Adult children are still children. Occasionally, they open the conversation with “Hey, do you remember when my sister did this thing and you did not get upset? I did a thing, it was a bad thing, please don’t be upset.”
Kid 2 built a beautiful container pond in her back yard. She has guppies, and the guppies are gorgeous and have names. A few months ago, she went to Petco to buy food for said guppies and saw a single white betta fish sitting alone on the counter.
Kid 2: He is so pretty!
Store Clerk: He is marked for disposal.
Kid 2: What? Why?
Store Clerk: Someone brought him back as a return and we cannot accept live fish as returns.
Kid 2: I will take him!
Store Clerk: I can’t sell him to you.
Kid 2: I will buy other things! He can be a bonus.
The beautiful white betta came back with her. He was given his own pond in the front of the house. He had lovely plants and a pretty temple to hide in, and he lived for several months in happiness until he passed. According to a fish expert and a forum of betta breeders, he was very old somehow and blind. Nobody knows how he ended up at the store. Basically, he had a lovely retirement.
Much sadness followed his departure, and Kid 2 couldn’t bring herself to get rid of the pond. Parental units have advised Kid 2 repeatedly to put a grate or a mesh over that container pond. Things were said such as “This will attract wildlife.” Parental units were ignored. Meanwhile frogs showed up, and the pond was renamed Froggerton. A large toad was designated as the mayor.
The Froggerton prospered for a few weeks until suddenly the frogs had gone quiet.
Throughout all of this, Kid 2 has been having an issue with Derpy Snake. The snake happens to be a vulnerable species and a conservation risk, specifically a plain-bellied water snake. It is known as the derpy snake in online community because it has the silliest looking face and googly eyes. It’s non-venomous and eats other snakes.
Derpy Snake repeatedly invaded the yard and was repeatedly chased off by being yelled at. They are kind of cowardly, and the German Shepherds are very interested in the things slithering through the yard. Still, the snake kept coming back and trying to chill in the guppy pond.
Yesterday Kid 2 decided to investigate Froggerton a bit more closely. Froggerton had no frogs. It did, however, have Derpy Snake, coiled in it. And then Kid 2 looked even more closely, because the grass and plants around the Froggerton were moving.
Derpy Snake had given birth. It belongs to a live-birth snake species. There were approximately 20-50 small derpy snakes in the immediate vicinity of Froggerton.
Kid 2 did things one would normally do in that situation. She said, “OMG!” She put her hands on her head. She called her fiancé to come out and examine the snakes and the disaster she wrought. The fiancé predictably found the entire situation slightly amusing. An older neighbor came over to see why there was visual despair. He also found this slightly amusing.
In the middle of this investigation, Fed Ex guy showed up to drop of a package.
FedEx guy: Hey, is that a snake over there? You have a snake.
Kid 2, voice perfectly steady: Yes. Thank you so much for the package.
Kid 2 informed us of the Snakerton disaster last night. She has taken pictures of the baby snakes, because there was apparently variation in color. The pond will be moved shortly and dismantled, and they are delaying mowing for a few days so the baby snakes have a chance to scatter.
Not everyone wants pictures of the snakes in their feed first thing in the morning, but we have some poorly taken videos and photographs for you on this page: Snakerton. We had additional videos but most of them cannot be used due to liberal cursing followed by some running away.
omg, am I first??
Yes.
Win! 😀😃🙂
DAMMIT, JEANIENE! 😉😂
(for anyone who doesn’t know and thinks I’m randomly attacking an amazing author online, this is a reference to a FB post comment about Jeanine absolutely RUINING a spoiler opportunity for the BDH 😂 – I 💖 Jeaniene, no hate to her or hers!)
Ha ha ha! (For clarity, this is from a FB post Ilona did, not me taunting anyone over FINALLY being first to comment here 😀) Hey, if it helps, I have been burning with frustration because I have no one to talk to about this amazing book yet, so I am being suitably punished for ruining the BDH’s ability to figure out a spoiler from a mile away 😀
🏆🍻😁
I mean. Follows favorite authors’ blog to find second favorite author follows AND comments. I mean. Could Saturday be any funner? Also, no thank you snakes. Where I grew up, all are venomous, even the nons. We do not. My cousin and uncle have had as pets – poisonous ones especially – in the house cages. I will never understand snake people. But live and let live – somewhere far from me. Far far far.
I laughed way to hard at that. Derpy snakes just make it even better
1st Adult children are a whole new ball game no one warned me about.
2nd thank you so much for hiding the pics behind a link.
