Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 33

Today's feeding was over in about five minutes. Odin was the lucky boy who got two pinkies because Coral is shedding.
You might well wonder why Coral would be eating a pinkie, well let me share. Since she's been so finicky with her food lately, that the only way I've convinced her to take her frozen/thawed mice is to first entice her with a pinkie. It works like a charm. But today she was dull colored and blue-eyed. She has gotten so much better, I can pick her up without her squirming at all. I'm pressed at her trust level.
Damascus ate without problem and Talulah did not eat because she had two live pinkies on Wednesday. My sister brought them for Tybalt but he was also shedding. They really should leave me notes so I can plan ahead. I'll start leaving them pen and paper nearby and see how that goes.

Beauty Kings and Queens

That's a fer-de-lance, most certainly not one of my babies, but one I saw today when I went to the Miami Zoo.
Today is my mom's birthday so we decided to spend the day roaming the large and beautiful zoo we have. I think it's the only worthwhile thing Miami has to offer. There are so many animals, so well kept, that it's something to really be proud of in this city.



That one is a bushmaster, the longest viper in the world. I think he or she is gorgeous.



And that's an eyelash viper. They are called so because of the protruding scale above the eye. They have many colorations, but I think my favorite is this bright yellow. It's incredible.

By the way, another of my poems is up, you can find it here: http://berg-gasse19.com/2010/12/29/guilty-conscience/

Pirates and Oranges

That is my escape artist, Damascus. He's looking so much bigger!
He decided he wanted to see what the oranges were, that nifty citrus scent was just too much temptation. He also discovered those figurines my mom gave my sister as a stocking stuffer. Aren't they adorable? She got a set of pirate figures and I got an Egyptian set. Mighty cool, and very detailed. I know, we are grown-ass women but something cute is something cute.
I took Barbossa out this morning and he almost got stuck under the bathroom door. I seriously thought I was going to have to unhinge the screws and bring the door down. I was freaking out, he was freaking out, the whole thing was a bit of a nightmare but I finally managed to slip the largest coil under the door and he slithered free. He then curled up and refused to move anymore. I don't blame him, we had enough fun for one morning.

Gift

Barbossa ate today! Yay! His holiday gift to me and I couldn't have asked for a better one.
Every one is doing wonderfully and all my babies ate except for Tybalt because the man who brings the live pinkies to the wildlife center did not come. He's sick or something, and I guess the world ends when he feels unwell. Don't the snakes in the center have to eat, also?
Human selfishness is unbelievable.

I got a new camera as a gift, so you'll be seeing tons of new pictures. My camera and I are practically attached at the hip.
Oh, I also had some more poems accepted in another literary magazine called Berg Gasse 19. They'll appear soon, so I'll post up the link when they're available.

Happy Holidays

Topkapi wishes you a happy day, from her den to yours!

Winter Celebration

Everyone have a happy evening tomorrow, whether you're like me, a little pagan melting in the Miami heat, or if you are Christian celebrating the birth of your Savior. Eat good food and try not to get into fights with your relatives.
Put a little food out for any animals you see hanging around in the cold and wish them a happy night.

Table-top Musings

I felt it was time to have some more pictures of Topkapi. It's been a while and Her Majesty has been complaining, or she would if she could speak.
I was preparing coffee so I placed her on the kitchen table because trying to make the coffee machine function while I hold her is asking for trouble.
She proceeded to melt me with her cuteness.


Don't you just want to plant a kiss on her nose? Maybe it's just me, then.

Houdini

I found Damascus last night! Yay!
I am so relieved I can't even describe it. He was still in the library/snake room, I think he'd been sleeping in one of the drawers, curled up tight, and as the cool weather petered off he decided it was time to come out. He drank tons of water and is now safely back in his warm home.
I'm going to be feeding him today, I already have the mouse defrosting.
That's all for today, just wanted to share the good news.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 32

I think Coral is getting used to the whole live mouse thing. She now scoffs at my poor offerings, laughs in my face as I beg her to please try the frozen/thawed mouse. Mwhahahaha.
Probably too dramatic, but I can assure you that's what it feels like when she flicks her tongue over the food and violently turns her head in another direction. I'll let her go hungry this week and see if she can get back on the prekilled mice.

Odin ate spectacularly as always as did Talulah. Tybalt did not eat on Wednesday because my sister could not get a pinkie, poor baby.
Topkapi will eat tonight.

Today was a really quick feeding day.

Oh, I've had another poem published so if you're interested here is the website to get a copy: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33481

Movie Star

Just wanted to share Odin in his full splendor. He shed last night so it felt only proper to brag about his beauty. He is also much tamer than when I first got him; now he only tries to chew off one finger, not the whole hand. No, I kid, he is becoming a very sweet animal. Pretty much like any snake, or any animal in general, all he needed was attention and gentle care. He doesn't even hiss anymore when I place my hand inside his cage.
Aren't his patterns absolutely gorgeous? I can't get enough of him.



A close up. He could be a movie star, the camera loves him.
Ok, maybe he won't upstage Brad Pitt, but Johnny Depp? In a pinch.

Bloody Freezing!

It is freezing outside! I love it, but I can't help but think about all the poor reptiles out there freezing. Last year there were a huge number of them dying because of the suddenly cold weather. Poor babies. My home is open if any of you want to slither or crawl here.

Barbossa refused food on Sunday yet again. It's probably the cold, but he's making me a little worried. Two years ago he had a hunger strike and he didn't eat for about three months, but hopefully this is not a repeat. For now, I'll take him out to move around a bit less so I don't waste his energy sources.

Damascus is still not back. He's probably curled up inside a shoe or something (even though I've checked and rechecked) waiting the cold spell out. He's hibernating while I ransack the house and think of hiring a rescue squad.
Mean snake.

Cold Days

That is Barbossa's way of telling me it's too cold. I put him on my bed while I read and after he finally decided to move he headed straight for the covers. Fine with me.

Yesterday I had a lesson so I felt too lazy to write about every eating. Odin ate even though he has blue eyes, he's incredible.
Coral did not want hers so Topkapi got it and ate it with no problem. Talulah ate the pinkie Tybalt did not want on Wednesday so it was a pretty quick feeding day.

I forgot to tell you that another poems was published in a literary magazine. This poem is called "Of a Morning in Hell" and you can find it here http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/blinking-cursor-issue-4---winter-2010/14248491
if any of you are interested.

Photo Op

I just wanted to share some pictures I took of Talulah and Tybalt last night. They have grown so much! I just adore them.
You can see Talulah (she's the white and brown one) flicking out her tongue. You can also see the book I'm currently reading, The Stand by Stephen King.



And another one. Can you stop showing your tongue to the world, Talulah? It's not very lady-like.



And that's a close up of Miss Talulah, which meant I was sitting on the floor and staring at her through a lens placed very close to her face. She did not seem in the least perturbed.
I tried to get a close up of Tybalt but he wouldn't stay still.



Another one, a bit blurred. That's my hand on the left. I can almost hear you, "well, who else's hand would it be?"

Stubborn Snakes

I hope my baby is alright. It was really cold last night and I couldn't get the picture of him huddling in some shoe somewhere out of my head. My poor Damascus.
OK, so Barbossa is officially throwing a tantrum. He refused the two mice I got him on Sunday, still brushing his nose against the glass, showing me where the last mouse bit him. Barbossa, there's nothing there! If I had seen blood or even the tiniest cut, do you think I would have left you to languish in pain? No, I would have put Neosporin on the wound and coddled you even more than I usually do, but there's nothing there! You are fine! Please eat this Sunday.
And I actually killed one of the two mice. It's not pretty and I'm not proud of it but I did it in the attempt to get Barbossa to eat. I thought if it wasn't moving around but still smelled fresh, maybe he'd take it. So I killed it, I won't go into details because I don't want to write it and I'm sure you don't want to read it, but still he wanted nothing to do with it.
I offered it to Coral...nothing. I offered it to Topkapi, but since the scent of other snakes was already on it, my snake queen turned her head away in disgust. It's incredible, a room full of adult snakes and not one of them deigned to take a perfectly good mouse! Argh!

Harry Potter and the Missing Snake

No Damascus yet. I've been keeping the nightlight on so he can make his way to it during the night hours, but so far, zilch.
My dad is in a bit of a panic, afraid to find a snake under every tea cup and sofa cushion, regardless of my numerous comments on Damascus's fabulous personality.
I hope I find him soon.
I will attempt to feed Barbossa today. Hopefully the trauma of being bitten on the nose by the last mouse I offered has worn down enough for him to consider striking. Barbossa, seriously, you're a huge predator!
I have Topkapi on my keyboard right now, so any weird spelling things are purely her fault.

