I went next door to sit with neighbor and watch the kids play. We walk over
to her old garden, now a holding bed. We notice a long snake, brown and tan
in the compost bin.

Now - over the weekend (at camp) I hear that the Easter Diamondback has been
seen in more suburban areas after the drenching rains we've had. OK - right
color, kind of small in diameter, but I have a curious 7 year old (aka DD)
and an exuberant 5 year old (aka DD's Best Friend and next door neighbor).
Sh*t!

"get the kids inside and get animal control; I think it might be a
diamondback".

Neighbor hustles kids inside

She gets her oldest (19 and an Eagle Scout) son outside -
"color is off, but that varies. Head is round not squared. Kind of thin"
(rattlers are husky snakes)

Creep closer - we agree it looks like more like a python - some one's
escaped pet? Cops are "tied up" (this is a scary thought), Animal Control is
closed for the day. Decision one - take pictures. Duly done.

Lets capture it - get a container with a lid. She grabs a plastic storage
tote.
"Hey - B..., you're a man - grab it and dump it in"

"NO WAY" "How about a pair of tongs?"

She grabs the tongs, hands them to me as he won't do it, I grab the snake
and d*mn it strong for such a small snake. About .5 inch in diameter and 6
feet long. It burrows off into the compost heap and is gone.

=====

I come home, and start looking at pythons on line. Doesn't look like any of
the common pet pythons. OK - snakes of NH on google. There it is - I'm right
it is a python (distant relative) - an Eastern Milk Snake.

Guess what - I'll bet there are eggs in her compost heap.

Giggle

Cheryl