Snakes and hot weather

[zefi]

I had a close encounter of the creepy kind the other day. It was quite disturbing. There's a huge black tiger snake that must live somewhere around my front gate. Its been spotted there by me and 3 other people over the last couple of summers. Last time I saw it it was right at the gate post. I walked down to unlatch the gate to let a friend drive out and it was right at my feet! I was lucky I didnt startle it and I was able to step back slowly and let it slither away.

The other day it was lying right in the driveway, across where it joins the dirt road. It saw me and just stayed there. I was stupid enough to throw rocks to chase it away. Apparently they can move really fast and they are quite aggressive snakes, especially around this time of year which is their mating season. They will attack at this time of year. Anyway, I stood and watched it and followed it with the car as it made its way down the nature strip on my side of the road and then crossed and disappeared under some bushes.

Sheesh. Not fun!

Meanwhile its been alternatives hot and rainy here. Which means we've been having some very unusual weather for Tasmania - hot AND humid. We dont normally get humid. Its not nice at all. Even the girls hate it outside! LOL I let them out and they come straight back in! 

We had a very funny weather report early last week which I thought would give you a giggle. The weather man came on and said 'Hobarts weather was sunny with a top today of 29 degrees. Currently its 35 degrees'.  It was like, do they hear themselves? LOL

[Michael]

Funny on the weather report, Zefi! I see that online all the time when I check the weather....forecast of a high or low and the current temp is beyond it! But to hear the guy say it right on TV is hilarious.....wonder if he'll ever figure it out.

Now, for humid...that we get ALL the time in the warmer months....we have so much water and swamp in this part of the country that the heat can be torturous in the summer. But then, we're in the freezing temps these days, so we get other weather that's got its problems as well.

On the snake...yuk...hate 'em! We don't really get many snakes here....mainly only garter (basically harmless) snakes...but I still find them creepy. Keep your eyes out...and keep safe! Glad you know what they look like and that you know you need to be careful around there.

[Fluffy]

Uuugh - snakes really creep me out - probably because you don't see them often and they don't make a noise like most other animals of that size.  One of our neightbours had a red belly black snake in her lounge room at 9.30pm a couple of months ago.   It is mating season so just be cautious.  A friends GSP was bitten by a brown just before Christmas and responded well to antivenene but has since had 2 grand mal seizures.

It is really humid here too Zefi - we have been lucky this summer with some very mild weather - but we have been flogging the air conditioner this week.  We are very fortunate to have a lovely tidal creek at the end of our street and have been swimming everyday this week - my male standard is just about to grow gills - he absolutely loves the water and cries and stamps his feet when we get their - impatient to be in . 

[Lesly]

It's almost always hot and humid here in FL!  Ugh.  During rainy season snakes come out and boy do they creep me out!  I was bitten by what looked a lot like a rattlesnake, but the neighbor pinned it with a rake, took a look and told me to relax, it's just a corn snake.  I had several holes where I'd been bitten by that darn thing!  It was raining, and I was walking to the car in the driveway - must've gotten too close, so he went for me.  Yikes!  I got a tetnus shot, and was just fine.

Lesly, Maddy, and Bo