Yesterday I set off to the library after my French class and then to the mall to do a bit of shopping and watch the new Harry Potter. Of course, there was a showing that had started about two minutes before I bought the tickets and the following one would be almost three hours later. I got in line to buy the ticket for the one that had just started. I hate going into a movie after it already began, but it had really only been five minutes, and we usually spend at least ten in previews. So I got in line. There were only three groups of people in front of me, waiting to buy tickets. Not bad, I'd seen worse. But, of course, the mother and two kids in front of me had about a million coupons and promotion codes to try to get the lost price on their tickets. I am not lying, I spent fifteen minutes waiting for them to be done. When I say the fifteen minutes turning to sixteen I said, you know what, forget it, I'll come back another time. Why do these things always seem to happen? It's like something out of a cliched sitcom!

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 31

Damascus is magical. I'm convinced.
It's the only way he could have made it outof his cage yet AGAIN! HOw does he do it? I have so many books, huge, fat textbooks, piled one on top of the other, I don't know how he can lift them. When I find him again, I have no clue what I'm going to do with him!

Other than that, everyone has been in a jolly mood, eating without issue. Odin is the quickest snake when he eats, and Talulah is a ball of sunshine. You can practically see the smile on her face when it's food time.
Coral ate on Tuesday a leftover mouse, and Tybalt ate Wednesday night his pinkies. Actually two.

Where the hell is Damascus?!And why does he do this to me every time the weather gets cooler?
I know why, so I can worry even more. Mean snake.

Quakes and Shakes

I've had a couple stressful days with Barbossa. On Monday, my parents got him three mice on the way back from work. They were three perfectly good, honest mice. But one of them decided it did not want to be pinned down while Barbossa took his time sniffing it, and it bit him on the nose. There was no blood, no gashing wound visible, but Barbossa was having non of it. He swung his head back, think soap-opera melodrama, and refused to even look at the mouse. Or any of the other mice. When I offered him any he would turn around and flee (well, slither quickly) in the opposite direction. I put the mice away in a plastic container with holes, gave them some food and water, and kept them to try again yesterday.
Well, apparently the humiliation and the pain was just too great, because Barbossa was still in a trembly quake. I tried a few more times unsuccessfully and then released two of the mice, keeping the third one for Coral, which she gladly ate.
Oy vey.

In other news, an online magazine has published two of my poems so if you are at all interested please head over to http://www.exercisebowler.site90.net/Issue3.htm, scroll down to the bottom, and the last two poems, "The territories" and "Trojan Horse", are mine.

Hunger

Barbossa finished shedding today so he gets his three mice when my parents come back from work. When I opened his cage to give him water this morning, he raise his head in expectation. Sorry Barbossa, but later, I promise.
Yesterday Topkapi scared me half to death. I brought her out and gave her water, as per usual, and then I handed her over to my sister so I could put some dishes away. My sister wrapped her Topkapi around her neck, which I don't do but why not? A few minutes later, I turn my head and I see my snake baby drooling, long lines of drool. I've seen them do it before, but only when they have the scent of mice close to them. They salivate just like we do.
I freaked a bit, took hold of her and checked her, but she seemed fine. My mom pointed out that my sister had been eating a piece of cold meat and maybe Topkapi had caught a whiff of it and decided she might like to have a taste. I don't know, I guess it could be, but I'm still a little on edge. She didn't do it this morning, though, which is good.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 30

I am a ball of happy right now. Everyone has eaten and is curled up in their cages.
Talulah gave me a little bit of trouble this morning, she couldn't make up her mind if she wanted the pinkie. She struck once and then said, you know what, no, and she refused the mouse. I left her alone for a few minutes and then tried again. This time she took it without issue. Who knows what was going on in her head.

Topkapi just finished eating, gave a big yawn, and curled right back up to sleep. Talk about an easy life. Well, I don't really know, maybe she has pressing business tomorrow morning and needs to get to sleep early. I doubt it, but you never know.

Tomorrow I have no French class because of Thanksgiving, so I get to stay home in my pajamas all day. By the way, if you want to see some of the items that I baked for last night's dinner, click on the link on the right with the name Carabosse's Bakeshop, it'll take you to my baking blog.

Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day!

Hope your bird is in the oven already or you'll be eating at midnight. Mine is already cozied in there, baking away in its sauce.
Yesterday I baked and baked until I thought my hands would always smell like butter, but I am done with that now, desserts at the ready for tonight.

Yesterday I wasn't able to take too many snakes out because of said afternoon chores, but I made it up to Topkapi today by letting her sit with me for about an hour and a half this morning.
Barbossa is still shedding, so he wants nothing to do with the outside world, but I wish you could see Coral. Sparkling and new.

Something amusing happened yesterday morning. I was sitting at the kitchen table when I saw Vinicius chase something across the room. It was a little bird, probably a sparrow. The door was open so the bird flew right out. A few minutes later, I see him inching his way up the door step and into the house. He explored everything, he walked on the floor, stood on the arms of the hatstand, flew to the kitchen. He thought he owned the house. Too cute.

Woe is Me

It appears I have caught a cold. I guess I had it coming after spending 3 FREEZING nights in a tent recently. Oh, well, nothing to do but grin and bear it.

Barbossa is shedding once again, which is incredible. I guess he is eating enough now to be growing every month. So of course he got no mice yesterday, and he's laying very still waiting for his blue eyes to fade.

None of them seem too concerned with my illness. Topkapi looked at me today when I brought her out with a face of disdain "oh, you're sick again. Ugh."
Sorry guys. I'll try my best to get better in the next few days so I don't offend you with my Vick's-vapor-rub-smelling self. I didn't do it on purpose!

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 29

So we are back from the bookfair! My sister and I alre exhausted but full of reading goodies. Honestly I have no idea where I'm going to put all these books. I think the only free place would be under my bed. We'll see.

I fed everyone although I am exhausted because I felt guilty in making them wait. Talulah finally finished shedding and she was starving. I had barely put the mouse in front of her when she pounced in her best imitation of a viscious snake. You're not fooling anyone, Talulah.
Odin continues eating beautifully as does Damascus.
I just have Topkapi to feed in about an hour and I am done!

Gravity Defying Snake...Not

I am sitting on the floor in the upstairs hallway, the laptop balanced precariously on my lap, while I watch Barbosa try to climb the wall. That's not a metaphor for anything, he very literally is trying to climb the walls. Who knows why. He's not having too much success at it, not surprisingly, since he weighs more than say, an ant or a spider. It's not going to happen, shy one.


So tomorrow my sister and I are going to the book fair. It takes place annually here in Miami and it is fabulous! Tons of authors come to speak and you can find great deals on used books. I am giddy with excitement! It lasts until Sunday and I am planning on going all three days. On Sunday I'm going to listen to Lev Grossman talk about his book "The Magicians". I hated it, but I rad it as part of my book club and we all have a question or two as to why it was so bad. I won't actually word it that way because I don't want to be thrown out of the event for injuring the author's pride. We'll see what he says.

Sniffing Roses

Yesterday was my birthday. Yay I am now 25. OK, that's done. The enthusiasm is overwhelming isn't it?

My mom and dad got me a bouquet of roses when they came back from work yesterday, and this morning of course I had to show it to Queen Topkapi. She was not too thrilled about the scent, but I was able to catch her sniffing them.
At least now I know, if I ever want to get her a gift, flowers are not the way to go.
Maybe chocolate covered mice...

Damascus has remained in his cage, surprisingly enough. I half expect him to be gone every morning, although it would take a very strong snake to lift the top of his cage with all the stuff I have piled on it. Still, that's what I thought last time. Only time will tell.

Stop that Train!

Everyone has been doing great for the past few days. All my babies have been at their very best behavior. I wonder what they're planning.

Yesterday, after my French class, I went to the movies to see "Unstoppable". I didn't particularly NEED to see it, but since there was nothing else playing that I'd prefer, I shrugged my shoulders and bought the ticket.
I'm really glad I did. The movie was really cool. I was not bored for a single moment, which is pretty good considering some of the more recent stuff that's been in theaters lately. The acting was good, Denzel Washington was quite funny and endearing, and the whole runaway train thing was pretty frightening.
I don't want to give too much away, but at one point when some cops are trying to bring the train to a stop by shooting at an emergency stop button on the side of one of the carts, one of the characters says that they can't really do that too much because the button is right next to the fuel tank. One guy sitting a few rows ahead of me burst into laughter, which prompted the rest of us to do the same. It was quite an interesting moment. We weren't making fun of the movie, we were making fun of the stupidity of the human race in general. Really, and emergency power button next to the oil tank? Only humans.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 28

Today was a short feeding day. Talulah is still shedding so no food for her. I gave her pinkie to miss Coral, who had absolutely no qualms in taking it. She actually ate wrapped around my hand again. She really feels no intimidation in having me hold her as she swallows.
Yesterday, my sister sent the woman who used to own Coral a picture of her. She texted back saying how wonderful she looked and how much she's grown. I haven't noticed the change because it's so gradual, but it's good to hear.

