Workshop suprise?

[Charley]

Taking an unexpected break from woodworking?? Well after tonight I might be.. :?

Let me paint you a picture: I’ve just been clearing the workshop after finishing the hall table when I thought I’d clean my router cutters which I’ve been using. I wanted to rest the cutters on something soft so I didn’t damage them so I went to grab my old router mat which is right on top of a shelf. As I was reaching up I spotted something orange on top which I didn’t recognize. Normally I just yank it down but thankfully I wanted a closer look so got my steps out and had a look. I said to my self “That’s a ******* snake and it doesn’t look like the normal garden type”. I slowly got off the steps and went to the door of the workshop then thought “No don’t be stupid it can’t be.”.. Had another look – yup there was a curled up orange snake that looked at least 2ft long in my workshop (before you ask, no I didn’t get out my tape measure out to check ) I went inside the house to break the news to my parents. Dad just got in and was getting changed so I told mum and she said “noo there can’t be” So we went out back into the workshop (I stayed in the doorway this time ) Mum got onto the steps and no sooner as she got up she was back outside and said “yes you’re right”.

Mum rang the RSPCA after waiting on for awhile we were given a number of a snake place but of course all we got was an answer phone. In the end we rang the local vet who seemed to know her snakes. She said it sounded like a ‘Corn Snake’ or ‘something – something’ (forgot the name) but not to worry as they are both harmless and she said if it was her she would just pick it up but she can’t recommend that in case it’s something else so we had to try and carefully knock it into a sheet then take it to her.

In the mean time I’ve been on the internet and found a picture of a corn snake. It looked very similar to the one in the shed. Dad and I went back to the workshop and of cause the snake that seemed to be asleep had moved. We couldn’t see it anywhere. Dad took over, armed with the washing line pole taking bits of the shelf. I thought the snake had gone outside behind the shed/over the wall as there’s a small gap in the corner where the roof meets the wall (where I ran out of expanding foam last year) and the shelf runs level with it. Anyway we spotted it, it had gone into a box and just its tail hanging out but before we could do anything it was making its escape towards the gap. By the time we got a sheet it was halfway out. Dad was working himself up to grabbing it and just as he touched its tail it had slid away outside the workshop - lost it :?

The gap has now been ‘foamed’ and I’ll be clearing the workshop out at the weekend completely to make sure the snake hasn’t left any of his/her friends behind and also to make sure there aren’t any other snake size gaps.

By this time I’m sure you’re all laughing as you read as I am as I’m typing it out. Not sure when I’ll be doing any woodwork in the workshop as all I can picture at the moment is a snake dropping down on me when I’m routing or opening a drawer and it jumping out lol and although dad seems to be alright with snakes now (he wasn’t going to touch it when we first found it) will I ever woodwork in this workshop again? You can be sure that in the future I’ll be very careful when opening boxes and getting bits off the shelf.

I’ll leave you to have a good laugh now , feel free to reply If you want to have a look at a pic go click here to see a pic of a 'similar' snake: http://snakepictures.members.easyspace. ... io_029.htm

Please note, that no snakes were harmed in this event .. Thought I'd put that down as found out you can be fined up to 5 grand if you harm/kill a snake

PS: You can laugh but not too much, remember I can ban you :evil:

 

[Signal]

Charley,

Excellent story, definant cling film moment.

I to have reptilian guest in my workshop.

After a particularly busy time for BIL, who I share the WS with
neither of us had been up for a few days and all the air born dust
had settled. When I finaly got back to the WS I noticed little tracks
all through the settled dust. Initially I thought it was mice, some of
the tracks probably where but later that day I saw a flash out the
corner of my eye and looked round to see two lizards darting across
the floor.

I now quite often see them looking down at me from the rafters,
probably thinking "noisy sod, go home"

Cheers

Signal

 

[CYC]

Ahahahahahahahhahahahahahhaahhahaha, sorry I laugh Charley but you painted a pretty funny picture :lol:

Of course this will never happen to me, despite my workshop being along a field, thanks to Paddy who banned all the snakes from Ireland.

On the other hand I have cows trying to break into my garden knocking down the wooden fence, not messing :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

I was digging out my garden compost bin a few months ago when something moved in the corner. As I watched a 15 inch grass snake popped it's head out, glared at me, and slithered off over the side and into next doors garden. :shock: Of course I had no idea it was a grass snake (until I looked it up in my daughters backyard nature book) and kept well clear just in case. :? I now make lots of noise when down the bottom of the garden to scare off such visitors before they scare me, much to the amusement of my neighbours. :roll:

Are corn snakes native to this country? Do you have some snake faciers near you that have lost one perhaps???

 

[Charley]

I was digging out my garden compost bin a few months ago when something moved in the corner. As I watched a 15 inch grass snake popped it's head out, glared at me, and slithered off over the side and into next doors garden. :shock: Of course I had no idea it was a grass snake (until I looked it up in my daughters backyard nature book) and kept well clear just in case. :? I now make lots of noise when down the bottom of the garden to scare off such visitors before they scare me, much to the amusement of my neighbours. :roll:

Are corn snakes native to this country? Do you have some snake faciers near you that have lost one perhaps???

According to what I read lastnight corn snakes are the most common 'pet shop' snake in the UK but as you said at the time I didn't know what it was. Luckily it's got a fairly small head, otherwise we would have to keep the cat indoors

It turns out the 'snake man' we rang last night lives around the corner, he rang this morning and said it sounds like a corn snake which arn't native to the UK so it can only of escaped or been released by someone he also said it would most likey die in the outdoors

Well at least I'm not the only one to have a 'reptilian guest' in my workshop but I REALLY do hope mine was just a passing guest and not a permanent one :?