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SNAKE IN MY POOL
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geez. i hate snakes. i hated the post on water snakes and had to quit reading it.
today about 2 hours AFTER my swim, my husband goes out side and comes in to tell me, Hey, theres a big snake in the pool.
i run out and look and sure enough, it was about 2 feet long and dark brown. SWIMMING in my pool.
i started screaming GET IT OUT! he goes to get the net and the snake comes to the end of the pool, sticks it's tongue out a few times ( i am standing on the other side, of course) and he slithers OUT of the pool and into the flowerbed near by. I am screaming to my husband to kill it. ( i am the one who will take an insect outside rather than kill it and do not eat beef because I can not stand the thought of killing a cow) but a snake, this was different. I kept saying, "our dogs come out here all the time, i walk out here, I swim out here, I will never get in that pool again or let the dogs in the backyard unless I know it is dead". so, he finds it and took care of it. then i felt bad about killing an animal. what would you have done? was I wrong in making him kill it? I am so freaked out by snakes. I knew i would not want to get in the pool or let the dogs out worrying about it lurking nearby.



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Last edited by: jana: Jun 14, 08 19:05
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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Oh dear, not pretty at all! This whole snake thing is getting out of control.

I try to avoid killing things whenever possible. I would have made the hubby catch it, find out what kind it is and release it somewhere far far far away. If it is poisonous I would have called fish and game to see if they want to do something with it.

But, I understand your reaction and I won't judge. I wasn't there! I'm pretty ruthless with spiders myself. The hubby has to save them otherwise I kill them if they are in my way.

Dogs fell down on the job if you ask me. They are responsible for keeping your home safe. Silly dogs. They must have been napping.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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heck no don't feel bad! chop UP that slimy thing. either that or have it sneak in your swimsuit on a flip turn. LOL.
Last edited by: kittycat: Jun 15, 08 8:16
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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You did the right thing. I hate snakes too!!! I wouldn't be able to swim again unless the snake was long gone!!
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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I feel bad for the snake. It was probably just as freaked out by you screaming at it. It's just a snake. It's all those animals that are not cuddly that people hate. I don't think snakes lurk. Or wait under a tree to jump in the water and bite you. Maybe you should go to a shrink to get control of your out of control fear of reptiles. Friends found a sea turtle in their pool. there was no screaming "kill it" for mr. Turtle. the utmost care was taking getting him out and back to his environment..
I feel honored when a wild animal no matter what it is, comes into my world. In fact, when I turned on the computer this morning, I was surprised by a hugh scorpion on the key board. It got away. It's probably lurking under the desk to get me!
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry, Jana! I would have freaked out if I found a snake in my pool. I'm semi-ok with nonpoisonous pet snakes but a snake in the grass or bushes (or pool) terrifies me!
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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when we go down to our place in Florida, i ride on a rail to trail (29 miles each way) called the Van Fleet which runs straight through the Green Marsh. my husband read somewhere that some guy let a bunch of anacondas loose down in polk county & that they'd slithered north and live in the van fleet. he said they hide in the trees and fall down on you before they squeeze you to death. then sometimes i meet up with this hard core rider on a Raleigh road bike who consistently kicks my butt, but he says that he's had snakes jump up at him to try to grab him. of course, there's the ubiquitous eight foot snake who lies all the way across the trail, with a girth as big as a man's bicep, and you gotta stop and figure out whether to run over him (kablunk!) or try to go around him. never really minded snakes myself, tho, my brother always had king snakes & *black racers* (whatever the hey that was!) down in the basement growing up.
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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The part I don't like, is the part that is seems to be able to go in and out of the pool at will. I have had a lot of different animals in my pool (frogs, ducks, etc) but it was pretty clear they were in there by accident. I was glad we were able to save the frogs when we could.