Damascus ate yesterday and Odin was his crazy little eating-machine self.
Tonight Topkapi will get hers and that't it for today.

Queen Topkapi int the picture of course, enjoying a patch of sunlight. I think she was actually posing. Her profile is so pretty, isn't it?
I'm such a geek.

A close up

Red Lights

Since the weather here has been a little chilly, I've left two red lights burning at night in the snake room. This does not bother them and it provides warmth. It makes the room look a bit like a brothel, but whatever.
Last night, I went into the darkened room to get something and I see Damascus, by the glare of the red light, attempting another prison break.
What the hell is so horrible about the cage you're in, Damascus? Is it me, do you no longer find our relationship fulfilling?
I went to check on him half an hour later and he had retreated into his hiding place to sulk. For now, at least, he resigned himself to his situation.

I also fed him today because he was acting like he was starving. That's what he gets for missing the last meal. He ate with no problem, as usual.

I'm so glad he is back.

Hulkiness

I didn't write that Damascus had gotten lost once again.
When I came back from the festival, I went to feed all my babies...and Damascus was not in his cage.
To me, it was unbelievable. He had I don't know how many textbooks on top of his cage. How could he have made it out!? I have come to the decision that he has magical powers. There. I've said it.
Houdini could have learned a thing or two from my baby.
Anyway, I found him last night, sleeping right next to his cage. What is the point of pulling such a feat and then coming back to the same place you just escaped?
Oh, Damascus.

Now he has 4 textbooks and one HUGE round cutting board on top of his cage. If he makes it out again, I need to get a TV crew here because I have the Hulk living in my house.

Pagan Madness Samhain!

I am back! And in one piece!

Ok, was anyone aware that we were going to have cataclysmic cold this weekend? I knew it was going to be cold, but not THAT cold.
Mainly it was the wind. At one point I was reading in my tent when one of the walls started closing in on me. It was bending under the gales! I had to push it back and hold it. Thrilling moments, let me tell you. I didn't put my book down though, if the tent broke I'd deal with it when I finished the chapter.

The first night I attended the opening ritual, which was moved indoors because of the rain and bitter cold, and then afterwards I went to the meet and greet. This year, the celebration was about The Hunt, which is a Celtic, pagan idea. So for the meet and greet we had to dress up as animals. Give you three guesses what I went as.

For those of you who are on the slow side, I went as a snake. Duh.
It was cool, I used a pair of fishnet stockings to make the scales. I put it over my face and applied foundation and powder over it, then peeled it off and voila I'm a snake.

I tented in the same place as last time and really, I still think it's the best spot. The ants were not horrible, although there were pretty scary looking spiders. Think Harry Potter big running around. I tried not to shriek too much when I would feel one on me.

The main ritual was again a bit disappointing. I don't know what's going on with that group, but they just don't seem to get the rituals on a good level. There's no energy, no buzz to it.
At one point, they wanted to pass out candles to everyone, to burn for the loved ones who are no longer with us. The idea is great, cliched to death (no pun intended) but the image of lots of lit candles is always pretty.
But you have to be realistic when you plan these thinks. So: we had around 800 people standing around in the bitter, bitter cold, each one getting a candle passed to them, then having to line up to get it lit, then having to KEEP the candle lit in the raging winds. None of this is a good idea. In theory, nice; in practice, I was considering throwing the candle at someone so at least we would have a fire to cozy up to. It was miserably cold.

All in all, it was great, as always. I just can't get enough of camping and the pagan community is so nice and easy going. I met some interesting people and saw some people I already knew. It's a nice community feeling. Looking forward to going again.

Chaotic Adventure

That's my camping luggage, as I call them, packed full of carefully selected items that will last me until Sunday afternoon. I am soooo excited!

So this morning my sister and I had an interesting few minutes. The pool guy came and cleaned the pool and obviously thought that closing the backyard gate was too much trouble. I let Chaos and Dublin out, my Rottweiler and Basset Hound. Can you see where this is going?
Dublin s scared of the rain, and it was pouring this morning, so he stayed inside, but Chaos decided it was time to explore.
I went about my morning tasks until I realized, hey I don't have a black nose sticking itself everywhere I go. I looked everywhere, but of course he was gone.
My sister and I set out in different directions through our neighborhood, to see where the hell he was. Fortunately, after walking a block I caught sight of him. I called his name, but he looked terrified, he didn't recognize me until I got a few feet in front of him. He was soaked to the bone and very frightened. He had been hanging out on someone's driveway, hoping it was his house.
Let me show you what he looks like:



Now picture him wet and scared. He looked truly miserable.
He was so happy to see me and our house. It's incredible to me that he was only a block away and had no clue where he was. He could have been in Timbuktu. I was and am quite relieved. From now on, I'm going to have to check the gate every time the pool guy comes. I know it was raining, but buddy, come one, it's not acid, take two seconds and close the door!

Mounting Excitement

Only a few more days until I go camping! I'm going again to the Florida Pagan Gathering up in Altoona. I leave Thursday and will not be back until Sunday. It is going to be so much fun and there are going to be some interesting workshops that I'm looking forward to attending.
I didn't see any bears last time I went, but I have not given up hope. I just rather not see one as it tears through my tent in the middle of the night. I guess I should be more careful what I wish for.


No that's not Topkapi, that's Damascus. Isn't it incredible how much he's grown? Last night I wanted to make him a new hiding place, so i chose a carboard box that was holing some flavored tea bags. My mom helped me and we got it all set, it was cozy and dark for him. Then, we tried to put him inside...and he didn't fit. Astounding. So we had to make him another hideout, this time out of a pasta box.
Big box for a big snake.

Happy Halloween!

Today's the day when ghosts and ghouls come out to play. I hope you have enough candy stocked up!
Today is my favorite day of the year. There's just something about Halloween that makes me supremely happy. It is the Pagan new year, Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), that's part of it, but it also has a naughty gaiety about it that is truly enjoyable.
I am dressing up as Cleopatra and my sister is going as a glitzy Robin Hood, with sequins and everything.
I've been trying to figure out a costume for at least one of the snakes, but you have no idea how hard it is to fashion one when the model has no arms or legs!

I had to feed Topkapi last night because Friday she refused the mouse I offered her. Since I had attempted to give it to Coral, it obviously had her smell on it. Topkapi was shocked. How dare I give her a secondhand mouse?! As soon as she took one whiff of it she retreated into her hiding spot and nothing would tempt her to eat. Yesterday, however, with a brand new mouse she had absolutely no problem.
These animals are seriously spoiled.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 28

Odin ate, even though he has blue eyes. This little animal surprises me more each day, I love how feisty he is! When it comes to snakes, feistiness is definitely a good sign.
Damascus ate wonderfully, like always, as did Talulah.
Coral, on the other hand, is being really picky. She refused once again to take the frozen/thawed mouse. I was hoping that this week she would give in, but no, she felt it was beneath her.
I'm not going to give in that easily either. I'll give her one week without eating, maybe when she feels a little hungry she'll be willing to take the frozen.
Since she is a grown snake, a week is no problem.
We'll see. I do have a hunch I'm going to have to start buying mice for her as well as Barbossa. Argh!

Shenanigans

Topkapi has shed and she looks stunning, like always. I think she knows it because she is preening more than usual.
This morning, when I took her out, I was on the computer. Obviously this offended her because she decided to cause as much trouble as she could. She pressed the keys on the keyboard, she got under the keyboard and lifted it up so I couldn't type, she crawled behind the monitor, and the tour de force, she turned the same monitor off. From the back. She actually unplugged it.
I was shocked, but also in awe of her manipulating skills. I bow to you, mistress.

OK, Mercutio sleeps the whole entire day. I know he's nocturnal, but I expected a little more action during the day. He doesn't even twitch a foot. I checked, multiple times, and yes, he is alive. At least he has eyelids, unlike snakes, so I can see when he's sleeping.
I actually sat by his cage for about ten minutes to see if he was just waiting for me to leave to move but nothing. Of course, now that I think about it, what did I really prove?
Faulty reasoning.

A Creative Snake

I think Barbossa has found his Halloween costume. Now, I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to be. Maybe he's trying to figure out how to turn that into Elizabeth 1st's neck frills, I don't know.

