WARNING !!!! It's a really BIG snake !!!

WOW !!! It's a great Big Python!!!

A Very Big Hello to you all !!!!!

Phew !!!! What a morning it's been !!! It's taken us about 3 hours to catch and release the biggest African Rock Python we have ever seen !!!  
As I passed the couch (outdoor dog couch) this morning, I felt something bump  me on my leg and was horrified to see a snake had just striked at me.  It was Huge and it was Very-Very upset!!!!  
Pythons are constrictors and non-venomous and rarely bite, but when they do, it's treated just as you would any other  wound. But don't let it get a grip and start coiling itself around you!! Boy!!! with a python this size!!! you'll not easily get it uncoiled again!!! It will just squeeze the life out of you, slowly, and with every breath you take!!!!!
This is the dog's couch..... and it's not a small couch by any means......

 
      ...with it's tail at one side of the couch.....

            ...and it's body zig-zagging....

      ....down the entire length of the couch...

....and it's head coming out on the other side of the couch....

....It took 5 people to wrestle it and yes we really did wrestle with it ... 

.... the strength of this snake was utterly surprising..... (hubby is not laughing but heaving !!!!)

....trying to not hurt it, but having to really hold on....

....and trying to get it into a lion crate was exhausting to say the least....

    .....just look at the size of that head!!!!.....

...and during all of this, there wasn't a dog or cat around, they took themselves away - except for one very curious and weary kitty cat.... Bontie, looking on from a great distance, save from her viewpoint on the roof......

....and after a huge, long struggle and a few scary moments, we managed to get it into the crate.... Phew !!!! we were completely worn out......!!!!!

...we released it on the other side of the farm....

              ..... back in the bush .....

                ....where it belongs....

                    .....unharmed and free again....

I wonder how many people started their day like that!!!

Till later my friends!!!! Have a happy crafty week-end!!!!

Love
AMarie
  

And so this family grows.....

             ....And so this family grows.....

 ...... Not with humans - but with animals!!!!

Hello all my friends from all over the world!!! 
Before I start telling you about all the new babies, Monday was Miss Molly's Birthday!!!
Happy B/Day Molly!!! Gosh what a time we had!!! (I always cry on their b/days and this one was no different! I hate the way time flies!!!)

Isn't she beautiful?!!!!!  22 Yikes!!!!!
And to all the Mums who celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday - Hope you were spoiled rotten and remember it's an honor to be a Mother!!!!! 
Here's a special little card just for you, made with love....

Now, back to the reason for this post, baby animals on the farm.......!
Dozer and Lola have became the proud parents of 10 little puppies!!!!! 10..!!! I kid you not!!! 10 !!!!!
It started like this.......

....And then.... well.., we should have known!! 

They are about 5 weeks old and all 10 of them look like their Daddy!!!  Today was their 1st day out and poor Mom had a hard time trying to keep them all together!!!

       ... and then came a tiger cub.....

... called Sir Olaf.... and he knows and demands to be treated as royalty!!!
                            ... and...
We were given a Small Spotted Genet.....and Miss Molly loves it to pieces.....

It lives on her desk and travels around on her shoulder.  Her name is Tjango and she's spoiled rotten!  At night she sleeps in a small pet tent in Miss Molly's room and just look at all theses toys!!!! Good golly Miss Molly....!!!

 and just like that there were 12 extra mouths to feed!!!  Oh, joy!!! 

Just a sneak peek at my next project, I will tell you all about it real soon!!! Promise!!!

Till next time, enjoy your talents, whatever they may be!!

Love

AMarie

Some Creepy & Crawly Critters

And a very big Hello Again...!!

Today I would like to show you all the "Creepy Crawlies" that came out after the last rain.  Some are Creepy and some are crawly and some are just Critters!!! and others are just plain ugly!!!!

A beautiful little chameleon....

Cute tortoises....

Lots of different froggies.......everywhere......
the big, the small and the teeny-weeny....

A beautiful moth....

A very angry little praymantis...

Quite a large and a normal size Shongololo..

 

A basin full of beetles.....(someone left the light on)

Spiders.....
 A Baboon Spider....

and a Golden Orb...

And giant grasshoppers.... with wings!.....

and then there are the snakes....
Please note that we only kill them when they are in or around our house!!!
This is a Snouted Cobra - banded variety - found in Little Miss J's bedroom!  They are extremely dangerous and has a neurotoxic venom that can cause respiratory failure and death!!!   

Note how Roscoe carefully inspects from a distance...... and more than 6.2m long......

This is a Puff Adder, also extremely dangerous - this snake is responsible for the majority of snake bites in our country.  It has a cytotoxic venom that destroys tissue and blood cells - found in the shower!!! 

The African Rock Python is non-venomous and at the least can give you a nasty bite.  We found this one in the maize fields and another curled up in one of our transport crates.  We do not kill them - just relocate them!

and a lovely snake spoor in the sand.... we found it crossing over our spoor on our walk back home......

And now you've seen a little of our Creepy-Crawlies!!!  Do you have creepy things in your garden?  

'Till later my friends
Love
AMarie