3rd Is kid 2 Ok, thats a lot to go through, especially when others told her what would happen.
4th 😂😂😂 this made my morning.
I loved derpy snake and the tale of Froggerton.
I have a variation of Froggerton, but it involves frogs inside hiding in shoes and removing frogs from the pet fountain so kitties can drink.
I could use some videos with “liberal cursing and running away!” 😉
Me, too! Those sound hilarious!
Totally relate. I periodically have to use the water hose to shoo away my resident rat snake that likes to sun himself on my back patio. And let’s not mention the assortment of wildlife that wander through. I’ve recently acquired an armadillo 🤦♀️see it about twice a week
Kid 2 has seen a lot of armadillo activity. Probably because there is a sudden new food source.
I would not handle that well! Gobs of snakes, no thanks.
Kid 2 is braver than me. I’d have gone to a hotel for a week. Maybe moved.
Wait, what? With all that build up, I was expecting something bad. A harmless, snake-eating snake of a vulnerable species having babies in the yard sounds like a win to me!
I was afraid you were going to tell us the little pond had attracted skunks that had sprayed the dogs or raccoons who’d eaten the guppies or it had spawned some kind of horrible swarming bug or the dogs had drunk out of it and caught leptospirosis or something.
Compared to any of that, non-venomous baby snakes are great! 😁
In my part of the country, mosquitoes (and the panoply of awful diseases they spread) are the main reason to avoid creating standing water features. Even the birdbath needs to be completely emptied every couple of days.
Between that and the cold, outdoor fish keeping is a generally restricted to koi- Kid 2’s guppy pond sounds delightful!
I agree with every little bit of this! In the middle I was also afraid we’d be reading about Derpy Snake’s demise at the teeth of a German Shepherd, too.
No, no, we would not post something terrible if it happened. We curate blog stories carefully; they are true, and we don’t embellish, but we pick what we post.
There might be a value in showing the tragic if you are a lifestyle blogger, because it demonstrates that bad things happen to all people. But we are not lifestyle bloggers. We try to keep this space entertaining and hopefully a little amusing or uplifting, because we all need more of that right now.
very much appreciate this!! thank you for everything you post!
Same here!
When my kids were in elementary school, they found a northern brown snake (not to worry, we’re US, not Australian) in a garden bed next to the patio. This species doesn’t get very big – twelve inches is decent-sized. This particular snake looked a bit wide for its length, to me.
I agreed to keep it in a terrarium for a couple days – longterm snake-keeping is not for me. We set the terrarium up and put it in the loft between their bedrooms.
Next morning, Kid 2 claimed she saw baby snakes. Kid 1 and I assured her they were probably earthworms. Nope. That snake had 29 babies. Added wrinkle, the babies look exactly like ringnecks. Now when I see a very small ringneck, I have to wonder whether it’s a juvenile northern brown.
Anyway, we released them all around the house. They typically stay hidden under mulch and whatnot, so it’s not like they’re intrusive. I was happy to provide whatever habitat possible for them while they kept the bugs in check.
*released them all around *outside* the house. I do draw the line at indoor free-roaming snakes.
I needed that smirk today!
A rare Saturday post. We are blessed.
Thank you for not posting the pictures. Just the description freaked me out.
We were dismantling a wooden retaining wall for the herb bed just outside my kitchen and found something similar. Garter snakes are good for the garden but … no, just no. They found other homes on their own, I don’t want to know where.
Also, we sold that house.
ROFLMAO!
Awww. Pity about losing the frogs, but hopefully some survivors found a happy place elsewhere. Derpy Snake is pretty cute although I can see not wanting to host a family of water snakes in the back yard.
Argh! Ugh. Goosebumps. Hair standing up. Argh!
This sounds like a comedy of errors. 🤦♀️😂😂😂
I love this story! I actually think it’s pretty great that she provided all of this habitat, however unintentionally.
Hilarious
Is Kid 2 still writing? That sounds like the perfect plot for a kiddy book. Of course, my first thought was that Mama Derpy ate the previous residents of Froggerton, but maybe she just scared them away.
This was a great way to start a Saturday! Made me laugh, plus a Jeaniene first comment. 🙂
Thanks for the oblique “Death Comes to Frogtown” reference.
