Natrix natrix. Grass snake. In the spare room on the ground floor in the dark. Not pleasant. This is one of those italian biscia that proliferate in this area but I am glad that it was only a baby one. It was about 18 inches in length with a body diameter that of my pinkie finger. They are totally harmless. I don't know how it got into the house, only that it took some nerve to coax it into a shoe box (not easy since it just wanted to stay where it was) where I then carried it gingerly through the garage before flipping the whole thing upside down onto the ground. The snake just lay there and I'm like, WTFudge? So I go upstairs to look from the terrace to see if it was still in the same spot.
It started to slither BACK towards the garage! WTFig?
I grab a broom, run down to the garage and find it motionless not more than a yard from the entrance. In my mind I was WTFeck?, so I start sweeping. Deliberate, exaggerated strokes. Stomping my foot too. If the neighbors had been looking out the window they would've thought I had really lost it, but the sweep seemed to do the trick as finally the snake started slithering away FAST and never turned back. That oughtta show you who's boss.
In other less slightly titillating news, we enjoyed the first harvest of the season: peas, rat tail radishes and garlic scapes. Spring's prolonged visit with cooler temps and rain ensured that there probably won't be a load of tomatoes this year, but we're happy to get whatever we can. We're also seeing major fruit drop from the persimmon tree which, while necessary, is sad to see. All those possible persimmons. That's what happens when you apply a load of sh*t and the tree goes bonkers in the production department.
Today's high: 27°C / 81°F
