MARMELODIAN: Blog/Diary

Creepy, Crawly

Posted on May 11, 2011 with 1 comment

My house and studio are down a long drive way and in the woods. The woods are beautiful, but there are some major drawbacks to living deep in the woods.

Right now, one of the disadvantages that I'm really NOT liking a lot is the snake in the laundry room.

The WHAT???????

Yup, the snake!

We found the evidence last weekend: a (big) tattered snake skin. It's hard to tell what kind of snake, because it was left in tatters as he slithered along the edge of a wall. I'm hoping it's a corn or king snake, NOT a copperhead.

So, right now, I'm keeping the laundry room door tightly closed AT ALL TIMES!!!! And putting on a pair of stout boots every time I go in there. Oh yea, I'm also looking up at the rafters and studying the walls before I enter. If a snake drops on me from the rafters, I think I'll probably have a heart attack on the spot.

Then, there is the small (in fact, pin sized) matter of the deer ticks. Lordy, lordy! What good ARE ticks? And why are there so dad gum many of them? I don't know how many ticks I have picked off of myself this spring. This is the worst year I ever recall for ticks. And not just the pin head sized deer ticks, but those big old nasty dog ticks too. Yuck!

The other night, I woke up because my back was itching. I reached around and felt it: a tick! I passed a restless night waiting for my husband to wake up so he could get the nasty thing off of me.

So, for those who romanticize the woods, I say: yes, they are lovely to look at, and even lovely to spend time in.....when it's winter. But the summer is another matter. If a snake or the ticks don't get you, then the mosquitoes will. And if not the mosquitoes, then the chiggers, the poison ivy, the hornets, or some other kind of creepy, crawly thing!

You know me, I'm a compulsive rhymer. So here's a little diddy for you.

CREEPY, CRAWLY

This ain't a poem, it's just a rhyme

Yes, it's creepy, crawly time

The woods are lovely, lush and green

But full of creepy, crawly things

Ticks and spiders, snakes, oh my!

And all those creepy things that fly.

Mosquitoes, suckers, hornets too

A zillion bugs that think you're food

Leaves of green, let them be!

Get poison ivy, you won't sleep!

You'll toss and turn, at least two weeks

And scratch yourself, until you bleed

So if you venture in the woods

Long sleeves and pants are always good

Best put on a pair of boots

And try to make sure they're snake proof

The woods aren't for the faint of heart

So watch your step and be on guard

Oh yes, they're lovely, lush and green

But full of creepy, crawly things!

That's the word from Tennessee

Be well and good luck. Martha Maria

Dick Carney

May 11, 2011

Very nice poem, Martha, I love it! As for the snakes, chances are the skin was not from a poisonous one. I'd want to check out that skin to make sure, though. Non poisonous snakes are very good to have around, though. I'd much rather have some non poisonous snakes around than mice and other disease carrying vermin. Deer mice here carry hantavirus, which is very often fatal. I don't know about the Smokies, but I'm real cautious about ticks here in the Rockies as they can carry some serious diseases, too. I wear thick socks even when I'm hiking and use DEET freely. With all the mosquitos, killer bees, fire ants, chiggers, flies, fleas, aphids, mites and no telling what all, I'd keep plenty of DEET handy if I lived in Tennessee. But non poisonous snakes are on your side in this war, I'd encourage them to live nearby. We've mainly got two snakes up here: rattlesnakes and bull snakes. Bull snakes will kill rattlers (they also eat deer mice) and I welcome any bull snakes with open arms. Good luck, Martha, and keep those fine poems coming.