We have a small wet weather tank/pond and a dog that was bitten 5 times by a rattlesnake about 4 years ago. Said dog still happily chases frogs, garden lizards, snakes, and furry creatures. 😀 He would love to help Kid 2’s shepherd dogs disperse the funny looking snakes at her house!!! Call if they need assistance 😉
Lmaoooo! That is a very wholesome emergency. Good for her for accidentally contributing to a conservation effort. She sounds like she handled it with more grace than I would have. Also, props to parental units for not saying anything “I told you so” while laughing until you almost pee 🤣
Froggerton is no more!!!!!!! Love it. <3
BDH can handle the cussing, FYI! We excel at handling cussing. Some of us revel in the cussing! Yeah verily, SOME of us have been told we cuss like sailors, mom, WTH?!
Oh my! I heard David Atteborough’s voice narrating this post. Non-venemous snakes in your garden is lucky, although they also will boost your bp! Alas, denizens of Froggerton!
Totally get the frustration but this is so beautiful!
I’ve accidentally created a sanctuary for orb weavers on my back patio this year. We had a deal they’d keep the website above my head. They’re not keeping that deal, lol
From the “First bomb” by Jeanine Frost to whole story … omg
Absolutely too funny
Love to Kid 2.
I am in the baby snakes are a win group. They are also cute. More pictures would be fine, behind a wall is good for those who not as pro snake as I am.
Oh please, please, please post the additional videos with the liberal cursing followed by some running away.
Are there also previous photos of Froggerton before Snakerton came and conquered like some black knight.
I love the way you tell kid stories; kid 2 always sounds like such a gem. 😊
Oh my…. Snakerton…. I guess Froggerton was food for the new regime. Glad she saved the betta though.
plain Bellied Watersnakes are totally derby! i also think they are an improvement to loud and noisy frogs/toads that can make dogs high or throw up if you have a curious puppo….I speak from experience……
I would have kept Snakerton. 🙂 so awesome
Snicker, chortle, guffaw!
I love snakes, not in the house and not dangerous near me, but snakes are so cool. When I was a docent at Brookfield Zoo anytime I had a free period I’d hang out in the reptile building.
So cuuuuute!!
Scatter? Why scatter?? I would keep them… It’s also very useful, because it keeps other Snakes away?? (Or eats them…)
Objectively, snakes are really quite beautiful animals, and largely non-venomous. But….they creep me out. As Emily Dickinson put it, “zero at the bone.”
I always wanted a water feature in our garden area. Now? Not so much. Blessings to the derpy snakes. Glad to read about them from afar.
Wonderful derpy snakes! I had a similar incident back when I was kid #5 and my parents had to deal with a yard crawling with tiny box turtles. After they dispersed to find their own territories the turtle condos were all dismantled. Thanks for a great story.
To quote Sylvester from Scorpions “ This is my nightmare! This is my actual nightmare!” 🫣😳😱😵💫😵😵
Holy doodle! This story made my day! Snakerton….he he he he!
#Adult children who “did a thing”. As long as the only thing injured was maybe their pride it is hysterical. I still get to enjoy the silliness!
Except snakes. Nope, just nope. Nice that she now knows what habitat a derpy snake needs to reproduce in though!
Thank you!!! This made me laugh
Yall are amazing.
I am all amusement by this story!😂 Thanks for sharing.
Mad cackling because I just this week had a lovely series of encounters with my local toad, Bennett, who comes when called and uses this power to shamelessly exploit my derpy good nature. The wildlife be wild y’all. Unfortunate for the denizens do Froggerton; hopefully the snakes move along soon.
Like snakes maybe if they are endangered call your local conservation district and see if they would like to relocate the babies?
Snake is derpy!
This, unfortunately, reminds me of the time when I used a horse trough to build a container farm for koi. One evening, as I sat outside and watched bats fly around, as one does, my Akita brought me a present. It was the back half of a koi. I wasn’t happy, but I’ve always been grateful that it wasn’t the front half.
OMG! Kid2 probably doesn’t see the humor right now, but maybe will learn from the experience. (Hehehehe)
I was so sure Froggerton was going to be about a knitting disaster that had to be restarted!
People forget that we share the planet with wildlife much that has adapted to the suburbs and city. I get a parade of skunk, possum, and raccoons on my front porch with the occasional fox. Had some coyote but that was a couple of years ago.
at our last house, we had a couple of snakes – it was very cool. Here, we don’t have any, and I’ve offered to take other people’s snakes, but they won’t share…I’m still keeping an eye out for a local snake someone wouldn’t mind sharing with me. Snakes are so awesome!
Congratulations! kid2 has become a rare breed preservationist!
I am sorry for the frogs, but this is FABULOUS! Thanks for the great -IRL-story & many chuckles as it kept unfolding!!