A 2 foot snake, well honestly, I cannot really say what I would have done.
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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Hey, theres a big snake in the pool. it was about 2 feet long and dark brown

LOL

It was 99.9% most likely harmless. You should have just shooed it away.


Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [parkito] [ In reply to ]
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yeah but that 1% freaks me out. even if it was non-poisonous i would not want to be bit by it. I am still freaked to get in the pool. i told my husband he will have to sit out there and keep watch to make sure no snakes climb in. If I KNEW he was still around I would be really worried. I hope he was a loner and there are not any of his friends or relatives close by. I REALLY am scared of snakes. He was very agile in my pool and had no trouble climbing right out on his own and slinking away into the bushes. I could just see him slinking right back in while I am in the middle of a 1000 yard set and not coming up for air for some time.
jana



http://www.triontherunfitness.com
http://www.triontherun.com
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [txvet] [ In reply to ]
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I guess we shouldn't bring you sick snakes?? Since it is taper time for IMCdA, I am finally doing yard work and trimming bushes and the thought of snakes and snake bites is one of the many things going through my brain. I live beside a pond and have only seen black snakes, but I know we have several poisonous snakes.

Do you have a good link on giving cats subcute fluids? I have found several, but would like one for my mother-in-law who is cat-sitting while we are in CdA. We have a fairly young cat with chronic kidney failure that is doing really well. The cat is so docile and she shouldn't have any problems, but my mother-in-law likes the internet. Pictures and video would be great. She will give fluids once under my supervision. I hope she does not have the same needle issues as her son.

________________________________
Lisa Walser-Anderson, ATC,CSCS
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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I love nature and wildlife and am typically right out in the middle of it. But...SNAKES and SPIDERS.....ah, Hell no.....there ARE NO GOOD ALIVE Snakes and Spiders. I say, you went with your gut and that's all that matters. Don't feel guilty and don't be ashamed about being freaked out by the nasty little serpents.

____________________________
Life is Short...Run Long
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [wolffpack] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
there ARE NO GOOD ALIVE Snakes and Spiders.
I'm sort of curious what our ecosystem might say about that :P


______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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jana
Im very surprised at you.
having met you several times, between doing your races and volunteering at others, I would have pegged you as someone who picked them up and played with them...

oh,
you may not want to try night time adventure races... ;-)
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [cuds] [ In reply to ]
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HA. True. Don't care though. :)

____________________________
Life is Short...Run Long
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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You are sick, if you are that scared of snakes. I'm sure now that you've killed the snake, his or her friends and family will seek revenge and come after you. If I were you, I'd never go back in the pool.
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [wolffpack] [ In reply to ]
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And you are a hypocrite, with your comment about how much you love nature and wildlife, and your wish for all snakes and spiders to be dead? I'm just guessing you and Jana are women? Because women like you two give the rest of us a bad name over your stupid little fears. You probably also wish all other non cuddly animals were dead too, like sharks and any other animal you are scared of.
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [Bily Lovec] [ In reply to ]
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Randy: i can't walk by a dog without stopping to pet it, but snakes.... no way. I think it goes back to an old Hitchcock movie I saw with a snake under this man's pillow. never stopped having nightmares about them. open water swims are torture for me, everything I see or touch is a SNAKE!
jana



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http://www.triontherun.com
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [timberdick] [ In reply to ]
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wow. who pissed you off today? yes, I am a woman. Does that make such a difference? Sorry, but I am afraid of snakes.