I wish the camera on my phone was better.

Anyway, everyone has been behaving and looking happy. Mercutio is getting used to sharing a room with snakes, and the snakes don't seem to care one bit if he exists. All's well.
He's been eating meal worms, which is great. I didn't want another animal with feeding problems, too stressful.
I want to get a picture of him, but I'm still trying not to handle him too much, until he gets completely comfortable.

A Gecko

So now we have a gecko. Don't ask me why or how, but my mom decided she NEEDED one to survive.
I really can't blame her, he is ridiculously adorable. His name is Mercutio. So now, we have two Shakespearean characters residing in our home. If they start speaking in an English accent we might have to take drastic renaming measures. Somehow I think that's not going to be a problem.

I fed Coral a live mouse today, to get her back on her feeding schedule. She always seems reluctant to eat after shedding.
I've never offered her an adult, live mouse so I wondered what she would do. I was ready with my tongs to pull the mouse out if I saw it get aggressive, or if she got too scared. I underestimated my beautiful Coral.
She is a complete, perfect, predator. It took her about five minutes to strike, kill, and eat. I was so proud.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 27

I had high hopes for Tybalt today. I woke up with the certainty that today was the day Tybalt would take a dead pinkie. Alas, my hopes were shattered. Woe is me.

My sister was unable to get live pinkies this weeks, so I attempted to feed frozen/thawed to everyone.
Odin had absolutely no problem. I think I can stop feeding him live because he seems to have no objections to the mice pops. Which is wonderful.

Tybalt, on the other hand, adamantly refused to even smell the horrible stuff I was putting in front of him. It's not junk food, Tybalt, it's the same stuff you like, just bought in bulk!

Damascus ate fine, and Talulah was the lucky girl who got two pinkies. It's funny, because today I was running late and so I fed her in her cage, not in another container, so while she was eating, her brother slithered by her and she tightened her grip on the mouse. The last thing Tybalt was going to do was try to steal her food when I was pestering him to eat his own.

Tomorrow I have my French class. It's going really well, but slooooooowly. There are some people who are having a lot of trouble, so the teacher has to stop and repeat things. A million times.
If I were her, I would fling my book in the air and storm out of the classroom. Patience is not one of my virtues.
Yeah, I'm not teacher material.

Fowl Play

Both Topkapi and Barbossa are getting ready to shed. I've been submitting them to the spa treatment and they seem to be enjoying themselves.
Well, kind of. When I spread baby oil on Barbossa this morning he had a mini panic attack. Flailing his tail all over the place in fright. You'd think, since I do this every damn time he sheds, he'd get used to it.
Topkapi is not fazed, but that's to be expected when you have a reptile queen in your household. Pampering is just part of the deal.

It's getting a bit out of control on my doorstep. Every morning when I head out for my walk, there is a momma duck with her five ducklings (although by now they are looking pretty big, almost as big as she is) waiting for food. Now, to that waddling crew, add two and sometimes three random cats and you'll get what I find right outside my door. Some of the cats, okay, are looking really well fed so I'm sure that they have proper homes somewhere. They all stare at me with sad eyes. If they could squeeze out a tear, they would. So I go back inside and bring out food.

It's hilarious because sometimes the ducks come back in the afternoon, and to make sure I know they are out there waiting, they start peeping and just making such a racket that I have to go out there to get them to quiet down.
I'm being manipulated by fowl.

A Thanks

I am slowly getting back to normal after the loss of my baby snake. It seems to be a year of loss in the ophidian department. It sucks.

Animals can really bless your life. Even as I grieve for one of them, my other snakes have taken it upon themselves to help me out by being their most wonderful selves.
Odin is a laugh riot, with his posturing and hissing. I swear he thinks he is a Cobra mistakenly stuck in a corn snake's body. Sorry Odin, you'll never be a Cobra. Maybe in your next life.
Barbossa with his many different neuroses; Topkapi with her delusions of grandeur; Coral as Ms. Speedy Gonzalez; Tybalt and Talulah being so adorable I want to cuddle them forever, and Damascus staying in his cage. I am blessed with riches and I thank them all for allowing me to share my life with them.
Big cold group hug.

My Baby, Maat

Maat died last night.
I am still reeling from the shock and the grief. I wasn't sure I was going to post anything today, but I think some things need to be said.

A few days ago, while I was giving her Pedialyte, I thought that she had a bit of grey in her mouth. I had my sister hold her while I opened her mouth, and sure enough, her top palate was teeming with grey patches of skin. That can only mean mouth rot.
Since she has never eaten since I've had her, and I've been extra meticulous with her heating and humidity, it means she's been sick since the moment my mom bought her at PetCo. It really comes as no surprise, but it hurts.

I am just so tired. Tired of going into the pet stores and seeing the reptiles with empty water bowls and looking so dehydrated that their skin has grooves and wrinkles. I am tired of complaining, someone telling me they'll take care of it, and then everything staying the same. I am tired of people taking care of their shoes more than living creatures. I am tired of people buying fancy cases so their iPods don't get scratched but passing by an empty water bowl and not filling it.
I am tired, but I am also angry.
I feel ashamed at sharing genetic code with these beings that, just because they have opposable thumbs, think that the world is theirs and every other creature is inferior and therefore of less value. We, as the more intelligent creatures (although I am seriously having doubts), have a responsibility, an obligation, to take care of those that are weaker and defenseless. This increases ten-fold if we have them in cages. If we have the nerve of putting a wild animal in a cage, the very least we can do is make sure he or she is happy. We (I most definitely include myself) tell ourselves that even though they don't have their freedom, they are at least well-fed, healthy and safe. We trade off freedom for safety. It's not a fair choice, because we are not GIVING them a choice, but it's something that exotic pet owners deal with every day. We can live with it.
We cannot live with the mistreatment of these, or any, animals.
I did everything I could for Maat, but it makes my blood boil that she never had a meal in her short life. She was sick probably from the moment she hatched in whatever hell-hole they keep the eggs, while they wait to make money off of them.
My little baby didn't even have the hope of anti-biotic treatment because, since she's never eaten, the medication would have destroyed her organs. The only thing that I could do, and what I did do, was give her fluids. I'd been injecting her with liquid fuel for the past few nights, but that didn't stop her from getting weak and lethargic. The only consolation, and it's a poor one, that I have is that at least she didn't die alone. Odin was wrapped carefully around her, keeping her company. It's astounding that a little snake, a supposedly "stupid" being, has more compassion and understanding than all the "higher beings" who work in these pet stores.

It is a sad day.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 26

Feeding day! The snakes are excited, I am excited, the whole house is in an uproar. Well, it was, but now they're done eating. You should have been here, is all I'm saying.

Damascus was his fiendish little self, taking the mouse, rolling and constricting. I could almost hear the dramatic music in the background.
Talulah grabbed the pinkie like she had been shipwrecked on an island with no mice (does that exist?)Down the hatch it went.

Although Coral is still shedding, I made the attempt but she was not even remotely in the mood. So that's the mouse Topkapi will eat tonight.

It was a super fast feedin day. No one gave me trouble. I wonder if they read the last few posts about the trouble they were giving me on their iPhones?
Silly, where would they hide the iPhones? I would have seen them.

Odin

I was finally able to get a picture of Odin.
Isn't he gorgeous?
He is a little darker than Maat, has more grey in his scales, but he is a beauty.
He is also what i would call spunky. He strikes at everything and hisses like he just saw some one miss a shot at a basketball game.


Here he is getting ready to strike. You can see him in the "S" position, although he doesn't seem to realize that the person he is scared of is actually holding him. Ok, I'll put the camera down if it freaks you out.
Just wanted to share the beauty that is Odin.

A Mouthful

I fed Barbossa his three mice yesterday.
Why does that snake insist on strangling mulch? He missed the mouse and got a mouthful of wood bark in his mouth and then decided "well, this tastes kind of funny, but if this is what's for dinner, then so be it". Barbossa when has your food ever tasted remotely like coconut bark? I have never slathered the mouse in a tropical sauce or rubbed him against a tree. You're a predator! Get it together!
I had t grab him by the back of the head and pull out the pieces from his mouth. This is much harder than it sounds and should NOT be attempted, EVER. I did it because I know my snake really, really well.
Constrictors have inward-pointing teeth. This helps them hold on to a prey while it struggles. It also makes it incredibly difficult to take away anything that is lodged in their mouths, like, say, coconut mulch.
I had to be really careful because the last thing I wanted was to break one of his teeth. I managed to get all but one piece, which he swallowed. In a snake Barbossa's size, it's no problem, there's very little chance of it getting impacted in his bowels.
He managed to eat the mice without further problems.