This is a great story! Thank you for being kind to wild life!
I love the respect you always show. Specially with this post it’s the anonymity of the “kids” and recognising that an unexpected snake in your inbox is not something everyone would like. Thank you for always being you.
They are adorable, I’d probably want to keep the pond if it was mine and could safely do so.
I don’t know if I’d call those snakes derpy myself though – if you want to see a truly derpy looking snake check out Arabian sand boas – their eyes are on top of their heads because of the burrowing and it gives them a googly eyed look.
I don’t mind reptiles myself apart from the feeding – my baby brother had quite the passion for them but was only allowed to keep a leopard gecko.
aww, such cute little nope ropes! I mostly just have neighborhood cats that try fishing in my pond.
“Nope ropes” …☺️☺️☺️ I have a pet python named coconut fettuccine bc she is white with blue eyes. She started out as my daughter’s and then I stepped in due to trying to keep her warm and happy during dry, cold, Massachusetts winters! I love this characterization…
She sounds lovely!
🤣😂🤣 I kinda wanted to know what comes after Snakerton? 🤣😂🤣It seemed that the wildlife kept getting bigger, like a trade-up😋
🐠🐸🐍…🦉?lol
Thanks for the Saturday special story! Very funny! I like non-venomous snakes, not in the house though! Luckily I live in western Washington and we only have garter snakes. Yea, adult kids… just have to love them more and refrain from the I told you so’s!
Non venomous, eats other snakes, vulnerable species, and at conservation risk? They sound like keepers to me.
Sounds like a keeper to me, as well. But then, I’m very fond of non-venomous reptiles. I like snakes but keep clear of the poisonous ones. I might have been known to threaten small children with confinement in their bedrooms if they scared away lizards that were living on the walls of our laundry room and eating insects. I personally would not have minded snake pictures and videos in my feed but I understand that others may not appreciate such.
OMG this was funny 😀
Hubs has been sad today for reasons, and this helped cheer him up. Thank you.
pretty 🐍🐍🐍
I would have loved to see the baby snakes!
We had a Ringelnatter (apparently called „Grass snake“ in english) living under our wooden deck for a couple of weeks… she’d come out to “sun” on the deck… one of the days she had trouble getting back through the one larger gap in the planks after a meal (either a big mouse or a toad)… I had to laugh sooooo hard when she tried so many times to get the big food-filled part through the gap… she must have found another way finally…. At least there are no venomous snakes in Germany, so no worries there.
Most amusing story. may the snakes have long and happy lives.
that’s wonderful as an ecologist and an Amphibian and Reptile specialist loving this story, she’s helped a species that needs help she should be proud of her achievements as she’s contributed to their conservation in the local population 😀
They are sweet, look a bit like grass snakes in the UK, which are also a water loving species, who eat frogs a lot.
Well, a derpy snake is better than two rattlesnakes that were encountered on Wednesday morning on the patio. *They did not get names and were relocated.
This story was a good ride. I’m glad the betta enjoyed such a posh retirement. While I am sorry for the residents of Froggerton, I’m pleased that Kid2 was able to support a threatened species. Yay snake friends!
But it’s non venomous! Free waternoodle fren! So cool. rip froggos
This is the most relatable post that really speaks to having adult children… (not snakes specifically but the premise.) Now to make sure my mother never sees this 🙂
The snakes are kinda cute lol. Fun story. I don’t care for frogs probably because they can jump at you. 🤣
I loved the story and hopefully Kid 2 has learned a lesson. I am betting not though as a parent myself.
That’s kinda awesome. I’m in the minority in that I love snakes, and we actively encourage ribbon snakes on our property in the city. I have pictures of the grandaddy eating a whole sparrow. Lol
Children are the gift that keeps on giving!
Derpy Snake is plain, but kinda cute and that Arabian Sand Boa DonnaA mentioned below is truly worthy of being called a derpy snake. It looks like a sock puppet with scales!
I want the swearing video version please! 🤣
😅
Me, too. LOVED the whole story and another +1 regarding adult children. (I am sure I always listened as an adult to everything my parents advised. Snarky grin).
Now that was entertaining. I love that she went to such lengths to give what turned out to be a very old Beta fish a lovely place to retire. The Froggerton chapter was pure entertainment. A smile and chuckle to start my Sunday morning. Thank you 🙏
We have been raising American toad since tadpoles, they are now about 6 months old. We have thought about putting in a frog pond for them as they get bigger. But we also have snakes in the area. Thank you for the warning of what can happen. My 9 year old daughter adores all frogs and toads and would be devastated if they were all eaten!
laughing so hard, spitting coffee
I love this story. the adventures of family are interesting and make me laugh. I wish I had the talent to write mine down.
thank you so much for sharing.
