Quiet day at the airport. This morning the slick Cessna 140 that stayed overnight in the hangar (severe storms predicted and it was empty going to waste), departed for Kansas (it was raining out there, but not severely). Ben came out, we sat and contemplated how wonderful airplanes are, and a train whistled north of the airport. We made a bet on whether it was east- or west-bound. We watched the cats play follow the leader out to the tiedowns on a mouse hunt. We made a bet about which one would high-tail-it back to the hangar first when it started to sprinkle. We were awfully busy this morning. (Never did resolve either bet.)
I was working on the camera mount in my darkroom/office, and I heard
a strange thump clunk thump clunk, and I turned toward the open door
to find a terrapin ambling indoors, thunking on the concrete with its
shell. I took it back outside, fed it some catfood, and Bitty tried
to play with it. It wouldn't cooperate and flew off at a dead run for
parts yonder. Bitty had to settle for spazzing out in the tall grass
by the hangar door.
Jan and Jody shot these pictures of their tulip tree.. what a beauty!
We got through spring without a late frost, so the flowering trees
and fruiting vines are doing well this year.
The cats insisted on a late afternoon mouse hunt, so I went along
turning up the tires guarding the tiedown ropes. I found this tiny
snake coiled around and trying to swallow a mouse. The snake had the
whole mouse face in its mouth! I covered it back up and got the
camera ready, turned over the tire again, and startled the snake into
letting go of the mouse. So Bitty got the mouse and I got the snake.
I flipped it way out in the tall grass so the cats wouldn't find it.
I wonder what a sight that would have been if the snake had swallowed
the whole thing! I looked it up in the Amphibians and Reptiles of
Missouri book, and determined that it is a young Prairie Kingsnake,
common to Missouri (non-venomous, of course). So the cats have competition for their mice!
Memorial Day post by G'ma Airplane
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4 comments:
Oy, yikes. Poor guy got his dinner stolen right out of his mouth. Seems like he might have bitten off more than he could chew though. Maybe you saved him from indigestion later. At first glance he looks like a copperhead. Glad we don't have snakes in IA, well, I suppose they are here, but i've been fortunate enough not to crossed paths with any. (knock on wood)
At first glance... look for the shape of the head, this one's smooth, not arrowhead shaped with pits. The copperhead's markings are connected like an hourglass. The pupils of the eyes (if you care to get close enough) of the copperhead are vertical slits, in non-venomous they are round. Just think, if he was a grown snake, he could swallow a cat!
Well...in my own opinion, the only good snake is a dead snake. :)
Sorry, JD, most live snakes are good snakes. They eat more mice than cats do, and black snakes chase away copperheads.
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