Something For Saturday

One evening this week, Jennifer texted me. The twins and Parvez had just settled on the deck with their evening cocktails when they heard a commotion in the hen house. They discovered this:

It's a black rat snake. They are not poisonous and are supposed to be "good" to have around. In my book, no snakes are "good" to have around. I'm pretty sure you don't want them in your hen house. 

Parvez took it across the road. But you know what that means. It'll be back. Plus, where there's one, there must be many more to follow!! 

I don't like snakes. I know I've said that before. But, I mean it! They just give me the creeps! I wonder who their predators are. Occasionally, one of our outdoor cats would bring one home---which they had killed---or maybe they found it dead and dragged it home. Other than that, I can't think of anything else that eats snakes or kills them. 

Which reminds me of my previous post about our little front porch wall planter squatter:

I didn't know if it was a lizard, salamander, skink, chameleon or gecko. I do not know the difference between all of them.

My sister, Jeanne identified it for me because she has a book! 

What??? What the heck! Why would she have a book about these. That alone creeps me out!! Apparently there's another name for them. I've never heard of herps!  Anyway, here's the answer:

Our little freeloader is a broad-headed skink. Now I know. 

I want to know everything! Not that I'll remember it, mind you!