Hilarious!
I love my water garden, and I love the wildlife that comes to check it out: fishing spiders, fishing birds, snakes, and, yes, even the frogs and toads.
However, the only ones that keeps me awake at night are the frogs and toads. They are the opposite of white noise.
I’m so glad Kid 2 created the gardens, and I’m sorry all the life can’t all get along in harmony. I too had a dog once … who completely ignored snakes … until she didn’t. Yikes! May Kid 2’s yard find its balance.
Why is a non-venomous native snake a problem? I am assuming nativeness from your comment about conservation risk… Could she not remain the new pond princess?
I’m not certain I am reading it correctly, but I think the implication was that the endangered snake might come to harm at the paws or more likely jaws of the dogs.
Ah, the circle of life….
BIG NOPE on snakes for me. thank you for not putting the pics direct in the post.
I am happy that an endangered species are safe and that they reproduced, but my snake phobia will not allow me to look at them voluntarily. 😀
RIP Froggers.
Holy Jesus, SNAKES!!!!
I would have had to sell the house… we found a tiny Gardner snake in our front flower bed and I didn’t use the front door all summer.
Hahahah! I love the derpy snake name!🤣also the story. Still learning that mom and dad have some good advice. Maybe pay attention next time, LOL!
Very cool! Snakes are good pest control.
I used to live in a small cottage that had a very low window overlooking a wooden ‘deck’ (a 6 inch high wooden platform built by the front door so nobody would have to walk in the dirt before entering the cottage.) The surface of the deck was only about a foot lower than the window sill.
In the summer, I would find my golden retriever lounging by the window inside the cottage, chin on the window sill, gazing down at the garter snake that lived under the deck, who was sunning himself on the deck and gazing up at my dog. Those two would do that for hours! 😂
I live in the Caribbean, in a Dominican style house. One of the things I’ve had to get used to is finding small frogs and snakes in the house. Thankfully, none of the snakes here are venomous.
I extract them from wherever they are trying to hide (or gotten stuck) and relocate them outside. The smallest snakes are precious – they’ll curl up the size of a golf ball until I set them out.
They are Nature’s insect control, and I appreciate every one of them.
(Except for the frog that parkoured off my bare leg when I was sitting on the john…we’re both traumatized for life)
as an adult child myself, my pain for kid 2’s pain, but at least she contributed to helping repopulate the derpy snake population 😂😂😂 rip froggerton frogs
I love this story and really hope Kid 2 starts a blog about Snakerton with lots of pictures and videos.
Nonpoisonous snake with babies. Weeeeeee. Even better it protects your yard from other snakes. What a blessing.
Thank you for sharing this little slice of life with a positive ending (except, perhaps for the frogs – but circle of life and all that….)
Some children listen when you tell them the stove is hot.
Some children simply have to touch the stove to confirm for themselves.
Glad most parties got to walk away from the situation with all digits still intact.
May your day be filled with peace and beauty!
Thank you, this was wonderfully hilarious. I love kid 2 providing retirement for the beta and letting it morph into froggerton :p those snakes are silly and cute and of course I hope they all leave for other places. No one would expect live birth snake babies!
I am also amazed that you still have frogs. I live in pittsburgh, and they’re all dead here. for some reason I do not understand our summer UV rating is 9-11. No more bullfrog ponds.
On the snake topic I have had a range from garter snake to Burmese python. Garter snakes are great pets, also love water and will eat feeder goldfish. Never take ownership of a snake without evidence that they are a good eater. i had to force feed my Burmese once a month. once there was a ball python, also bad eater. It just curled up and the live mice started eating it.
Go with the garter snakes. you also don’t have to worry about them getting large enough to eat your cats.
I almost fell out of my chair laughing. We have a pond, a LARGE pond, where we have snakes, fish, and the occasional alligator (it is southeast La), and we back up to a 65 acre swamp. Needless to say, there is all kinds of wildlife to be found. Usually, when I run across a snake, I jump, scream (simultaneously), run backwards, then take the time to investigate the snake species. If it’s a garter snake (cute!), king snake (wow, look at the spots!), blue runner (one chased my son when he was little), or common water snake, I leave it be after pictures are taken. The water moccasins, however, involve me screaming at my husband to KILL IT KILL IT!
Tell Kid #2 she just contributed to the continuation of an endangered species, and should be proud.
