Returning from errands on Sunday, Mary and I detected some movement near the hose bib where the addition meets the old stone house. On closer inspection, we saw that there was an adult ring necked snake crawling along in the mulch - fully grown, but still a small animal at only 18 inches or so long.
As I started my pool chores, I moved some tools around and disturbed a little brown mouse. It skittered of to hide below the deck - I thought of it as a little prey animal for the new barn cats living under the shed in the backyard, or perhaps for one of the black rat snakes that patrol the property.
Then, while I was unpacking the pool vacuum out of the cabana, I moved the box of prepackaged pool treatments and found a pair of new born black rat snakes. The mother must have made a nest nearby, perhaps even in the cabana - I've never seen two of them together before. They managed to get hidden before I could snap a photo, so all I can do is write this quick post.
The Hawksbill Cabin property is carved out of an old farm that has returned to woodland - in fact, about 2/3 of the acreage is now wood lot. So we are surrounded by nature. It's not really a surprise that from time to time we're going to encounter some wildlife. As one blogger put it, "be thankful you have snakes, it means you have a healthy ecosystem."
It may also keep some visitors away!
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