Incognito

Odin and Maat are getting along beautifully. They sleep all curled up, like they've known each other since they were born.
I took Odin out this morning, just for a few minutes, but to start getting him used to humans handling him. He was pretty good today, not too scared. I'm dying to take a picture of him to post, but he is still skittish and bringing a camera into the equation would probably not be a wise move on my part.
What I can do, however, is try to get a picture of both of them curled around each other while they sleep. That would be adorable!
*grabs camouflaged hat and rubs dirt on face to fit in to the scenery. Which is a library.*

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 25

Everyone and their mother had to be persuaded to eat today.
Too cold, too hot, not white enough, it's not alive, I'm shedding, I don't eat in the presence of humans...all things that were obviously running through their heads because they all refused to take their mice when I offered them. Jeez. Ophidian gals and guys, I cannot spend my whole morning catering to your requests!
They know I'm bluffing. That's the problem, they know that I freak out if one of them doesn't eat so I run to find whatever he or she needs. They are too spoiled. Period.

Anyway, I attempted first with Damascus. He seemed excited, ready to lunge at the mouse and then ...nothing. He retreated into his hiding place and continued to flick out his tongue from in there. I put the mouse close to his face, nothing. I heated the mouse up in even hotter water, and then he did take it. Sorry Damascus, I didn't realize you need the prey a couple of degrees warmer to please your palate. Spoiled!

Coral looks like she's about to shed, so she is excused.

My sister was not able to get a live pinkie this week, but although Odin behaved like an angel and ate his frozen/thawed one, Tybalt did not even attempt it today. He was not fooled by my impersonation of a live pinkie. Moving it around is obviously not enough to prove it's alive. Spoiled!

Even Talulah gave me a headache. She just did not seem interested. I took her out of her cage, to see if maybe a change of scenery would tempt her to eat, and that made it worse. She got into "exploring" mode and refused to even look at the mouse. So, I put her back in her cage and she finally realized that what was dangling just above her head was not mistletoe but FOOD. Spoiled!

Thus ends the tirade.

Jailer

So, Odin is fitting in beautifully. He is still a bit on edge, but that's to be expected. He was obviously not handled enough while he was growing and that makes nervous snakes even more nervous.
Damascus has remained in his cage, Hallelujah! It seems the maximum security I've provided is working out. Think barbed wire, motion detectors and guard dogs.
Yeah, I'm exaggerating, except for the guard dogs, well, guard CATS, but still. I am watching him like a hawk. Every time I leave the room I point to my eyes and to him in the old "I'm watching you" sign. He must think I'm nuts.

I am baking Challah today.
I am using this recipe:

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp. salt
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cups butter, melted
1 tbsp. water
1 egg

Put yeast in water and honey. Let set for 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, salt, and butter. Slowly add the flour.
Knead and let rise in a warm place for two hours. Knead again. Shape into whatever shape you like, place in prepared pan and let rise 2 more hours. Then beat egg and water to make the glaze.
Spread over the top of the bread. Bake at 375 F. for 35-40 minutes.

Norse God

So yesterday, when my sister came home from work, she brought a little surprise with her. Yes, I've got another baby snake! A beautiful baby corn snake who is now sharing a cage with Maat. He is a little bit bigger that she is, but they are getting along fabulously, and actually, Maat seems incredibly interested in him. Hopefully, when she sees him eat she'll be tempted to follow suit.
His name is Odin. We don't really know if he really is a male, but for now, we'll give him that name. My sister named him. Since we already have an Egyptian goddess, why not add a Norse god into the mix?

He was brought to the wildlife center because he was "too aggressive". OK, this animal is not aggressive, but if you don't know how to handle snakes correctly, then yes he can can get frisky. The family had bought it for their young kid (mistake number one) and the poor snake kept biting him or her.
Snakes are not kid-friendly. At least not for regular kids. If the child is patient and careful, and most importantly, LOVES snakes, then sure, it could work out well. But if the kid just wants a pet, get him something furry or fluffy that will be tolerant of children's behaviours. A snake most definitely will not.

Prodigal Son Returneth

I found Damascus last night. You do not understand the relief I felt and am still feeling. As soon as I saw his little tail poking out of the bathroom door, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. All thoughts of punishment left my head, I mean, really, how can I punish a snake to teach him a lesson, take away his TV privileges?
He drank tons of water last night, which was what I was most worried about, him dehydrating.
I am ecstatic he's back. I just finished feeding him. Now he has four huge textbooks on top of his cage's lid, so unless he's the Hulk, he's not getting out again!

Yesterday I went to see Case 39. I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was. Now, don't get me wrong, it's nothing to write home about, but if you're looking for a good way to kill an hour and a half, then go see it. I was, however, mildly disturbed at how weird Renee Zellweger looks. I know she was never a great beauty, but her face looks so strange, it actually distracted me during her close ups. Oh, well, what can we do?

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 24

I went to feed Damascus this morning and I found his cage empty. I have and continue to be extremely worried. I'm pretty much tearing the house apart, but snakes are tricky. He'll find some hiding place and sleep there during the day, and then move around at night when the whole house is still and quiet.
I have checked everywhere. I started off in the likely places, wherever there's warmth, and the progressed to more outlandish places, inside shoes, on top of bookcases (although I have no idea how he would have gotten up there). Nothing, not a trace. I'm trying to keep the panic down, but I do worry, especially when there's many bigger and meaner animals in the house.

Apart from that miniature disaster, everyone else ate just fine. I have Topkapi to feed tonight and Damascus...whenever I find him.

Strange Activities

Barbossa is pacing his cage. Do you think he is training for a marathon?
Neither do I.

I'm sure he's just looking for a place to poop, which means I'll have to check throughout the day so His Royal Highness doesn't throw a hissy fit.

Topkapi has been behaving really well for the past few days. I'm getting a bit scared of this exemplary behavior. It never bodes well with her.

Last night I offered Maat a live pinkie. I placed it at the opening of her hiding place, moved it around (sorry mouse) and then left it inside. I turned off the lights, since sometimes snakes like to eat in complete darkness. If the mouse were bigger I would never have done this because it's not safe to the snake, but since it was a baby mouse it was fine. I checked on them 20 minutes later and Maat had left the premises. She refused to take it, yet again. I sighed and gave her Pedialyte.

I handed the mouse over to Tybalt who ate it in about three seconds.

Fear Tactics

I took Coral out last night. Mainly because I wanted to see her, but the fact that my sister is scared of her doesn't really hurt. It's quite amusing, because she is not usually scared of snakes, but my personal striped lightning-bolt makes her queasy. Something I take full advantage of whenever I get the chance.

My baby was her usual crazy self, lunging at everything. What I tell my sister is that Coral is a big bluffer. She might lunge at you, but her mouth is closed, she is not hissing and she doesn't attempt to bite. At all.
I'm on to her, so I just hold on while she squirms and does her fear-mongering routine. Now she's also gotten into the habit of moving the tip of her tail really fast, creating the sound of a rattle. You are not, nor will ever be, a rattlesnake Coral. Ever.

Adventures in Dining

Barbossa ate his three mice yesterday. He had problems with all of them.

The first one he grabbed from the middle, so, of course he ended up killing it and then putting it down to rearrange it...and then loosing it. He looked like a guy in a parking lot "now, where did I put that car?" Except he has a superb smelling sense and a tongue designed to pick up exactly where the prey is.
I had to stick my hand in there, which I DO NOT advise anyone to do when a snake is in "feeding mode", but I know my shy baby well enough to know he'd rather chew off his own tail than bite me.
I repositioned the mouse and down it went.

The second one he grabbed by the tail. He's done that before and it takes him a few minutes to realize that the only thing he is constricting is a tail and that he'll get nowhere if he doesn't restrike. Which he did, and ate that mouse also.

The third one he was a little confused on. It was a light brown, spotted mouse. I'd heard before that some snakes are super picky when it comes to even the color of the mice they eat. Some will only eat white ones, others only black ones, etc.
I'd never encountered this behavior before in my snakes, but I saw a little of it yesterday.
Barbossa looked disconcerted. Not sure if it was food or an alien sent to destroy him. After a bit of prodding, he realized it was food and promptly ate him, while I shook my head.

I swear, these snakes will lead me to drink.

Villainous Affairs

I was lazy yesterday and did not post about how the feeding went. Everyone who was supposed to eat, ate. Ta dah! Done.
Now that I look at what I wrote, I'm pretty sure I could have mustered up the energy to write it yesterday, but at the time it felt like a cataclysmic event that I just couldn't bring myself to perform.
Dramatic, aren't we?

