Backyard Wildlife

In preparation for Rodney's folks coming in to town, I decided I would clean up the backyard a bit, taking the boys with me to play. I headed around the back corner of the house, looking fir stay dog toys to pick up. One oddly-shaped toy stood out to me, and all of a sudden I took a quick step back: "Woo ... that's a snake!" Not only was it a snake, but it was a snake that was squeezing the life out of a small rodent. After my initial shock, I, of course, grabbed my camera and then then boys so they could take a look at our backyard wildlife. The good news: It was an interesting science lesson, watching the snake swallow the mouse/rat whole and then slither away. The bad news was that I now know I have snakes and rodents in my backyard. However, the snake did not appear dangerous as it did not have any rattles or fangs. In fact, it looked more like someone's 2-foot pet python who might have escaped. My Dad said I am to keep an eye out for it and then catch it as a pet for him. I don't think my snake-phobic mother would appreciate my gift much, considering she is known for running foot-long garder snakes over (and over and over and over) with a lawn mower.