Last week I wrote about the first visit from an unwelcome house guest…a garter snake. The day after the first snake spotting, we did some investigating and thought the snakes were getting in from a tunnel behind our front step. We filled the tunnel with spray foam, with a little help from my dad. No more signs of the snakes, inside or out.
Until yesterday. We were getting ready to head to our local zoo for a little day trip. As I was running around reminding people to fill their water bottles and use the bathroom, my niece called out “snake.”
We all stopped in our tracks and looked in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, there was a snake awkwardly moving across our dining room floor.
Arnauld and I looked at each other. “I have to get something sharp,” he said as he started rummaging around the house. The girls and I watched the snake who had slithered into the radiator and kept poking his head out.
Arnauld reappeared with a piece of a curtain rod he found. To give a bit of history of Arnauld’s recent “coming to the rescue moments,” I should tell you about the time Rose came down from her room hysterical because there was a bee on her bed that stung her. Arnauld went up, armed with something ridiculous. The noises we heard coming from Rose’s room sounded like he was battling a bear. When he came down breathless a few minutes later, we expected to hear about his victory over the bee. Instead, I had to go in with a tissue to, quickly and quietly, save the day.
So, as I watched Arnauld appear with his weapon of choice, I quickly hurried out to the pool shed to grab the extra long tongs I had purchased for removing unidentified objects from the pool filter…and I called my dad for backup.
When I came back into the house, everyone was quietly watching the snake as it slowly emerged from the radiator and began to slither it’s long body along the length of the dining room wall. My eyes kept darting to the window, hoping to see my dad’s car approaching. I had the tongs in hand, but didn’t feel ready to go in for the catch.
Luckily, my dad came quickly. I handed the tongs to him and pointed him in the direction of the snake. Seconds later, he had the snake and headed out the front door with a parade of kids following to watch the action.
They released the snake in the wooded area of our backyard, hopefully far enough away that he can’t find his way back to our house. For now, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for his companion we saw him with last week. We’re also keeping the tongs handy!
Where There Is Joy 
O.M.G. The photos, the description, the suspense. This was so fun to read!
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Oh my gosh, the tongs were ingenious for getting the snake safely out of your home. It sounds like a nest is somewhere near your home with a secret passage way to the inside. Much luck!
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I sense a picture book coming on!!! I love how you told this story, bit by bit, and fit in the bear-wrestling flashback, too. Using tongs was ingenious! I’ve been seeing quite a few garter snakes around my house, but thankfully they’re sticking to the outside. Great slice!
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I agree with Leah. So fun to read this suspense-filled story. Even more suspenseful because it really happened. To YOU. Yikes! I love that you called your dad and he is the hero of the story!! Favorite part: the parade of kids following him outside to the woods to release the snake!! Thanks for sharing and fingers crossed that you have a peaceful rest of the summer! Enough with the house guests!
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I’m so glad the snake has been relocated without loss of life or injury to itself or anyone else. It kind of has a cute face, peering out from that little crevice ~ like it wonders about all the fun and wants to come join it! I’m thankful it lives on in its own environment. Thank you for being an advocate for the snake and for bravely using your tongs to see it to safety.
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Oh no… I was on the edge of my seat reading this after last week’s post. Hoping you don’t have a nest…
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Yikes! Any clue where this one came from?
Also, if your girls write slices about this moment, make sure you share!
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Not the kind of house guest I would want to see. The tongs were an ingenious idea.
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This would make a great picture book! I wonder what the story might be like from the snake’s perspective:)
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I drew a comic last week from the snake’s point of view. Could be a fun book!
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Jessica,
Next snake encounter, video the adventure, and if you haven’t seen “Snakes on a Plane,” now is not the time to watch it! I hope your snake encounters are over, but if not, do t forget to make a movie!
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We have my dad’s capture on video!
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Funny, not funny. I particularly like the image of the parade of kids following your Dad, snake safely “tonged”.
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