Much love and laughter from critter-infested southeast La.
Poor Kid 2. Snakes creep me out, but that was funny. If it had been me, there would have been more screaming and running anway and calling animal control screaming. I
I love this story! And I love that a toad was named mayor!
It’s nice to know that your daughter is doing her bit for conservation.
Lol! Growing up, my mom always called me and my brother out of the house any time she and my dad found snakes while doing yard work so that we could appreciate their unique beauty. I didn’t mind the snakes, but I didn’t share her appreciation for spiders.
This is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Thank you!
awwww, I love snakes
I love all of this. Yay, habitat. Snakes are beautiful and fascinating creatures and I am big fans of them unless they are Sudden. Boy once climbed a tree and met a 4-ft (non-venomous) rat snake coiled inches from his face. Rapid descent by Boy. I even love rattlesnakes from an appropriate distance; i.e. too far to merit a rattle.
Now all I have stuck in my head is;
🎶Deeeerpy Snake do do do do do🎶
I’m sad! I’d love to have all the snakes, especially endangered ones! And BABIES!!
I love these animal stories!
+1! 🤗
+2
Awww, that’s amazingly good energy! Snakes are about growth and transformation (since they shed the old (skin) on a regular basis). In many traditions they are considered to carry earth widsom since they slither on the ground and are one f fthe closest creatures to Mother Eath. And if the snake felt she could give birth to her babies in the pond, it means Kid 2 has a healthy ecosystem in her area, which is a boon to all indiginous life forms. No snakes in my yard but I’ve been trying to cultivate the lizards and song birds since the feral cats have been hunting them down and endangering the local species. Kudos to Kid 2 for nurturing local wildlife!
What they said 100%!!!
There are many amazing parts to this story but to me one of the most impressive is that the old blind beta fish managed to die of natural causes.
I love this story and the terrible pictures. Thank you for sharing!
Wishing Kid 2 and supportive parental units all the best karma ever for helping (inadvertently) to restore a threatened species and kindly giving them a chance to scatter. Snakes are awesome and get treated badly sometimes. Your actions are restoring balance – hoping the universe chimes in to thank you.
Lovely story. I read that this species can also have parthenogenetic young or so-called “virgin births” with no male intervention. Very handy for a threatened species.
Saw the baby snakes, they’re adorable! (Snakes don’t bother me) I’d be more concerned about mosquitoes breeding in a pond. O.o (Hello West Nile)
As long as the frogs were there there was little danger of that.
Never a dull moment. 😃
Kid 2 has had a net positive effect on local biosphere! Congratulations to Kid 2’s successful conservation effort.
😂😂😂 Well, the local venerable species population appreciates your support of native species. Lol
I suppose that means the pond was a big success. All the critters want to move in.
Thank you for sharing the story! Thank you for sharing the optional pictures separately! I appreciate both gratefully.
A learning experience, for sure.
So sweeet 😀 Kid 2 is amazing! 😀
How clever of kid 2 to give the offspring of a vulnerable species such a good start in life! Heh.
I’m just happy because someone changed baby shark to derby snake. its living on repeat in my head. 😄 hehe
Also, sorry kid2. That sounds like it could have been traumatic.
Betta Fish had a good retirement. Lots of bad luck to heartless bastards who returned him. Frogs…had nice uh…short lives. Derpy snake is now less of a conservation risk. Consider keeping the pond, contacting wildlife people who are trying to conserve said snake and say…”we have good news and proven habitat”. Did frogs only get eaten at night? Can froggerton become high rise with a drawbridge?
this made my day! thank you!!
This was such a lovely story to read on a Monday morning. I dearly love Derpy Snake and all her Derpy Children. Thank you for the story and for your family’s collective care for at-risk species, even the scaly & wriggly variety!
Could they move the pond to the front yard where they won’t bother the dogs? It’s pretty cool that they created a micro-habitat in their yard. My Dad’s pond has American Toad tadpoles every summer, it’s so cool.
oh, but this is funny, got me smiling /laughing🤣
off to look at the snake pics 😀
Omg I really want the other video! This made me laugh so much! Thank you for a brighter Monday!
Awww, love this story!! Snakerton pics were much appreciated, love seeing the Derp in picture form. Glad it was a species that posed no threat to the family, and that the Derpy Snake got a deluxe pond suite for her birthing.
