The little snake who came to visit

Jim was working at the computer the other day when all of a sudden a baby black Racer snake peered at him over the computer monitor. Cue snake charmer music!  I don't know who was more surprised Jim or the snake!  The snake seemed very interested in what this human was doing.  And for a brief second they had a staring contest. Jim shouted, "we have a black racer in the house"!  I thought it was exciting but I'm sure most people would have a very different reaction!  After my training as a docent at a zoo where I frequently had to handle snakes I grew to respect them, they do have unique personalities regardless of what people may think of them. The little guy jumped down from the computer desk and was slithering towards our bedroom  (him slithering across our bellies at 2 AM would not have been a pleasant awakening) when we set up a blockade.  He then doubled back and headed for the screen dome.  He had dust all over his face and was shaking his tale wildly at Jim, I'm sure afraid for his life.  Jim carefully picked him up in a butterfly net, then deposited him by the pond. He quickly swam across the pond which must have felt very refreshing after getting all dusty. We have no idea how he got in but we made sure all the doors were closed tightly. Not exactly the type of "little visitor" we wanted or expected.  Hopefully after seeing what a human lives in he will stick to the great outdoors!

Little Racer in the screen dome

Memorial Day Miracles

Patriotic display

My dad home on leave with his sister Jane

My 90 year old dad remembers WWII like it was yesterday and we have enjoyed and marveled at his numerous stories.

My daughter Tara and her husband Kevin

As we get set to honor Memorial Day and our military dead,  I can't help but think how incredibly lucky my family has been to have participated in nearly every war and all family members came home alive. That seems truly miraculous.  Some lost all their family so we feel blessed with good fortune and are very grateful.

Our family military deployed in war time:

Kevin Dumais: Iraq and Afghanistan

Tara Dumais:  Bosnia (twice) and Iraq

Kevin's dad Don:  Vietnam

Uncles Sonny and Bobby Gilbert:  Korea

Aunt Trudy and Uncle Lloyd: WWII

Dad WWII: Lst 734 in the pacific during the war and The Destroyer USS Stewart after

Clinton Tucker: WWI - Calvary

Daniel Gilbert: WWI

Moses Hoskins and William Hamlin:  Civil War-Northern side

Lewis H. York:  War of 1812

Nathaniel Gilbert : Revolutionary War

Kermit gets "busy"

Tadpoles

Every morning we have our coffee in the huge screen dome and turn on the pond waterfall and gristmill. This morning we noticed something new in the pond and found out we are grandparents to at least 500 tadpoles!  Our little pond is brimming with life!  Not only with Kermit, but now all his progeny!

Proud poppa

Of course we are "blaming" Kermit but he could very well be innocent as many species of frogs and tadpoles use ponds for mating. We know there is at least two tree frogs living in the gristmill. And every spring we are serenaded by Sheep toads who sound exactly like their name implies! The first time we heard them we were startled and looked around the yard for lost sheep! We couldn't believe a small toad was making that sound!    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHMjSYR6h_U

Our little ponds have dozens of mud minnows, many snails and 5 lucky goldfish who have survived the raccoon's nightly raids.  Our own little ecosystem!