Anyway, I went to my French class today, not the most fun I've ever had but at least I'm polishing up my long-forgotten inner French person. Afterwards I stopped by the library and got some books. I picked up The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and an Agatha Christie in French so I can continue practicing.
I then went to the movies to see Devil.

Now, after The Happening, I wasn't sure I would EVER watch another M. Night Shyamalan movie. If you've seen that laugh-riot you understand completely. The wind, people, the wind.

Ok, I saw the previews of this new movie and I thought, unless he's on crack, I don't think he can screw it up too badly. A bunch of people trapped in an elevator, and one of them is the devil. Good, simple scenario. I still went into the theater with trepidation, hoping I wouldn't spend the whole afternoon cursing Mr. Shyamalan.
The movie started...and it was good.
I was so relieved and kind of proud. He managed to redeem himself quite nicely. Good suspense, good acting, some frightening moments and a killer soundtrack.
I left the movie with a new pep in my step, which is surprising after watching a movie about the Devil killing a bunch of people, but don't judge me. I have a soft spot for villains.

Musical Snake

Today's been a pretty dull snake day. I had a voice lesson this morning, so I didn't take Topkapi out. She was not too thrilled. but I made it up to her in the afternoon.
I took her out and placed her around my sister's neck while I finished some muffins I was making. She was playing the guitar (my sister, not the snake, although how cute would that be?) and Topkapi was extremely interested in the vibrations coming off the instrument. She kept stretching herself out to reach the strings. Adorable.

This is what I was baking:

Orange muffins

1/2 cup and 2 tbsp. butter
1 3/4 cups and 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. orange zest
3 1/4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups orange juice

Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, add orange zest. Sift lour, baking powder and salt together. Pour flour mixture in parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the orange juice.
Pour into prepared muffin pans. Bake at 350 F. for 20-25 minutes.

To Be or Not to Be

Damascus has finished shedding and he looks gorgeous!
I guess I am going to have to give the humidifier SOME credit, even if it is reluctantly done. I love having fights with inanimate objects. Sometimes I feel like just throwing a glove at the toaster and challenging it to a duel.

Barbossa is not done yet. I have been placing him in his steam baths and slathered him with baby oil, so we'll see how he ends up shedding. I'm hoping to take him out after I'm finished writing this, so he can soak up some Miami moisture. There is plenty to spare, believe me.

It is getting perilously close to Halloween and I still have no costume. I wanted to be Medusa, because, hello, having snakes in my hair is my job description. But we'll see.
Last year I was Cleopatra, so if anything, I could dress up as her again. I don't know, I am torn. It also has to be a costume that I can pack up and take to the next Florida Pagan Gathering, which is in early November. It celebrates Samhain, which is Halloween in Pagan-speak. I'm so excited, I'm already having dreams of setting up my tent. I'm such a camping dork.

Waddles of Courage

This is not snake related, but I thought it was quite amusing.
A few days ago I step outside with my iPod and as much sunblock on me as I could slather, to go for a walk. I go most mornings, a good 45 minute walk that clears the head but might one day give me sunstroke. So I open my door and I encounter a grey cat and a momma duck with her babies. They were both sitting, patiently waiting to ambush me with heir cuteness.
Of course I went back inside and brought out a big bag of cat food for them. I placed a pile in front of the cat and was about to put one in front of the ducks, when they decided I just wasn't quick enough. They took matters into their own hands.

Cat, what cat?


We laugh in the face of danger!
The cat, however, did not find it too amusing. Is a little respect too much to ask for?

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 23

Some babies ate today, some babies did not.

Damascus of course ate the mouse I offered him. It was a pretty large mouse so at one point I really thought he was having trouble swallowing it. I was preparing myself to jump to the rescue (don't ask me what I would have done if he really was choking, I have no clue) when he managed to slide it down a bit more down his throat. I almost had a coronary.

Maat, say it with me, did not eat. I gave her Pedialyte and checked her for the millionth time to make sure she has no injuries or anything that might give a clue as to why she is being so stubborn. I found nothing, of course.

Talulah ate fine.
I did not offer Coral food since she already ate earlier this week and I don't want her to explode. She looked disappointed, but she'll get over it.

Upgrade!

I'm trying a new thing with Maat. My sister brought an article from the wildlife center about feeding reluctant colubrids, which is what Maat, as a corn sake is. This would also include Coral, but thankfully, she likes her food just fine.
One of the recommendations they give in the article is to check and see if the container the snake is in is too big. Snakes live in dens in the wild, so they prefer smaller, more constrained spaces. For an older snake this is no problem, since they are used to being in captivity, but for a really teeny tiny one like Maat, a smaller cage would maybe make her feel safer.

I have a ton of containers, but none of them are really appropriate. I was standing in the snake room, casting my eye around, when I tripped over an idea. What if I switch Tybalt and Talulah into Maat's tank, and put her in their's? The two siblings are getting chunkier by the hour it seems, so a new tank is not such a bad idea. Maat's is roomier so they might, I say might, be tempted to, I don't know, maybe MOVE a bit. Lazy snakes.

So that's what I did. I scrubbed the two cages and placed fresh paper towels in them. I placed Maat inside her new home and she seemed pretty okay with the move.

Tybalt and Talulah, not so much.
They are still up there bemoaning their fate, but hopefully they'll realize their tank is actually bigger. It's an upgrade, guys!
I know it's hard, but have faith in the human who's been taking care of you for a year. Geez.

Something New

The one and only Coral, of course. I took her out this morning to feed her and I was able to keep a hold of her while I pounced on my phone to see if I could get a picture. Voila.
I decided to feed her today instead of waiting until Friday. She's missed about three weeks of mice, so although a few more days of waiting wouldn't make much of a difference, why make her wait?
She ate in a very interesting position. Today she decided that she was feeling needy, and so she wrapped herself around my hand, as you see in the picture. I placed her in the container where I feed her and put the mouse in front of he. At this point she usually wants to explore all around the container, but today she stayed wrapped around my hand. She didn't bother striking at the mouse, I think she's on to me. Yes, Coral they're frozen/thawed mice., it's better for you than live ones. She started swallowing with the majority of her coils still holding on to me. I thought there was no way she could swallow in that position, but I was wrong. I learned something new toay, snakes can swallow prey in whatever position they like, and the feel of a mouse going down a snake's gullet is interesting to say the least.

In This Desert

Coral finished shedding this morning. All in one piece, good for you Coral! This is because she is super smart and she actually lays inside her water bowl when the humidity levels in her cage go down. My other babies don't quite get this concept, it could get as dry as a desert and they'd still be laying under the heat lamp, waiting for the stupid human to mist their cages.
I gave Barbossa a steam bath again yesterday morning, and I'll probably do it again tonight. I am still miffed with the humidifier, but I'll guess I'll keep trying to use it, leave it for more hours on and see what happens.

I just have one more thing to say for today: it is damn hot outside. I just came back from a lesson and stepping outside is like opening the gates of hell. Truly God-awful. Ok, that's it.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 22

Today feeding time was short. Coral has still not shed so I knew she wouldn't eat. I attempted to feed Maat for the millionth time and she again refused. I ended up giving her Pedialyte. I think she's becoming used to it because she grimaces less. Yes, she actually grimaces.
Talulah ate. I can always depend on her gluttony. Damascus also ate although he was shedding. I love ball pythons, I don't know why everyone says they are picky eaters. I've never had too much trouble.
Tybalt ate on Wednesday night, since he is still eating live pinkies, he has to eat when my sister brings the baby mouse from the wildlife center.

I have Topkapi to feed tonight and that's it for this week.

Tomorrow I have to get up bright and early to go to my French class. It's every Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00 am. It is looooooooong. But at least the teacher is good.

Steamy, Dreamy Clouds

I'm a bit disappointed in the humidifier I bought a few weeks ago. I guess I had a little fantasy going on in my head of me walking into a beautifully steaming room and each snake happy and with a big grin on his or her face.
Not surprising I'm disappointed because I would have to create an alternate universe where snakes can grin to make this dream work.

Anyway, I filled the humidifier with a good amount of water, a pinch of salt, and I plugged it in.
A few hours later and there is only a wimpy stream of steam (ha) making it's way into the room. And which is of course being completely massacred by the air-conditioning.
I placed the humidifier really close to the snakes that are shedding, so hopefully they are reaping some benefits from it.
It also has a night light, which I thought was kind of cool, although I'm sure the manufacturers were thinking more in the way of keeping a child happy, not 7 fearsome snakes who happen to be mostly nocturnal.
Fearsome. Right.

Pillow Talk

That's Topkapi having a nap inside my pillow. I took her out in the morning and placed her on my bed while I put some stuff away. When I finished,I turned around and she was making a bee line for my pillows. I guess it was too early for her.

