Stacks of Dishes, An Unwanted Visitor and A New Accent Piece For the Garden


It’s utter chaos at my house right now. I’m in the “has-to-get-worse-before-it-can-get-better” stage of reworking my dish storage. I’ve been pulling out all the dishes, chargers, etc… that I think I will want to store in the new cabinets that I’ve ordered. (Sorry about the dark photo, took this very early this morning.)

Dish Organizing

 

If you missed that post about the cabinets, you’ll find it here: Attractive Storage Cabinets for Home, Garage or Basement

Cabinet Storage for Home, Garage, Office, Basement

 

The OCD side of me is handling all this chaos pretty well, but I’m sure by the time the cabinets arrive this Friday, I will be beyond ready to get things back to normal around here. I don’t like a mess and don’t like seeing stuff out all over the place, but I wanted to get a head start on the organizing and planning so when I get the cabinets assembled, I can get to work on filling them.

These are a few of the dishes I’ve pulled out of my pantry in the laundry room. Remember the Dapper Animal plates from this table setting: Dapper-Dressed Animals Gather and this one: In the Library with the Candlestick: A Mystery Tablescape

Dish Storage

 

Even the garage is a mess! I’ve been carrying some things outside and stacking them there since that’s where the cabinets will be. Originally I thought only five cabinets would fit on the wall where I want to place them, but I measured again and discovered that I can fit six cabinets, so that’s what I ordered. It will be tight and one cabinet door will be slightly blocked by the laser/light thingy that keeps the garage door from crushing something underneath…what’s that thing called?

Anyway, three are arriving this Friday and three more will arrive next week. It will probably take me all this next weekend to just put together the three that are arriving on Friday. Hopefully I can still move by the time the next three arrive the following week! lol

Working on Storage for China

 

Birdie Update and a New Bird Feeder

This is still going on, out on my front porch. The most disturbing thing happened on Monday! I periodically look out to see if Mom is visiting the nest and to just check on the babies. I looked out mid-afternoon on Monday and a long, black snake was draped across the back and the arm of one of the benches, specifically the bench directly underneath the nest!

I briefly thought of taking a photo for you, but I wanted him gone right that second. So I ran out to the garage, grabbed a broom and ran back to the front porch. With a quick thrust, I shoved him off the bench and he went sailing into the shrubs beside the porch. He landed about two shrubs over and hurriedly slithered off.

I’ve been worried ever since that he would come back again. 🙁 The birding store where I buy my seed said it was probably a Black Racer. He certainly slithered off fast, so I bet they are right. We have a lot of snakes in Georgia.

Baby Phoebe in Nest

 

He was the exact same color as the bench, about 4-feet long and very shiny like the bench, too. It was a miracle I saw him on there since he was pretty well camouflaged.

I’ve placed both benches inside my entrance and will leave them there until the birds leave the nest. Apparently, the snake slithered up the edge of the porch, up the leg of the bench and was just about to get onto one of the porch columns that’s just a few inches away from the bench.

The babies were all fine, thankfully he hadn’t made it to the nest. I was worried about Mom since her favorite place to sit was on the top part of the bench, but I put some meal worms out and she and dad showed up right away. I bet she would have had a fit if she had realized how close a snake was to her babies!

Black Benches for Porch and Garden

 

Anne shared this photo with me of a snake that was going for a nest of baby birds on her porch. It looks very much like the one that was on my bench, only maybe a little fatter. My snake was pretty slender and jet black.

If my snake was a Black Racer, they are supposed to sleep at night and hunt during the day. So I’ve been looking out onto the porch often during the day and have done pretty well making myself sleep at night. I hope he doesn’t come back!

Black Snake on Porch

 

I’m not afraid of snakes, I grew up handling them because one of my best friends had a brother who used to catch them. He would always show them to me and let me hold them. So snakes don’t scare me, but I don’t want one to eat the birds on my front porch!

On Monday, after throwing Mr. Snake off the porch, I ordered these: Solar Powered Mole Rodent Deterrent. They are supposed to drive snakes away, as well as moles. I’ve had a terrible time with a mole leaving big tunnels on my side yard, so maybe it will help with that problem, too. These are supposed to come today. I hope they send Mr. Snake packing his bags for another place to live. I’ll probably just leave them in the ground until the babies have safely fledged and are no longer around.

