The last 24 hours:
1:15 this
morning. I thought there might be an
intruder in the house - rapid swinging of clothing on hangers at the FAR end of
the hallway hanging on the frame of my bedroom door as if someone had just
rushed past them - between me and the
phone and my purse. Which abruptly stopped, as if someone had stopped them.
Only weapon in sight: pair of Fiskar's scissors with 4" blade. Maybe not. Went out the front door and headed to neighbors for flashlight so I could do a
perimeter sweep to see if it looked like someone had broken in. No flashlight,
and my neighbor, who happened to be on his patio for a smoke in the dark
first suggested then all but insisted I call the police. Actually HE did that as I
walked up the street to see if I could spot anyone coming OUT a window. KUDOS
to the officers, 2 of which arrived within a couple of minutes. The third while
we were inside. Nothing. They were here and gone within 10 or 12 minutes. Of
course I was awake the rest of the night
trying to figure out what had happened. I looked every where again, even for a
bird that might have gotten trapped inside - a BIG trapped bird. And trying to
replicate the movement of my clothes, with no real success. For a while I even considered
a ghost REALLY trying to get my attention. It made as much sense as anything
else. I finally got to sleep about noon.
I was on the computer about 5:30p
when I heard my office and closet doors bump. I got up to check it out
expecting to finally see where Oscar, the feral who sometimes comes inside to
eat Henna's food, was hiding. I'd heard noises from the closet and around
the boxes next to my filing cabinet for some time and actually thought it might be him. Thus, I moved a door to look behind it and out of
the corner of my eye spotted a movement just in time to jump back and avoid
being struck by ... a SNAKE! First thing first. Did it have a triangular-shaped head? Hmmm. Maybe not. Not sure. I stayed
out of strike range and tried to drop first a cardboard box on top, then a
bigger plastic box. It tired to bite me a second time then turned tail and
quickly slithered off. I called 911 AGAIN. Two more officers arrived, this time
in about 10 minutes and several minutes later Animal Control. Once they saw my
cluttered office I leaned I had no idea where it currently was, I was told that
it wasn't their duty to move stuff and HUNT for the snake, but if I could catch
it and/or knew exactly where it was, to call t hem back. If I caught it, I
could call animal control at 6 a.m.
They were nice.I admit I was depressed. Then I realized what I thought had been
the rat moving around was PROBABLY that snake trying to catch the rat for
dinner. The A/C lady named several snakes it might be, but she'd guess a rat
snake. I was confused because the LAST rat snake I had to have removed from the
house was much MUCH bigger and fatter, and looked more like a rattle snake than
a color dark color. I did recall as she was leaving that this much
"smaller" one was just as aggressive and didn't have a rattle.
Now I was depressed. I just had to have a hole in my roof
caused by raccoons fixed. I called my raccoon guy. When he called back he
quoted their snake trapping price. Ok, anything *I* can do? Yes. Rat-size glue
traps. The snake tries to slither across, gets stuck and in trying to get
unstuck gets more and more stuck.
As soon as he hung up I went to Walmart and got glue traps.
I listened carefully when I came back in my office to see if I could tell where
Ricardo was (yes, at the suggestion of Officer Perez (#6) and Officer Snow (#7)
I named it. As I was laying the glue traps where I thought it might pass I
heard movement at the end of the closet. I backed away. I saw the end of a tail
disappearing over the top shelf of that closet. Call #3 to 911. I wasn't about
to lose sight of it and stood there. After about 25 minutes I thought I head it
moving somewhere else and called 911 again to cancel the call. But the officers
were on their way. So I had to again explain about 2 previous visits same day,
and said I wasn't sure the snake was still in the same place. One shined his
flashlight at the far corner or the top shelf. Two eyes reflected back. And so
proceeded their attempt to find out if anyone from A/C would come out. After
waiting quite a while for a return call, they called back. Apparently not. As
it turned out, one of them liked to attend the Rattlesnake Round-Up in West
Texas. His only issue was how to catch it without getting bit in
the face. He was really wishing he had one of this snake-catcher neck grabbing
things in his Patrol Car (he's said he's going to start carrying one). I
suggested maybe use the glue traps in some way. So between the 2 of them and my
suggestions of what I on had, it was decided he'd attach one of those Rat-Size
glue traps to a yard stake they spotted outside behind my bench, or better yet
the of a broom WITH the stake, lower it
gently on top of the snake or whatever part he could contact as it tried to get
away, then decide what to do next. Glue trap attached to bristles on broom with
a ball of handy duct tape, all of which stuck nicely to snake, along with some
Christmas ornaments Ricardo came in contact with as he tried to escape. Ricardo
wrapped himself around the closet rod, ornaments dangling along with him. I'd
set a nice-size plastic bin with another glue trap in the bottom. Instead
Office Perez managed to losent it's grip on the rod, drape it over the end of
the broom and rushed outside with it's head and tail dangling free. He stepped
on the head (thinking he was going to kill it I took my big iron T-bar out so
it could be dispatched quickly. Instead he managed to get the glue traps
unstuck from snake, then kicked it with his boot into the ground cover at the
edge of my garage, where it immediately disappeared. He'd already told me that the tail-end of the
snake had been injured at some point in the past.. They'd quickly determined it
was a long but skinny (HUNGRY) rat snake, so I was greatly relieved it was out
of my house and very happy it would live to eat another rat another day. I
finally thought to take a picture of it being "rescued" and released.
And of the officers, who were so kind and had a call where life and property,
for once, were not at stake. KUDOS and a Big THANK YOU to each officer who has
been here in the past 24 hours!
Now, since it didn't look like the snake had eaten the
rat, I still have to trap the dern thing. So far it's Rat 2 / Empty Sprung Trap 0.
And I really should eat that Jumbo Jack I stopped for on the
way home from Walmart about 4 hours ago.
-- A couple of pictures to follow - maybe.
Sorry for repeated words and typos. I'm a zombie by now.
UPDATE A WHILE AGO: Trapped Rat!!
UPDATE THIS VERY SECOND. I thought I was hearing something, stopped listened, nothing. I just heard a soft bump and something gnawing around my dresser! ANOTHER RAT??? NOOOOOO!! How are they getting in??? Now I have to go buy ANOTHER rat trap - or two.