Poor Coral is shedding and she is looking really dull. More than usual. Her eyes are powder blue and she is also more skittish than she is normally, which is saying a lot. I haven't used the humidifier yet because Coral is smart and she goes and soaks in her water bowl. If on top of that I use the machine she'd get a respiratory infection easily. Hopefully she'll shed soon so she can eat on Friday.

I am baking some Banana Peach Bread, here's the recipe.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas
2 peaches
zest of one orange
2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix the dry ingredients. Put peaches in blender and pulse. Place in a bowl and add mashed bananas. Add zest.
Cream the butter, add eggs one at a time. Add fruit mixture and orange juice.
Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened.
Bake 50-60 minutes.

Bad Characters

A few days ago, Coral decided she needed to make my life a little more interesting. I walk into the snake room in the morning to turn the lamps on and I see Barbossa acting strangely. He's in a weird angle and he looks nervous (don't ask me how I knew he was nervous, I've just had him long enough to KNOW). I look around his cage for feces but I didn't see any. Finally, I lift my eyes and I see Coral with her whole body squeezed between the wall and the back of Barbossa's cage. Somehow, she managed to slide her cage door open and walk over to my poor shy baby's cage to terrify him and me. I guess it amuses her. I put her back and made sure the door was fully closed. She'll probably do it again one of these days, so I'm going to have to come up with some type of lock for the door.
Crazy, crazy snake.

I just finished "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. I did not like this book. People describe it as an adult version of Harry Potter but I actually considered it much more childish than any of the J.K. Rowling books. Adding sex scenes and curse words really does not add maturity to a book. We know, they're teenagers, they have sex and they curse, big deal. I don't feel more grown up reading about it.

The main character, Quentin, is completely unlikable. He is supposed to be an anti-hero, the skinny, tall misfit who makes it into a magical school where he thinks he will finally find what's been missing from his life. Sounds good, right? Predictable and completely done, but good. Well, it's not. I usually root for the anti-heroes but none of the ones in this book had anything remotely interesting about them. The story line, as I said, is nothing new so the least the author could do is make the characters cool. Think of the worst, whiniest, apathetic teenagers you've ever met and then give them magical powers and you'll have the torture Mr. Grossman put us through. It's actually a shame that he chose such poor characters and storyline because his writing style is actually quite beautiful. All he needs is to come up with his own ideas and leave the magic to the professionals.

Ducky

I just came back from a voice lesson. Jesus I am tired.
Tomorrow I have another one and then I'm heading over to see the concert of one of my teacher's students.
Which means I won't be able to feed my snake babies tomorrow. And THAT means that there will be a lot of reptilian attitude to deal with. Topkapi already thinks my feeding schedule is crap so she is not going to be ecstatic about a further delay. They are going to be sooo pissed.

So, my sister brought home a baby duck yesterday from the wildlife center. We are going to find him a momma duck who'll adopt him. He is just the cutest, noisiest, most huggable thing in the world. I'm a bit concerned that he'll get seriously imprinted on humans, but we're doing what we can. I can hear him peeping for attention as I write this. Must..resist...the...cuteness.

The Chosen One

I can't believe I caught these pictures. Seeing Barbossa yawn is seeing something unique, sacred, something that the ancients have whispered about around campsite bonfires, something only the very brave and very lucky ever see.

Ok, that's a tad bit exaggerated, but who knows, maybe someone somewhere is rejoicing and exclaiming "Finally the prophecy is fulfilled!".
It could happen is all I'm saying.




He is hilarious. My other snakes just open their mouths and yawn, simple and to the point, but Barbossa takes it to a whole other level. First, his whole face starts to twitch (the first time I saw this I thought he was having a stroke), then he lifts one corner of his mouth followed by the other and finally opens his mouth as far as it will go. I wasn't able to get a picture of the full extended jaw, because my camera was being an idiot, but you get the gist.

Religious Freedom

I went to see "The Last Exorcism" yesterday. I am a sucker for scary movies, if you haven't realized it by now. My sister wasn't working so I asked her if she wanted to go with me to the movies, but she sheepishly said no. She, on the other hand, is really terrified of scary movies. Fair enough. I went by myself.

Overall, I liked the movie. It is not nearly scary enough, but it is an interesting premise.
The main character, Reverend Cotton, was a child preacher who grew up so used to the whole idea of God that he found himself an adult lacking faith in his own preachings. He had performed tons of exorcisms, but believed in none of them. The whole movie is filmed documentary style, with an actual cameraman following the Reverend along while he tries to show the world that exorcisms are scams and that the people who perform them are frauds.
We follow him to a house in Louisiana, where a young woman has been supposedly possessed by a demon. I don't want to give anything away, beacuse it is a movie worth seeing, but there are several twists and turns that I, as the audience, didn't see coming and which were quite refreshing.
I was, however, a little disappointed at the ending. That's becoming kind of the norm these days, and I am left wondering why. In a lot of the books I've recently read and in a lot of the movies I've recently seen, the endings seemed to be thrown together at the last minute and held in place with clothepins. I can imagine the writers and directors praying to their respective gods that no one would blow too hard on their creations and unravel them.
The ending was crap, which sucked because I really liked the movie.
Something else that bothered me was the use of magical symbols in the ending scenes.
As a pagan, more specifically a ceremonial magician, I was a bit on edge when I saw pentacles and triquetras drawn on walls as symbols representing the devil and Satan worship. An upside-down pentacle is not a problem because that truly is the sign of Satanists, but when you put a right-side up one next to it, you're bashing my religion. I am not a Satan worshiper because I don't believe in Satan or Jesus. I respect everyone who does, however, and I would never go around misusing THEIR religious symbols.
Maybe I am being too picky, but my religion has been persecuted by every other religion for a very, very long time, and I don't think we need to give the Christian and Jewish fanatics out there more ammunition. They already call us Satan worshippers, blasphemers, evil, damned, etc. I have people making the sign of the cross at me when I go walking around my neighborhood with my pentacle on. Why should I be accosted like that when they get to wear their crosses and Stars of David whenever and wherever they want?
Please do your research before you use one of our symbols.
Thus ends MY preaching.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 21

Today was feeding day from hell. All the snakes had some problem or other with the food item I provided.
I started with Coral, who usually does not give me any trouble. On the contrary, she was getting so chunky that I put her on a bit of a diet, but she had refused a mouse last week so I was a bit worried when she didn't take one today. I pestered her a while, and then I brought out the live pinkie I had saved from Wednesday. My sister got me two from the wildlife center and Maat didn't eat hers, so I kept the baby mouse alive until today. It is a ridiculously small item for Coral, but I thought maybe if she sees it moving she'll be enticed to take it. I was not disappointed.
I then tried again with the frozen/thawed mouse, but she did not want it. I hope she is not going to throw a tantrum and only want live mice.

Then, it was Damascus's turn to be picky. Something about the fuzzies I offered did not please him. I do not know what, they are the same I always give him. He finally ate one, but ignored the other one. Since I had a leftover adult mouse I decided, hell why not, and placed it in front of him. If someone ever tells you that snakes don't have expressions you can tell them I told you they're liars. As soon as his tongue flicked and picked out the new scent his eyes seemed to widen in surprise. You could almost hear him thinking, "now what is this delectable smell?" (in an English accent, because that's how I think of his voice).
He took it and ate greedily.

Talulah also gave me trouble. I had to pretty much bribe her to take the fuzzie. She did eat it, but still what the hell was going on? Was there a hunger strike I was not aware of?

Maat, of course, continues to refuse food. I have tried absolutely everything. I have written to many forums and I have tried every suggestion I was given. Nothing.
I did try something new today. If you are squeamish, though, I highly recommend you get far away from this post.

Ok, when I realized she was not going to eat the fuzzie and that I would have to give her Pedialyte again, I had an interesting idea. What if I open the thawed mouse, take the organs out, the blood, and the brain matter, crush it as small as it will go and then mix it with the Pedialyte? I could not think of any reason not to do it. So I went to action. I am not sqeamish in the least, which is a good thing when you own snakes, so I had the mouse open and was crushing and mixing in a matter of seconds. I took Maat and started giving her the concoction with a syrynge. She was not that happy about it, but at least I know she got some mouse nutrients on top of the stuff provided by the Pedialyte.
Alright, you can stop gagging.