Mole Repellent

 

I also purchased this. It’s not supposed to hurt animals, birds etc… but I didn’t want to take a chance that the baby birds would fledge and get down into the shrubs around the porch and touch any of the chemical.Snake Repellent

So here’s what I did, I placed the snake repellent in three jars that have a metal crisscrossed lid on top, and I taped the lid onto the jar. So nothing can really get to it, step in or eat it, yet I’m hoping the smell, which smells like moth balls, will keep Mr. Snake from coming back. I read that the repellent doesn’t hurt them, that they just smell it and move away. I hope this will help. I just don’t feel comfortable spreading it around the porch with new babies soon leaving the nest.

When I threw the snake off the porch with the broom, he landed beside the shrub that’s furthest back in the photo below. There’s a hole over behind the Hydrangea planter on the left in this photo. I wonder if he lives in that hole.

Snake Repellent in Jars

 

The little jars I used to hold the snake repellent are the same ones I used in this previous tablescape post here: Spring Table Setting.

Spring Table Setting with Honeysuckle Centerpiece

 

A New Bird Feeder for the Garden

How do you like my fancy Mealworm Feeding Station? lol  Is this not a lovely accent to my front garden? HA!

Make-do Meal Worm Feeding Station

 

Both Mom and Dad Phoebe are loving the mealworms.

Eastern Phoebe

 

In this photo from last year, you can see the large bird house that one of the Phoebes likes to sit on throughout the day. There’s also a wren nesting inside that house, I see her and her mate coming and going as they feed the babies.

As mentioned in my previous post, both the Phoebes and the Wrens are feeding their babies the mealsworms I put out a couple of times a day.

Boxwood Garden with Dovecote Birdhouse Accent

 

I decided to order this charming feeder. It comes with a little saucer that I hope will work well for meal worms. I hope it’s glazed inside because mealworms can climb up the side of a non-glazed, clay saucer. If it isn’t, I’ll just go buy one or keep using a bowl like I do now. I figure it will come in handy for offering mealworms to future birds that nest in the house.

Lazy Hill Bird Feeder with Dish for Mealworms or Seed

 

A few years back I was on a garden tour and they had birdhouses and feeders dotted all throughout the garden. They were wonderful! I loved that garden so much! Large birdhouses, though a bit pricey, make gorgeous focal points in a garden, even when they aren’t in use by the birdies.

Beautiful Birdhouses & Feeders, Garden Accents

 

This one is quite large, measuring 11 inches wide and 23 inches tall. It will be my third addition to the front garden. The other two in my front yard are bird houses, so this will be the first feeder I’ve added to the front garden.

It wouldn’t be very practical for bird seed since it won’t hold much and isn’t squirrel-proof, but it should work well for mealworms since the birds quickly learn to notice when you’re putting them out. As soon as they see you at the spot where you’ve been placing the worms, they fly immediately to the bowl and start eating and taking worms back to the babies. So they get scarfed up way too fast for a squirrel to get to them.

If you’re looking for a beautiful garden accent or a feeder for mealworms or little treats, this bird feeder is available here: Bird Feeder.

Birdhouse for Feeding Mealworms or Seed

 

This morning I was up early on snake watch and got busy painting a pressure-treated post that I will use to mount the new feeder once it arrives. So, there’s a lot going on around here between dish sorting, organizing, bird feeders and the recent bird-snake drama.

I hope to be sharing some pretty, organized dish photos with you very soon, as well as a garden update once the new bird feeder is up. It’s arriving tomorrow. I brought up my post hole diggers from the basement, so I’m ready!

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Comments

  1. Susan – a few tips from growing up in the country. You can grease your birdhouse pole with crisco – the squirrels won’t be able to climb it. You can buy sulfur and sprinkle around the yard to repel snakes – won’t hurt any other animals or birds. You can sprinkle instant grits on ant hills to get rid of them, unfortunately it does kill the ants, same thing as juicy fruit gum pieces around mole and gopher holes. They eat, but can’t digest it. Not an ideal solution, just what we did in the country as solutions.

