Jethro Tull and snake!

Back in the day, when companies thought it was a good idea to have Christmas parties and there were people happy to organize them ( shout out Pammy Sue) – we had staff discos. Food,dancing and door prizes, one of which was to identify the first song played at the start of the disco. Every year it was the same song – The Teacher by Jethro Tull – a catchy little number.

The original Jethro Tull perfected the automatic horse drawn seed drill which helped revolutionize agriculture – interestingly some original documentation relating to this is held in the Robinson Library in Armagh. At great expense, about $15, we now have Jethro Tull in AndAllanGarden.

The day can be full of surprises. After taking this photo, I was going to plant out a few new additions to the crevice garden fringe and just popped to the garage to put away a few bits and pieces first. I got there just in time to see a tail disappear behind the tool chest- a snake – species unknown! This has happened to me before – having a snake take up lodgings in the garage in NC. That snake turned out to be poisonous – and the eviction process did not end well for the snake.

I knew this eviction could be difficult as my garage was still not sorted aftervthe move and there were lots of hidy holes for the snake. I needed my snake boots – which sadly were stored next to the tool chest hiding the snake ( poor scenario planning on my part). I carefully extracted these and put them on without seeing the snake. I have written before about the Ethiopia made, thick leather, winter gardening gloves Mads bought me – these now double up as snake gloves. I could now go looking for the snake.

As I moved the tool chest I saw it – 3-4’ black snake – harmless to me – good to have in the neighborhood. I spent about 90 minutes trying to get it to go out the garage door – using my 7’ handle dutch hoe as a prop. It moved from tool chest,to freezer,to a second cabinet and back again – numerous times – getting more irritated as time went on.

Eventually,I got it to see the light of day and it left the garage- a few carefully administered flicks with the hoe and it was off our property and over the road on the fallow building plot. It was safe and I was relieved.

I am sure the Teacher would advise that the garage door should be kept shut to deter snakes that are looking for shade from the hot sun! ( and to store your snake boots out in the open!).