Vigilance needed when doing yard work

Lately, I have had a few run-ins with the wildlife around my house.

I am used to it but I want to extend my warnings out to others because you could possibly be in the same situation.

Last week, I was getting the kitchen cleaned up after supper.

It was about 8:45 and the dog came running to me and seemed overly excited.

I figured he was ready for his last trip outside to do his business before bed.

I opened the back door and he steps on the brick patio.

I suddenly hear him growl and breathe deeply.

I see he has squared up and every hair on his body is at attention.

I look up and I see a opossum on top of his doghouse. The opossum sees Chief and has an “oh no” look on his face.

Before I can react, Chief darts around my car and catches the opossum under the bass boat.

I hear hissing and growling.

I holler inside the door at Cage to come help me separate them.

I ran around to the other side of the carport and Chief is standing with the big opossum in his mouth.

I tell him to stay and hold tight until Cage comes outside.

I tell him to drop it and praise him for being a good boy.

We assess the damage to the opossum and realize that Chief has injured him.

We put the big marsupial out of his misery and took Chief inside so that we could haul him off without Chief’s help.

I told him he is a much better opossum dog than he is a coon dog.

His run-in with a midnight bandit did not go so well two years ago.

Saturday afternoon, I made a new flowerbed for my rose bush that was near the front porch.

I bought a new rose bush and decided to move the other one into better sunlight.

After some digging, measuring and positioning of bricks, I had a new bed.

I dug up my Mr. Lincoln rosebush and transplanted it to the new bed.

I planted my new Snowfire rosebush next to it.

I finished and decided to help Cage with the raking of leaves and pine straw into piles for us to burn. I made it to the last two trees that had a lot of straw collecting at their bases and started pulling the piles away.

After four or five sweeping motions, my rake rolled a new friend at my feet.

The snake was only eight inches long. I couldn’t recall their name but they are nonvenomous and harmless.

They are a brownishcolor on their back and their bellies are cream colored.

I had a run in with this same tiny snake last year during deer season.

He went on his way and I kept raking.

I found a small snakeskin in the pine straw as I was pushing it towards the fire piles.

I raked another spot and I found another snake.

It was the same type of snake but much smaller.

He was maybe five inches long.

He took off and I decided that I was finished raking for the day.

I know lots of people are raking and getting their yards ready for spring.

Please be cautious around leaf piles.

A copperhead can hide perfectly in dry leaves.

Rattlesnakes can hide in stick piles.

Small, stagnant water puddles will attract frogs and lizards.

They will also attract cottonmouths.

Be careful cleaning up your yards this spring.