It took a long time to learn to appreciate snakes but we do mostly because of rats in the barn. Last year my daughter was cleaning up around the tack room barn area and junked an old metal cabinet that had rusted out the bottom. It had to wait for a special trash pick up day so was sitting in the front yard next to the curb. I moved it out of my way and a gopher snake popped out. Had to ask the gardeners to watch out until we were sure he was clear. We love gopher snakes because of rats.
We get about one young rattle snake a year coming off the hills behind us. A neighbor who is a vet tech will catch them and carry them back up the hill so the dogs don’t find it.
Love that Kid #2 saved the baby snakes.
Love the snakes and the story.. we had a back yard in Hawaii with a water feature. Fortunately, snakes are not found in Hawaii. UNfortunately, cane toads were transplanted there many years ago in a misguided effort to control other pests. They will find and breed in any fresh water source. The battle was long and futile. The tale involves multiple beheadings, stabbings and pitchforks. The snakes sound like they were easier to handle…
When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, I had a neighbor who decided to put in a koi pond with no net covering it. The great blue heron that landed on the fence really appreciated the snack.
My father-in-law also has a Heron Sushi Bar….um,er….I mean koi pond in his backyard. The summer he installed it, he learned very quickly to stock it with fancy goldfish (less expensive than actual koi and if the pond is deep enough they survive winter and continue to grow.)
It is still amusing to watch him tear out of the back door yelling and waving his arms when he sees Mr.Heron though… 😂
I have a preformed pond which is not very deep. The koi, gold fish and even some mollys an sword tails did fine it. My husband built a chicken wire /pvc cover for it because we get blue herons and great white egrets. They would sit on top of the telephone poll and watch the pond.
The cover worked great for the birds but the raccoons just lifted it up and helped themselves to sushi. I have given up on koi and fancy goldfish. I keep misquito fish and red minnows in it now.
“We had additional videos but most of them cannot be used due to liberal cursing followed by some running away” 🤣🤣🤣
It took all weekend for my synapses to click and come up with “a hissot of derpy snakes”.
I love snakes as long as they are outside or in someone else’s yard. Your daughter needs a medal for saving and providing perfect birth habitat for protected snakes. She could leave the pond open and wait for the next adventure.
Hi, so what happened to all the frogs in Froggerton? Did Derpy snake eat them? Or did they leave when Derby snake took residence? I need to know….
They became derpy food
She’s a Snakey Godmother. She needs a caduceus staff.
lol
Ahhhh…Derpy is cute!
I live in a country that is an archipelago of islands with no snakes and a number of flightless birds species whose existences are currently under threat because of the impact of humans on our limited land masses along with the predators such as cats, mustelids, ship and Norwegian rats which accompanied some of the later European colonists. So I find this post – interesting, especially the video clip which slightly freaked me out. 🙂 To be fair, some of our flightless bird species became extinct due to overhunting before the European colonists arrived with the ‘next level’ predator species. But still – I will be sad if we ever acquire snakes in our little corner of world. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoy Cornelius’ ferrets, and noted the following local news article https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/568629/using-pests-to-catch-pests-ferrets-enlisted-in-queenstown-rabbit-fight I guess everything is about balance, when it comes down to it. Maybe even Humans.
Oh my goodness! I have a feeling I am much older than kid 2, but I think we would get along famously!
She should leave it. Habitat for native species is a good thing.
I ran by after work to help my vision impaired sister clean their pond filter while her husband was away.
In the past 4 months raccoons have eaten their 18 goldfish and repeatedly trashed the fountain pump and filter in an attempt to catch the 1 inch or smaller baby fish, or just get water in the summer. After I cleaned their filter, we discovered that the raccoons had carried off the bag of activated charcoal that weighs down the fountain/filter assembly so we had to just leave it off until Keith gets home on Thursday.
Raccoons are assholes.
The story made me smile first thing in the morning 🙂 much appreciated. But honestly we have them in the garden too. In our region a species called grass snake calls our pond home as well. Our kids find them interesting. When they were smaller they played with slow worms or earth worms too. The never feared them.
Please help a reader! The people changed the covers. What is the short story when Kate was kinda working on her own orvwuth the bear? It had Kate standing with i think a leather trench..🙏
Hmmm…Kate and Mahon (I assume he’s the bear you mean) never really worked alone together – it could be Magic Gifts that you’re thinking about? She’s mostly alone for the rituals.
Here is the link to the complete series list, with each title linked to its summary and cover, in case that isn’t it 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/release-schedule/#booklist
Congratulations, Kid 2 helped an endangered species procreate! A net positive for nature, even if it wasn’t the precise bit of nature she intended for that pond.
