do there or if the sheep are in the barn.  I spare him and the sheep an encounter.  The ewes have bopped him and he has snarled at the ewes.  And lately I have used Beau on a leash to gather the sheep and get them into the barn at night.  This time, however, I needed him with me, even if only for my own comfort.

We went to the barn.  We did things.  We got stuff done.  I do not remember what we did; or what I did.  I got stuff done.

Later on the lawn mowing crew arrived.  The crew belonged to a business operated by the previous owners of the property.  Since we have not decided what equipment we need to purchase, we decided to hire these folks to mow the lawn.  I wanted a quote and they arrived prepared to mow.  We settled on a price for mowing the desired area.  I chose to mow an area much smaller than the previous owners as I was intending for the sheep to graze the remaining area.

As we were talking, I took the opportunity to socialise and tell these other humans about the BIGGEST F------- SNAKE I had ever seen.  That, I was told, was a Rat Snake, an endangered species, desirable in barns as it will keep down the rodent population, and yes, quite long, indeed.  Harmless, really.  Unlike the diamond backed water snake also very common that is just plain nasty.  These were all not things I wanted to hear.  Still, my anxiety was surprisingly manageable....

Oh, and we remember, they said, "Last summer when we were working on something in the garage and this thing" - that is, the Rat Snake - "was rattling around in the rafters.  Remember that? It was freaking out."

Inside I was freaking out.  I did not want to hear.  And later, did not want to learn that the Rat Snake can be several meters in length and is able to climb trees.

I did some more yard work while they mowed the lawn and applied their whipper-snippers to edges of the area.  And we chatted some more.

When hubby came home I told him about the BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen.  He listened.  He went off to do his stuff...  I went out the barn.  I took the dog.  As usual I went through the garage to the Small Barn.  I looked over the door into the lean-to and saw the BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen, again.  This time I saw it's front end.  It was against the far wall of the lean-to, folded back on itself at the base of the wall.  I shrieked, maybe only inside.  I walked straight out the open garage door ahead of me on the north side of the Small Barn section of the garage.  I quickly walked back to the house, went in, removed my boots and found indoor activities to do.

When hubby and I reconvened a while later I think he realised I could not go to the Small Barn.  As we chatted, I also came to realise several other animals behaviours over the past few days may be related to the presence of Reginald, the BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen.

The hens had begun to lay some of their eggs in the small chicken pen in the lean-to off the Small Barn.  I had begun to wire them in, stapling wire netting onto the top and outside of the pen.  The plan was to soon move the hens down from the Big Barn.  I had already begun to put some food and water in this pen to encourage the hens to be present here and to continue to lay their eggs here.  There was a little hen door to outside, too.  As of late, however, there were fewer eggs laid here.  Perhaps the presence of Reginald was the explanation.

Often the llamas would sleep in the lean-to.  They are tidy animals, the llamas.  They liked the fresh straw I had put down in the lean-to.  It was cool there and less buggy.  They could be found there in the daytime or nighttime.  But lately they weren't there much at all.  Perhaps the presence of Reginald was the explanation.

When sister came to visit the next day, she researched Rat Snakes.  While I made dinner she read what information she found on line.  I was happy to be spared the photos.  Sister was determined there is a way to get rid of Reginald, the endangered BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen.

Over the next few days Reginald was not seen.  His memory lingers very strongly for me.  I have actively avoided the Small Barn, in particular the lean-to.  I am very wary of my surroundings and look widely around me.

I decided, somewhere in my mind, while obsessing on the sighting of the BIGGEST F------ SNAKE I had ever seen that he should be called Reginald.  He must be male and without a nest to mother. 

As hubby said, perhaps he will never be seen again.  I am hopeful, yet aware that hope is not a strategy.