Snakes Alive!

The barn has 6-pane windows on the side facing the parking lot. There are metal bars on the windows, but the bars are to keep horses from breaking the window glass. It would keep nothing else out.

In Lil Fred's stall a Starling had set up a nest. She flew out every single time I entered the barn. Soon after four eggs hatched, and they were noisy lot. No matter when I came into the barn they would set up a loud chorus, even at night.

One day a squab was on the floor, in the corner, of Lil Fred's stall. Pin feathers emerging. Stayed there most all day when I picked it up and put it on the window ledge. The other three were rejoicing that their nest mate was back.

The next evening the silence was deafening. I didn't think they could have grown enough feathers and fledged that quickly, so I stuck my head into the window well and saw the texture of scales, not feathers. The Rat Snake had eaten all four of them.

When I later went into the barn for 'last call' and turning lights off I checked the window again, the snake was still there.

Tonight we had a storm that came up suddenly and had little wind, so it lingered. I kept the horses in from their dinner until nearly dark. The amount of rain was impressive, and we needed it.

Lexie has issues with thunder. We originally got her a 'thunder shirt' but this did no good. She is not scared of the thunder; she is defiant. The shirt does nothing for that so was a complete waste of money. She barks and would shake her fist if she had one.

Tonight I had the front door open to watch the storm coming across the corn field, and the lightning. I love storms but Lexie does not. She was in the doorway, barking up at the sky. Max was also at the door, barking. He doesn't care one way or the other about storms. He was barking at the porch, and pawing at the door.

Went over to see what he was doing and saw the Black Snake that used to live in the Maple tree that came down on the last day of 2013, coming across the porch. What a good dog!

Later, after dinner, I went out to the barn to let the horses out, it had pretty much stopped raining, everything was dripping wet and the Peepers were sending up a song of their people, sounding like Jurassic Park and an agitated chicken coop all at the same time.

I returned a couple minutes later and almost stepped on the snake on the top step! The snake was hanging out with my flip flops and paint brush. I banged on the kitchen window for him to let me in the back door, as the kitchen door was occupied.