    • Thanks, Susan! I didn’t know that about sulfur.

    • Wow great tips! Instant grits on ant hills, sulfur for snakes, gum for gophers.
      Quick thinking scaring off that snake. Good for you not killing it. Your future worm feeder looks amazing. Best wishes on the cabinet project!

    • I didn’t know any of this!! Good to know! Oh and Susan re the SNAKE – there’s still screaming in my head. UGH! You are so calm about all this, I would have been boarding up the windows. xoxo

  2. Oh boy that would have frightened me to see that snake but I would have done the same thing! I’m sure that hole is where he’s hanging out so he isn’t far away. Sad thing is when the birds fledge he might be there to go after them anyway. Hopefully that deterrent you put out will help turn it away. That was a good idea to move the benches away so it’s not easy for it to get to the nest. I wonder if you put a hose in the hole and run the water if it will come out and move away.

    • I know, I hope I can keep an eye out for when they fledge. I never seem to catch that with all the other birds that have nested in my yard. I would hate for him to get them.

  3. Nancy Akeroyd says

    You if anything you seem completely dedicated to your critters. I am the same way. My husband is more engaged in them I think than I am. Since Daffy Doodlebug our almost Beagle passed last Dec. he has been really doting on the chipmunk, squirrels deer and now fawns that frequent. We had 3 mama deer, one yearling and 3 fawns to feed this morning. We have sometimes 10 chipmunks and at times 9 squirrels. We have had one snake that I think my also be a racer or perhaps another black non poisonous variety. He was fat. I think he visits because of the chippys. He was incognito under my day lilies by where we feed the chips and squirrels. We have been sitting out front lately due to so much rain and we get visitors on the porch who seem to just want to say hello and why are you here and not out back? Mama deer, our most friendly one came to the deck today to visit. She helped herself to some of chippys food. I know you would love the fawns. They hop and jump through my back garden and lick each other on the face as their mama does to them. You would be a pushover I bet, flowers or not. Have I shared my husbands painting of a fawn from our yard from last year? This year he painted a mama bear and 3 cubs for his juried entry along with the fawn which was not finished in time to show last year. If you happen to send a response I will forward photos of them. Hugs from one pushover to another

    • Nancy, I do remember the photo of the fawn your hubby painted, it is beautiful! Yup, I would totally be a pushover for all those sweet deer coming to visit. They know a good thing when they found your backyard! 🙂

  4. I am so proud of you for not killing your snake. ALL black snakes are good snakes. I think your deterrent will make him leave. Your feeding tray posts are very pretty.

    • I have so many around here…the green ones…are those garter snakes? I’ve also had rat snakes. I was running across the backyard one time and thought I’d tripped on a water hose, them remembered there wasn’t one in the back yard. Looked back and saw a snake slithering away. lol

      I’m sure they hang out here because of all the chipmunks…and the chipmunks hang out because of the birdseed the woodpeckers are forever tossing out on the ground to get to the peanuts. Lately I’ve had a lot of hawks in the backyard. They are often here for the squirrels and sometimes the mourning doves. 🙁 I know everything has to eat, but I’m going to do my best to keep it from getting these birds.

  5. I just want to say what a dear you are! I wasn’t sure who your unwanted guest would be, and totally agree with you. But what is so nice , is that you want to keep them away without harming them. I am not crazy about snakes either, but know God created all and there must be a purpose for them. ( Is it to TERRIFY me? ) Just kidding. I always enjoy your posts so much! Thanks for setting a great example for all!

    • lol I have a friend who is deathly afraid of snakes. She would abandoned her whole house if she had seen that one on the porch. She would probably put her house for sale the next day. Thanks, Toni!

  6. Dawne Marie says

    You are such a good host(ess)! Not only to birds but us “chickens” too! Snakes, ugh. They get into our screened in pool here is SW FL. Parents used to raise finches. Snakes get in and eat the birds then can’t get out ….too fat. And snake mating season? Oh my. My parents lived on an island.
    You have so many pretty dishes! Be careful carting those dishes! Your back:)

    • Oh, no…they are so brazen as to come onto a screened in porch/pool area? Thanks, Dawne! Definitely been on my feet a lot the last few days. I think I need a nap, but no naps during the day right now…afraid Mr. Snake will return!