Apocalypse NOW

It is looking really ugly down here. I've checked the clock repeatedly because I can't believe it's only 5:30. It looks so dark outside.
Of course, our basset hound Dublin, is in the middle of a panic attack, and Chaos is patiently working on ignoring him.
When I took Topkapi out this morning I put her on the kitchen table while I put some dishes away. She started slithering around, flicking out her tongue, nothing out of the ordinary. I kept going with the dishes and when I turn back around she was on the floor. How did she get there that fast? I didn't hear a clunking sound, so she didn't fall. She must have acquired superpowers while I wans't paying attention, OR she is the world's fastest snake. Either way I have a famous snake in my hands.

I was planning on taking Barbossa outside today but the apocalyptic look of the sky otside does not bode well. I'm sure that as soon as I put him outside and sit to start reading we'll both get soaked. Miami weather, ugh.

Belly Scales

This is a perfect example of the crazy stuff Topkapi does on a regular basis.

I was sitting, using the computer and of course I have my snake queen on my lap. I was engrossed in whatever I was reading and didn't notice that she was slowly slithering off.
When I realized "hey, where's the snake I had on me?", I shifted my eyes and saw her doing this. Whatever it is.


I'm pretty sure she was trying to scan her belly, but you would have to ask her.

In other news, my sister and I are going nuts trying to catch lizards for Maat. I read in some web pages that corn snakes can sometimes be enticed to eat if the prey item smells like a lizard. Which is all well and good, except where the hell am I going to get a lizard from? Hence the backyard chase sequences we've been stars in. Those little buggers are really fast.

Reasons for Sibling Homicide

I'm going to kill my sister.

OK, you probably need a bit more information. For a few days now, pretty much since the commercials started, she's been bugging me to go see "Vampires Suck". She wore me down and I agreed to go see it. I had to go to the library yesterday, so I invited her to go afterwards.
I just...I don't know where to begin. It's a bit hard to make fun of the Twilight movies because they are ridiculous all on their own, so I really can't blame the parody too much. But seriously, did this movie really need to exist? I could have happily lived out the rest of my life without having experienced it. Again, the same goes for the whole Twilight thing.
And people were actually laughing all the way throughout! It was not funny, none of it! Halfway through I was seriously considering how I could manage to hit myself unconscious so the time would pass quickly.
I will give my sister credit in that she also did not laugh once. As soon as the credits began she and I made a bee line for the door, regardless of the little clips in between the names. That, at least, calmed my urge to throttle her for making me sit through that.
The one thing about the movie that was moderately amusing was how the main actress did a perfect imitation of Kirsten (or however the hell you spell her name) Stewart's psychotic mannerisms.

Please, I urge you, do not, I repeat DO NOT see this movie.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 20

Maat is driving me up the walls. I am really concerned.
My sister brought 2 live pinkies on Wednesday, one for Tybalt and one for her. Tybalt ate his of course, she did not. So I had an extra baby mouse on my hands. I decided to keep it for a few days, to keep trying with Maat. So, I took care of it for two days and nights. For me this really sucked.
Do you understand how cute a baby mouse is? I had to give it milk with Pedialyte every four hours and I had to keep him warm, but I also had to keep myself detached, because he was destined to be eaten.
I tried again today and again Maat did not want it so I decided to give it to Tybalt since he is the only one who eats live pinkies. It was horrible.

Damascus ate fine as did Talulah. Coral was really moody today and she did not want her mouse. Maybe she's pissed I put her on a diet.

I baked some cookies today. They are double chocolate chunk, yummy.

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
8 ounces chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 F.
Melt chocolate with butter. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla extract.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa. Add to chocolate mixture.
Place in prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Moria

Something quite amusing happened a couple of days ago. I came down in the morning and sat at the computer to check my email. I started noticing that my rottweiler, Chaos (and there's never been a more appropriate name in the history of dog ownership) was trying very hard to get my attention. He tends to do this often though, for any reason whatsoever, like a little child wanting to show you something interesting. So, I tried to ignore him. He really kept insisting, though.
Finally, I followed him to see what the hell was so important. Well, our basset hound, Dublin had one of the tortoises in his mouth.
This tortoise is one of my mom's favorites. Her name is Moria and she is a box turtle. Way too cute for mere words.
Well, anyway, she has a habit of crawling out of her cage. She lifts the grate covering it and just walks out. She did just that and Dublin decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
The poor reptile was scared out of her mind but otherwise uninjured. I guess that teaches me to pay more attention to Chaos's warnings.
Moria now has some heavy clay items weighing the top of her cage down.

Talking Dogs and Sulking Snakes

Maat continues to refuse food. I am getting close to a code red. I'm going to try again with a live pinkie on Wednesday, but if she doesn't take it I might have to give her fluids. She's just so damn little.

My snake room/library had a bit of a makeover this past weekend. The desk has been moved around, and so has Damascus's tank. Barbossa, although the change did not apply to him in any way, is throwing a little bit of a hissy fit. He does not like where the desk is and he lets me know it by somehow managing to move his basket so that it is facing the wall. Now, he is curled up in there, refusing to even glance at the rest of the room.
Well, I might be exaggerating a bit, but he really is annoyed.

I finished reading "The Dogs of Babel" by Carolyn Parkhurst. I was pretty sad that I finished it so quickly because it is a truly gorgeous book. When I picked it up I wasn't sure if it was really my thing, a man that tries to teach his dog to talk so she can tell him what happened the day his wife fell from a tree. A bit too sci-fi for me, or so I thought. Actually, the book is written in a very careful way, toeing the line of the believable in very artfully. I'm very glad I picked it up, and I want to read more stuff by Ms. Parkhurst

Weird Week

It's been a weird week. I haven't been feeling my best, which is why I haven't written as often as I do. My babies have been great, doing their usual stuff, it's just me who's been a bit off.
I fed them yesterday. Well, I fed some of them. I tried again with Maat and still she won't eat. She seemed interested for a few seconds then changed her mind about eating. I tried and tried but she wanted nothing to do with the pinkie. I ended up giving her some Pedialyte drops instead. At least I know she is getting some nutrients.
Topkapi ate, as did Damascus. You know, I always read that ball pythons are picky eaters, but I've not had a single problem with either one of them. I really recommend them as a first snake.
Talulah ate. She was very funny yesterday. I grabbed her and positioned her to take the pinkie. She struck, let go, and then struck multiple times, as if she were a venemous snake. She then proceeded to constrict the dead pinkie. She's never done that before. I guess she was feeling frisky.
Tybalt was still shedding so I didn't feed him.
By the way, I did end up buying the humidifier, so I will be using it the next time the snaked are shedding. Since I have them all on the same feeding schedule, they usually shed at the same time, which is good.
I did not feed Coral, because, although I hesitate to publicly announce this, she is looking too chubby. I've had to put her on a diet, so I'll be feeding her every other week instead of every week.

I finished the last Dark Tower book in the Stephen King series. I was devastated by the ending. Don't worry, I'll not give anything away, but really it was astounding. A lot of people complain about the way it ends, but, although I was surprised by it, I think it was really the best ending possible. If you haven't read the series, I highly urge you to do so.

The Spa

I just finished a VIP spa treatment for Barbossa. He is shedding, and he looks like a mess. Something's going on in the snake room/library because the air conditioning seems to be sucking all the moisture from the air quicker than it used to. I even have a window slightly open to let in some of this perfect Miami humidity, and still my babies are having trouble shedding. I spray them pretty much every hour but it doesn't seem to be working. I might have to resort to drastic measures: put all the tanks in the garage (I don't even want to ponder the outrage Topkapi would feel), or I could get a humidifier. One of those portable ones. I used to have one, that I took with me when I was auditioning for music programs. I went up to North Carolina, it was freezing, and the hotel room's heating would have dried my voice out completely if not for the humidifier.
The problem of using that is that not all my snakes shed at the same time, so I would be increasing the humidity needlessly for some of them, therefore putting them at risk of getting respiratory infections. There is no easy solution. Aaaaah!

Well, anyway, let me explain what the spa treatment consisted of. First I soaked Barbossa in the bathtub for a few minutes. Probably five, because he did not want anything to do with the water and he was getting very scared. Then I placed him on the bathroom floor and turned the shower on at full blast at the hottest it would go. This, of course, creates steam. My mom and dad used to do this for me when I was little because I suffered from pretty severe asthma attacks. My dad would sit with me in the sauna that was the bathroom and made me breathe in deeply. If you suffer from any breathing problems, I recommend it, it really helps (if you can add some eucalyptus leaves to the water, even better). I still use it today when I get sick and feel on the verge of breathing trouble.
So today, I did this for my little shy boy. He seemed to like it.
I sat with him for half an hour, I read while he walked around. Then I put lots of baby oil on him and misted his cage to the soaking point. He seemed to be having less trouble right now getting rid of the leftover old skin, but I'll see. I might have to repeat the whole procedure.