Can’t it remain a habitat for an at risk snake specie?Maybe contact Fish and Wildlife to have them protected? Otherwise neighborhood cats will probably eat or play to death all the babies.
Kid 2 is a good ecologist! Ponds are fascinating places. Maybe Kid 2 can find another good place for Derpy snake.
My friend lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains west of Sydney. It’s a stunning place to live and has abundant wide life.
They have a frog pond with the usual suspects of water foliage, and the frogs serenade all day and night.
My friend was getting the mail one day and heard a weird frog noise that she hadn’t heard before so went to investigate and found the frog valiantly trying to escape from the juvenile red belly black snake’s mouth. The snake eyed her, she eyed the snake and then she very slowly backed away from the pond (red belly black snakes are poisonous but not aggressive – they’ll run away first).
The subsequent conversation with WIRES went like this:
Friend: Hi. There’s a red belly black snake in my frog pond. Please come and remove it to a better home.
WIRES: So you live in the Blue Mountains and you have a frog pond?
Friend: Yes….?
WIRES: And you deliberately put in a frog pond?
Friend: Yes. When are you coming?
WIRES: It sounds like you have a thriving eco system that supports a range of wild life. Thanks for your contribution to the environment.
The frog pond was removed that weekend.
Snakes NOT snacks – lol
Hehe, fixed 😉
😂😂😂
Love!!
I have a totally irrational fear of snakes despite everyone’s insistence, including my dear husband, that some snakes are good to have around. When he told me there was a “large black snake” in the side yard, he added “leave it alone because it gets rid of the mice.” I said to myself that is fine but I need to have a talk with that snake. I went into the side yard and told them very loudly that I accepted their presence however life would be better for both of us if we each respected each other’s space. I will not go into the side yard but they need to stay out of the rest of the yard and (God forbid) the house. The snake must have accepted the deal because I never so them.
Bless you and your children for your natural snake acceptance skills.
Snakerton…. 😂😂😂
LOL! I sympathize with someone who accidentally has 20 to 50 baby snakes.
We once accidentally had 47 hamsters. We started with two hamsters at the end of May for my husband’s birthday. We intended to let them have one litter of babies, but… let’s just say “read your hamster book carefully” is good advice. When school started back in August, we had 47 hamsters.
I am not particularly proud of this, but the woman with nearly 50 hamsters has to do what she has to do. That year at registration (I am a college professor) some of the students were foolish enough to bring their children with them to sign up for classes. I said, “I have free hamsters at my house, all mommy and daddy need to do is get a cage!”
By hook and crook we found homes for all the hamsters we didn’t want to keep. I’m not sorry. Caring for pets as a child builds character. 🙂
Hahahahahahahhahah! Thank you for sharing this most excellent story! I have great love for both frogs and snakes, and a definite admiration for fish. I was worried for a time that the beta would accidentally be placed with the guppies, but lo, this was not the whoopsies. Oh, Texas. I briefly did a stint at UT Austin and the turtle pond was one of my favorite places on campus. I love that such beings can thrive in the outdoors of Texas, though clearly there are downsides for those who are not so excited about them. I have been wanting to add a frog pond to my garden for years. One day I’ll get to it and make a home for the little frogs in my region of Washington.
Thank you again!
My last week consisted of,
day 1, Red belly black snake slowly meandering across the garden behind me going from east to west.
day 2, Turtle deciding to hide next to the house behind some pots once he was discovered by my gsd. Once we stopped paying attention to him, he disappeared.
day 3, no surprises
day 4, blue tongued lizard crossing under our patio area, lizards and turtles hiss the same when faced with a curious gsd 🙂
day 7, found either dead snake or the expelled snake skin next to the compost bin. I still have to go back and investigate this.
I normally don’t leave a comment – here just for the thrills – but this post. It totally inspired me. What a cray cray story! Love it and the love for animals from Kid2 is just sublime!
I found 5 baby tree snakes in my lounge over 2 days, sent a photo to the local snake catcher to confirm
Non venomous and was told that they have clutches of 20-30 and to expect more over the next week as they tried to escape… seriously thought about moving house.
I’m no expert but I don’t think Kid 2 has a Derpy snake. They might have a water snake, which are also non venomous. Cute pictures by the way.
what cute nope ropes
Was Arabella inspired by Kid 2? I could totally hear, “I will take him!” and he’ll be a “bonus” in Arabella’s voice. Also, naming her pond Froggerton. If not, then a Kid 2 inspired character should definitely star in her own series. Took me about 10 seconds to get invested in the fate of the pond.