  7. We have dealt with moles (eat grubs in the ground) not voles (eat plant roots) off and on in the yard and flowerbeds for years. This spring my husband decided to use a rat trap to see if he could catch any. He caught 2 of them and we haven’t had any more tunnels since. I’m not optimistic that they won’t be back again in the future but it’s nice to know the traps will catch them. I told a friend, who was plagued with voles eating his veggie plant roots, to try a rat trap. In about 2 weeks time he caught 14 voles! You might want to return the solar rodent deterrent. A neighbor got those and they didn’t help at all. Looking forward to seeing all your dishes and accouterments systematically stored. Vikki in VA

    • Wow, that’s a mess of voles! No wonder he was having so much trouble! Thanks, Vikki! I may hire a company to deal with vole or mole or whatever made the really big tunnel underground on the side of the house. It was like CaddyShack over there, the tunnel stuck up so high!

  8. Oh Susan your new birdhouse is beautiful and so glad you were able to save the baby birds! I can’t stand snakes. We have a hold out by one of the new trees that were planted. I am praying it is not a snake. We planted some type of ornamental plant called Garlic something that is suppose to help deter them. Being up next to the nature reserve I am surprised we have not seen any in the yard.

    • Pamela, I’ve always wanted to live near a preserve. I have friends who do and it’s such a gorgeous backdrop to their back yard. I guess it does bring in some interesting critters. I hope you don’t have a snake, but on the positive side, you probably won’t ever have to worry about rats or mice! 🙂

  9. Aren’t you concerned that the woodpecker will go after your lovely new cedar feeder? Can’t wait to hear of the snake deterrent works!

    • Not really, I think that was kind of fluke because I had that house for 6-7 years before that happened. It also happened during a really cold winter here when it was snowing and very cold, so I think it was probably a pileated looking for something to eat. At first I thought he was looking for a place to live but the folks at Wild Birds Unlimited said that he probably heard some kind of insects inside and was trying to get to them. Maybe the cold weather had wiped out most of his food source because that was really unusual. Also, I didn’t want to do another copper/metal roof since the birdhouse nearby has a copper roof already. At least if a pileated tries to drill through this one, I know how to repair it. 🙂 Jan, did you get to see the post where I repaired it? I was really proud of that job! lol

  10. You’re just like me, gotta get organized……in advance of the cabinet’s arrival!!! That’s okay, you’ll get them put together in no time, you know how to do those things, you are my idol!!!!

    Snake……that would freak me out!! Ya gotta protect the babies…….

    Had moles and voles a few years ago, put out bait and smashed down all the tunnels, haven’t been back.

    • Glad you were able to get rid of them, they can really damage a yard! This is the first year I’ve had whatever made that big tunnel on my sideyard.

      I know, now if I could just magically wiggle my nose and have them all together after they arrive. lol I’ve been reading the instructions and apparently there are quite a few things to watch out for, so hopefully I can do this by myself.

  11. THANK YOU for this post. I am looking for a couple of cabinets for our garage! I am so glad you caught that snake and got him away! Unlike you I am afraid of snakes. Anything that moves that fast is SCARY!!:) Joe makes our bluebird feeders. They work great and have glass on 2 sides so we can watch the birds feeding:) Also we have those solar mole/vole things. They have worked for us.

  12. Hi Susan,

    Have to thank you for posting the picture a few days ago of your limelight hydrangeas. Last year I planted this beautiful plant at the front of the house and then quickly lost the tag describing what it was. I usually keep these tags in a landscaping folder but in my haste to plant it before hosting a big party, I misplaced it.
    For the life of me I could not remember what it was until I saw your wonderful pictures. So, thank you for helping me identify my plant which has bloomed beautifully this year in spite of my brown thumb 🙂
    Enjoy your new cabinets!

