So today while walking the yard at school....... some of the students noticed a ..."SNAKE!!!"
So we two yard duty gals walked calmly (yeah right!) over to where the "snake" was last seen. Upon approach, I noticed there was not one but two rather LARGE snakes. I radioed the office to inform them of the current visitors on campus. After all, it is a school rule to that all visitors must first check in at the office. The office then sent the custodian out. The other gal on duty kept the students back as I kept an eye on the snakes. News spreads fast on the yard and they had come running to check out our visitors!
Our custodian arrived on scene with the "snake grabby thingy." (In case you would like to purchase one....I believe it is an industrial BRAND name for the tool we used! Ha) Well Alfredo took one look at the over three foot long SNAKES and handed me the snake grabby tool!
He said; "Here, I don't like the snakes."
Laughing at and with him, I told him that I didn't either! We stood there looking at the snakes and then looking at each other. They were UGLY! I could tell that they were not rattle snakes. My best guess at the time was gopher or garden snakes. It had been so long sense I had seen one though. Our custodian told me that he needed to find out what to do and make a call. He said that he was going to GO... & make phone call about the snakes? I told him to not be gone long. I was not going to stand out there alone!!
I finally got brave enough to begin to nudge one of them away using the tip of the grabby thingy and standing a bit like a pirate in a sword fight. It worked! The first one moved away quickly toward the back fence and through it to the field. The second, on the other hand got a little squirmy on me and kinda freaked me out! I was shaking like a leaf, but the encouragement of shouts by the students made me feel like 'Jeri Sharpe...Snake Charmer Extraordinaire!' It was all very exciting and the snake finally went through the fence.
However, by the time the older kids came out for their recess, one of the snakes came back through the fence. From across the field I could see his return. He was slipping slowly down the hillside. At 42 years of age...I was amazed at my eyes catching sight of him. I guess all my time on hikes spotting animals and creatures with my kids has paid off! I calmly walked over and retrieved the 'grabby tool' and then onward to charm him out of the school yard! He became the snake that kept coming back. By the time the recess was over, he was resting outside the school yard fence. I couldn't get him to leave that area, so he will be something new to look out for until he moves on. You've just got to love life in the country!
Now that you know me as a snake charmer....I guess a future blog will have to be about the "bird charming" & rescue of a neighborhood pet bird.
keep it bubbly!
xOx~ Yard Duty Gal,
Jeri
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