Now, if you read my original post, i hate to kill animals. I don't even eat beef. I will not fish or hunt because I think it is cruel.
I have adopted 5 stray or injured dogs that I have kept and raised as my family. You don't know me. but you are quick to judge.
the snake scared the crap out of me. I did not want it to 1. bite my dogs when they are out in the backyard, 2. bite small children who come to my house to swim and play games and run in the yard to retrieve a ball 3. give me a heart attack while swimming or 4. bite me while i am swimming and have no clue it has gotten back into the pool.
I don't think you and I are in anyway associated that I could give you a bad name.
i never said i wish all animals were dead. you have taken this whole thing way out of context.
jana



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http://www.triontherun.com
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not pissed off at all. I just felt bad for the snake. It was probably just as scared as you. And good for you for adopting stray dogs, and what a nice picture: small children playing in the back yard retrieving balls/ was the snakes poisonous? And I'm not judging you or giving you a bad name? I don't know you. I'm just questioning your fears and challenging you to look at yourself.
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [timberdick] [ In reply to ]
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I just thought of something else that might help your phobia. Maybe you have a rat problem, and the snake was there hunting for dinner?
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
what would you have done? was I wrong in making him kill it? I am so freaked out by snakes. I knew i would not want to get in the pool or let the dogs out worrying about it lurking nearby.

I happen to like snakes and especially spiders - snakes because they eat mice and other such annoying pests, and spiders because, well, I think they're cool, and they trap the yucky bugs. I'm very careful to never kill spiders so that they can continue to do their work. But then, I like bats too, because of the huge number of mosquitos they eat.

Having said all that - I suppose I like all of the above in part because of they're usefulness and because they seem so benign to me. Now, if I saw a rodent (for example), I'd have no qualms about killing it however possible, so it's not that I'm all pollyanaish about "all of god's creatures" or anything like that. But I do think snakes are pretty cool.

Since you kind of feel bad about the whole thing, here's an idea - maybe do some snake identification, look up what snakes are common in your area, if there are poisonous ones, what they look like, etc. I'm not suggesting if you fear for your life that you stop and try to ID the snake - but in a case like the one you cite, where your husband went out looking for the snake, that's where you could stop and think hmm, was that a poisonous snake possibly or just a regular ol' sweet little garter snake, for example. That might help alleviate some of your fears in the future.

--------------------

http://thethighmasterroutetokona.blogspot.com
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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See, you're so shook up you missread the decimal point, there's a 0.1% chance or less that it was a noxious snake. ;-)

In your neck of the woods, I think the only one you would have to worry about is a cottonmouth getting into your pool, and I think the possibility of that is extremely, extremely, extremely unlikely. They just don't want to hang with people. Also, cottonmouths are much bigger, more aggressive and wouldn't slink away. Clearly your visitor wasn't one. The other snake you need to worry about down there are rattlers. They are also much larger, not so uncommon around people, but quite distinctive (that rattler business, ya know?) I've never heard of a swimming rattler though.

Just so there is less tension in your life, I think you really ought to get some desensitization treatment for dealing with snakes. You'll breathe easier. ;-)
As others said, just about all snakes will do most anything possible to avoid people. You are a much bigger threat to them than they are to you.

When cornered, many will try to bite, but it is more of a bluff than weapon. I was finishing a road run a week ago, and came across a two foot ribbon snake on the road, attempting to cross. Seeing as he had a long way to go with intermittent traffic, I thought I'd give him a lift, and he bit me! Mind you, ribbon snakes have no teeth (definitely no fangs) and not that much jaw strength. But honestly, that's gratitude for you. It decided to put off the road crossing and we said our goodbyes. Life goes on. :-)


Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jana] [ In reply to ]
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Wow - this thread turned a venomous, didn't it?

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: SNAKE IN MY POOL [jenhs] [ In reply to ]
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very good one!

thanks for all the posts. yes, I do have a snake phobia. i think it is a phobia i share with many others though.
Parkito is probably correct that the chances of it being poisonous is very slim...to none. But it scared me nonetheless.
I cannot believe he picked a snake up ( and it bit him! I think I would have fainted if a snake bit me)
i just hope that i don't see any more snakes in my pool, we live in the middle of suburbia. there is some wild life around if you call rabbits and armadillos and deer "wild life". snakes are not common. ( thank goodness).



http://www.triontherunfitness.com
http://www.triontherun.com
http://www.ontheruntx.com
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