    • I should start saving tags. I used to do that but got out of the habit. My memory is terrible about some things so I know what you mean, Susan. I can cheat when I forget my looking back for an old post to remember some things. lol
      So glad that was helpful for you! I was just reading some about Limelights a few minutes ago and it says they are not fussy and easy to grow. That’s definitely been my experience, too.

  13. Enjoyed your post and the suggestions for snake deterrent from others. We have a small pond and waterfall that we dug ourselves in our backyard. We purchased tiny little goldfish from the pet store when we first got it running about 10 years ago. The herons occasionally stalk the pond in the early morning and at dusk. Well this year there is a garter snake living under the pump area and probably in the irises and under the slates forming the waterfall. He has helped himself to many of the fish and the frogs! It’s his own personal sushi bar. I was mad at the herons before I found out about him but I saw a video on you tube that showed a heron devouring a snake! I hope that’s what happens next!

    • Oh man, that would make me so mad! I know some folks put nets over ponds when raccoon and Herons are stealing fish, but that probably would even stop a snake. I had no idea they ate fish or could even stay in the water long enough to do that. Kathy, let me know if you see a Heron with a snake in it’s beak one day!

  14. Yes, the green snakes are garter or ring necked snakes, the brown snakes are hog nosed and the black snakes are rat, black racer, and king. All good snakes. I know you are concerned about your birds but these snakes are so beneficial to getting rid of your rodents and moles/voles. My husband was an exterminator for 43 years and taught me all about bugs, rodents, and snakes.

  15. I just recently learned that screech owls sometimes allow blind snakes to live in the bottom of the owlettes nest~ the snake feasts on insect larvae and keep the nest clean. The insect larvae would otherwise parasitize the owl nestlings. A study conducted, states that the owls grew up faster and healthier in nests kept vermin-free by blind snakes. Go figure. But it appears your snake was up to no good…..

  16. Juanita in OH says

    Dishes hold a very special place in my heart, I LOVE them. The cabinets look perfect for storing them. I’ve been on a blue kick lately (because of you), thank you for enabling me, lol. I’m still buying dishes and I can’t even cook a meal. I want to have a tea party and will have to have it catered and that has been holding me back. I can’t wait to see the dishes stored. My mom was afraid of worms and snakes. When I was about ten she and I were gardening she put some food on the rosebush and disturbed a gigantic worm…we went tearing out of the driveway, tools in hand and screaming like the Boston Strangler was after us. I ran and screamed because of her I didn’t know what was going on, lol!! Have a great day and TFS.

  17. Susan, I’m envious of all your dish organizing. I need to do the same! I have some cabinets in the garage, but would need to empty them. That of course means donating or restoring what’s in the cabinets. It’s a vicious circle here. Storage is almost nonexistent in our 1930s home. Oh, to be so organized though. It is definitely what I need to do and want to do so I’ll know exactly what I have. I want to keep everything together that I might use together.
    Currently I have things in various cupboards and cabinets around the house, on shelves in the attic, and a few things in the garage. You are inspiring me!

  18. I love all of the bird feeders. WOW! I am afraid of snakes and that would have had me running and screaming!

  19. The pests of summer…ugh. I had a lizard in my sunroom today. I closed all the doors that lead into the house, but I do believe Mr. Lizard made his way into an exterior crevice of the brick (which could mean either inside or out). I know they’re not harmful, rather beneficial, but I do prefer them OUTSIDE! I would faint if I saw a snake in my landscape, let alone my porch. I’d be calling Orkin or Terminix. And I need to get some of those mole deterrents. I have those too, and rabbits.
    Look at the benches being inside as this – you have more surface space to stack dishes, lol. That’s a HUGE project you’ve got going on. Good luck!

  20. Marlene Stephenson says

    Sounds like you are a very busy person, and a defender of birds. I hate snakes. You certainly will be busy filling up all those cabinets and getting organized, but at least it will make it easier for you to find what you want, when you want it. Don’t work too hard,don’t want your back hurting when you go on your trip.

  21. You and I share the same neatnik personality. Now ask how I married a person who thrives on chaos LOL (44 years and counting). Two weeks ago we had a black racer climb up the porch swing, slither up the column, and eat my baby birds AND the nest itself. By the time I saw him, he was stretched out full length on the railing, sunning himself…over 6′ of him. I was so upset, but it is the circle of life. Black snakes keep away copperheads here in Upstate SC, so I actually welcome them. Be sure to stay hydrated, it is going to be really hot the rest of the week.

