I'm On Snake Watch

This was my last chance to see the coyote pack.  I've determined they only come around every three days. Since their territory is usually 10-15 miles wide, I can certainly see why I don't see them more often.  It's also due to the rain.  There are lots of water pockets around the area.  In the summer when those dry up, they will hang out by my house more often.  

Mother Nature put on another great show.  She never disappoints.  This time a completely different looking dress graced the mountains.

These three images were taken one minute apart.  I love the way the dark clouds slip over the top of the mountains underneath the orange sky.

Two minutes after this click, it all disappeared.  

It stayed overcast and rain-looking all day long, but not a drop fell down that I saw.  What I DID see was an unusual number of trains going by.  Literally one after another going both ways.  That can make for some gigantic traffic jams since I live between two railroad tracks with two nearby schools.  

As you can see, the trains are closer than they look in the pictures I take outside.  All this heavy traffic and rattling rails results in things shifting under the house.  

Although this is a permanent house, the floors can move enough to cause cracks in the walls.  That requires leveling every couple of years.  

They said between 11 and 2.  Nothing like messing up your entire day with waiting ... and waiting.  The good news is it gave me a chance to medicate Cooper's foot.  Oh yes ... I took the bandage off to discover they had wrapped it so tight, his claw cut another nice little hole in his pad.  Mama Nancy wasn't too happy about THAT!  I've been nursing his little foot ever since.

It's better now, but he wants to lick it constantly.  It's been a real problem.  Waiting gave me a chance to just sit on the couch and make sure he left it alone.

Finally ... with a break in the action, I headed out to put water in the rig.  Honestly, I don't know why they make this so difficult.  Why not just one pipe for water?  Why do you have to move FIVE valves around to fill the tank?  I have to spend way too much time thinking about what I'm doing so I don't mess something up.  

Once full, you have to open the hot water faucet and wait about four minutes for the water to fill the hot water tank.  That of course pushes all the air out the faucet and scares me to death.  Same goes for the kitchen faucet ... which MUST be open when filling the tank.  It's a lot to remember, especially at MY age.

Finally two nice pickup trucks showed with with not one or two, but FOUR good looking guys!!  Wow ... how did I get so lucky!!  After getting gussied up for claustrophobic work, they all went in the same access hole and began crawling around.

Cranking noises could be heard as they tightened up the jacks that keep the floors level.  They also take pictures of all the holes in the vapor barrier and offer a price to repair same.  Five years ago that estimate was $300.  On this day it was $850.  No thank you.

Then they said the jacks are at the top of the bolts and should be replaced with taller ones.  Hmmm that's one I've never heard before.  That would cost $125 each.  There are TEN jacks.  YIKES!!  Maybe we can do a couple at a time ... LATER.  I'll have to do a little more investigation into that suggestion.  Maybe a block underneath each jack?

Suddenly the head guy went running around the garage.  Uh oh ... he came back with none other than a SNAKE STICK.  You know, the kind with grippers on the end to catch snakes?  "Did you know you have snakes under there?"  

Uh no ... well I did catch one in a rat trap once ... but I have seen them in the yard before.  Did it rattle??  He passed the stick under the house.  No rattles, but there are apparently not one, but TWO snakes hanging out having parties under my house.  My guess is they are the rare Sonoran Lyre snakes I've found in my back yard before.  Although they will give you a nasty bite, SUPPOSEDLY they won't kill you.  

In no time, all four guys were out from under the house with no snake.  They couldn't move fast enough to catch it.  I know the feeling, since I chased two around my back yard with no success.  So that's good news, right?  Beware the snakes.  Maybe they will eat the rats and mice.  It's a little unsettling though.

I spent the rest of the afternoon making sure Coop didn't chew on his foot as I watched two weather channels on my phone.  I'm on weather watch to be sure there isn't a lot of wind when I get ready to leave.  

I'm also watching for snow over Tehachapi.  If there is any in sight, I'll just hang out in Quartzsite until it's gone.  For right now ..... I'm on SNAKE WATCH!