  22. “It was like CaddyShack over there…” god that made me laugh:)

  23. Kathleen says

    Great post Susan! Oh that snake. I hope he stays away and makes it over to the big hole in the side yard. I love those bunny serving trays/cake stands? So cute with their bunny butts. I laughed out loud when I saw your ladder and bowl for the meal worms. My cats would climb right up that and try to get the birds. I am having such a time with something eating my new squash and pumpkin seedlings. They get two leaves and then they are gone. I am thinking squirrel or gopher. They leave the flowers alone and the tomatoes. I am so sad I will not have pumpkins for Halloween and will now have to buy them. Hope your cabinets arrive on time so you can stay on schedule. Snake Watch is taking up your time!

  24. Kathleen Workman says

    Susan, good for you for protecting your birds! I wanted to share my experience with the same snake deterrent you bought. It doesn’t work. After my purchase, not before as I should have done, I read reviews about the product to see if my experience was typical, or if I had used it incorrectly. It’s just not effective. Herons can definitely help with a snake problem. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share a scary snake story. Fortunately you have beneficial, non-poisonous snakes. My neighbors and I have had problems with water moccasins, an aggressive poisonous snake. Our homes surround a water retention pond, part of our town’s flood abatement program. Our pond is deep. In very hot summer days here in Oklahoma, especially in drought years, we not only had blue green toxic algae, but also water moccasins crawling out of the water. We would find those snakes on our back patios and in our yards! They were a real danger to pets, children, and adults. We couldn’t kill them with a gun inside city limits, so we had to dismember them. ( That’s when I tried the product you purchased.) I looked out my back windows one afternoon and saw three of my neighbors bashing a huge water moccasin. One Sunday, our thick Sunday paper got damp from sprinklers. My husband brought it inside, took the band off, and put it on the bottom ledge of the fireplace. Next thing I know, tiny snakes 3 inches long are crawling out of the paper and my sweet kitty is playing with them. I looked once, thought they were baby garter snakes because they were a light green. Being a country girl, I took a closer look, and grabbed my kitty. They were newborn water moccasins in my house! I saw the characteristic diamond shaped heads and the eyes for a poisonous snake. I killed the ones I could see, covered my arm with a thick oven mitt, grabbed that paper and slung it outside. Then I got my Wellie boots on and shredded that paper and remaining snakes. I did a thorough search inside and outside and notified our neighbors. How did this happen? I read extensively and learned some things that I’m sharing to help everybody. A pregnant water moccasin crawled out of the pond, around my side yard to our front driveway and gave birth to the typical 10-15 babies, some of whom promptly got inside that cool, damp paper. I’m so lucky my kitty wasn’t bit. The babies’ venom is worse than an adult. We have noticed that Blue herons, eagles, and hawks help control the snake population and haven’t had a problem since. Yes, hawks and eagles get our wild mallard baby ducks and we hate it. But they help control rabbits that carry Tularemia in their droppings in our yards, snakes, rats and other vermin. We haven’t had problems in three years. If they ever return, my neighbors and I will notify our city and ask for a specific snake removal expert to rid us of this menace. We won’t stop until we get action. When we called before, animal control was always too late to help. It’s a city pond so we should get help.

    • Oh.My.Goodness. That is such a scary story. I will never look at a newspaper the same way again.

      • Kathleen Workman says

        Roxanne, I still inspect every Sunday paper that comes inside even though all papers are dry before entering our house. Since that unbelievable but true incident, we have a rule now, no damp, even slightly damp papers in the house! I did a lot of research after to explain to myself how this could’ve happened. That’s when I learned newborn moccasins are light green, how many are born, snake behavior when water loses oxygen in extreme heat, etc. Oh, yeah, forgot to say I have a neurological disease that affects my balance and walk. I was so scared for my sweet, gentle, curious kitty. It’s amazing what you can do in the face of terror !

        • Kathleen, you were very brave. I have 3 sweet kitties myself (an 8 week old kitten just showed up in our garage a couple of weeks ago!), and I would do anything to protect them too. Take care of yourself. Blessings, Roxanne

    • I bet your heart was pounding when you saw all those snakes! It’s a shame they can’t treat the water with something that makes the snakes not want to live in the pond. We have six poisonous snakes here in Georgia: Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Cottonmouth Water Moccasin, Coral Snake, Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake and Pigmy Rattlesnake. Fortunately, we don’t see too many of those here in the metro Atlanta area. Mostly in my yard I see the Black Racers, Rat Snakes and Garter Snakes. I would definitely worry about being outside and walking pets with the retention so close by. Glad it seems to be better in recent years…hope that keeps up! I had no idea they had so many babies.

  25. Susan, I am not sure which was worse the photo of that snake or the comments. I hate snakes and fearful of them. For some reason I have seen multiple kinds here, maybe all the greenery or new home construction moving them around. One kind is like a drill putting holes in the ground. I poured Snake Away on it and did not make one bit of difference. Spike Jones, my feral kitty, was the best mole deterrent ever. You would see them dead in the yard without a mark on them. Unfortunately, she loved me so much she delivered a couple of snakes to the front door. She was spayed recently and resides on the screen porch for now. What I tried lately that seems to move snakes is chopped garlic in olive oil. I don’t notice much effects from planting Society Garlic.
    One of the things I like in the house for bugs is those plug in things that make a sound. Works really well on everything but silverfish.
    BTW Soon as you said “unwanted visitor” I knew what it was.

  26. Snakes. Ewww. No. Just looking at pictures of them makes my skin crawl. We get rattlesnakes and bull snakes here. They look alike…had one in the yard once and I was a mess. Another time a rattlesnake and hubby picked it up by the tail and carried it away. Crazy person. Mostly they stay out on the wilder parts of the golf course and green belt. If we saw them a lot I would have to move, not kidding. Even so, I don’t like to kill them. The cabinets are exciting. I love organizing, it is one of my favorite things. Pretty birdhouses too.

  27. Cynthia Raines says

    Hey Susan! Proud of you with your Snake Watch, I’m hoping he was so scared he won’t slither back! I like your choice of cupboards and I am sure you will be very busy putting them all together. What a great way to have everything organized. Half of my dishes are in kitchen cupboards and the china hutch and the other half is in the basement. I definitely get my “stair climbing” count in on decorating days! ha.

  28. Oh, Susan, Mother Nature would be so proud of you! You are definitely one of her loyal helpers. I’m afraid I would be out of the state by now if I saw a snake up close and personal! Bravo to you for your quick and effective reaction. I hope your feathered babies are on their own soon so you can have some piece of mind. Can’t wait to see the cupboards. You are living a tablescaper’s dream!! Don’t overdue. Organizing doesn’t have to be done all at once. Take care.

  29. Susan, I’m one of those people who wish snakes no harm, but can’t abide even to see a picture of one. I saw one close to my hand in my front bed and wouldn’t go out to get the mail for a couple of months! LOL! I say it’s Biblical. God said He would put enmity between the woman and the serpent; I am a woman, so there you go!
    Please do a follow-up on how the mole deterrent works for you. Since we put in our irrigation system years ago, they just love our yard. Also, do weeds grow up through your pine straw mulch? Enough questions. I love your new cabinets and bird feeder.

  30. WOW, Susan..you are brave. Getting the broom and flinging the snake! UGH! We had some snakes in our last home and I was scared to death of them…I like to say there are only three kinds of snakes that I am afraid of: Big snakes, little snakes, and sticks that look like snakes. Before I bought that snake repellent I put some mothballs under the porch…hated the smell but after a bit it went away. LOVE your new feeder! Had a similar one in the last house, too – but it was taken out by a bear! Kid you not – it came one evening in early spring and just took it out with one swipe. Right after I had filled it will shelled sunflower seeds! Never put it back…moved here soon after. And, I SO AM WITH YOU that it is bothering you that your house is in disarray – or should I say “disharray”! We are moving in 5 weeks and some rooms like the dining room and guest bedrooms are already packed….but everytime I pass the rooms I see boxes and it is getting to me. I like everything “just so”…like you. The kitchen is half packed with stuff I won’t use until we move, yesterday was the bookshelves in the living room and when I passed there today I though….Oh, no – where is everything??? But soon it will be well again – for both of us. I love the idea of the cabinets you are getting and will look into them for my new storage area ( no basement, downsizing to an “apartment home”). Can’t wait to see you post how you organize them both. AND…soon I will be on my new screen patio – it’s going to take me awhile not to call it a porch – and it is on the second floor so I am hoping it will be “snake free”! Thank you for all the information and inspiration!

  31. Bunny Rogers says

    Hi Susan. I have a few snake stories myself. We have lots here in North Carolina and most are harmless-even beneficial but I can’t readily identify them.
    When we first moved here we put down brand new black welcome mats at all entrances to the house. One early morning I was barefoot and walked out the garage door onto the mat. “Boy, it sure is wrinkled and lumpy,” I thought as I tried to flatten it with my bare foot. I stepped off the mat onto the concrete and out of the corner of my eye I saw a HUGE black snake slither off the mat and into the grass. I can’t believe I stomped and kicked a black snake with my bare feet!

    My other snake story is similar to yours. I have a wonderful pinecone wreath hanging to the side of my front door. We were delighted to discover a bird nest and eventually babies in the nest. We took their pictures and marked their progress. One day I saw a black snake climbing totally straight up the wall toward that nest! I ran him off and worried myself about the babies. The next day I found only feathers on the porch floor and an empty nest which had obviously been damaged. I was heartsick.

    I have tried all the remedies you talk about. Grits in ant hills and diatomaceous earth work best. Gum in mole holes was a complete waste of time. I don’t remember how we got rid of them but it surely wasn’t Juicy Fruit gum.
    Hope you can stay out of this heat and that the rest of your summer goes well.

  32. Kathy B. says

    I, too, have some snake stories, but I simply can’t repeat them. I try not to even think about them. They’ve scarred me for life. HA! The last one, which was the most horrific, can also make my smile…..a little. The site of my crazy husband running around, and all the goofy things he was doing to try and combat the creature was hilarious. His first weapon of attack (defense) was the water wand. I was inside when it all started. And then all of a sudden, instead of watering the plants, I see him beating the cwap out of our deck gutter with the water wand. Has he lost his mind? That’s a brand new water wand. LOL!

    Okay, no more talking snake. Susan, what I really wanted to say was I can’t wait to see your finished dish storage project. I need some motivation and inspiration. Or better yet, when you’re done with your project, come on over and work on mine. HA!

  33. Cheryl Gordon says

    Good for you for getting that snake away. Once saw a video of hummingbird fighting off a snake for 20 minutes before the cam owner cam home and saw what was going on and got rid of the snake. Hope your snake doesn’t return!

  34. Hi Susan, sounds like you’re very busy! “Once begun is half done.” Don’t know who said that, but it always works to get me started on big projects.
    I think one of your commenters mentioned sulphur for snakes. That works very well here in DFW Texas, too, and should work anywhere. It comes in large bags like fertilizer, and you just put a stream of it around the perimeter of your property to keep them away. If that’s too big an area, make concentric circles — one all around your house and then further out along your shrub beds, all the way around. You might have to reapply after heavy rains, but it holds up well with just the sprinklers.
    We started using sulphur when our kitty cat brought a “toy” in from the garage — half of a snake — the wrong half! We never did find the half with the head still attached!
    Take care, Susan!

  35. Oh my gracious, what I wouldn’t give to help you organize those beautiful dishes. It would be worth it just to get to see them all. There is nothing I like better than beautiful dishes. They are one of my greatest weaknesses.

  36. Hate snakes! franki

  37. So here’s my snake story: last October I was walking up the steps of the State Botanical Gardens at dusk after an event. I was bitten by a copperhead. I’m not afraid of snakes but I now watch carefully where I step or put my hand when working in the yard/garden.

  38. I would have been scared to death!! Yikes! I love the benches.

  39. Kathy Stowe says

    “laser light thingy” = electric eye?

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