Just a wee little friend in Just in Case

We actually had a sunny day today, with no rain (well, a shower popped up this evening), but it was sunny all day. It was also HOT. I was going to mow early, but the mower wouldn’t start. So I tried doing a quick jump, but that didn’t work, so I left it charging and would go out every 5 minutes or so and try cranking it. In the meantime I loaded the trash that has not been taken in a couple of weeks because of the rain. (We have to haul our trash to the dumpsters. There’s no trash pick up. :( ) I finally was able to get the mower to crank, so I sat down, pulled the music up on my phone, found the play list, got the cords straight…basically sat on the mower for about a minute before starting. I backed out of the carport.....and a snake ran across right after I got out. All I could see was black because he went into the very high grass. (The yard hasn’t been cut in a couple of weeks because of the rain - and the rain has made it nice and thick!) I got to where I could see him and I had run over his tail. :( The blades were not engaged yet. He looked like a coach whip - about 4 feet long - black body and red tail. They’re not poisonous, but they’re not the friendliest of snakes either. I tried to corral him to the woods with the mower, but he made it to the shed. So I got off, got a rake, and started trying to pick him up with the handle. It did not work. He wasn’t very happy with me. (Not that I blame him) but I mow all around the shed. It’s not the safest place for him. He tried climbing the wall of the shed and got mad when I brushed him off. He finally hid in some pavers the landlord left here. I never saw him again, but I hope he’s ok. He had a bloody spot on his tail. I just hope the fire ants don’t get him. I don’t know if he was under the mower and stayed during all my messing with the mower, or if he was under something on the carport. (It’s barely a carport. I don’t know if my small car would even fit, if I could park there. The mower takes up pretty much the whole thing.)

I get to watch the eclipse with my students Monday. We are in the outer part that will see it. We should get 70 - 75% coverage. The kids are so excited! I was lucky enough to get glasses donated to the school, and they are official eclipse glasses. I hope all of y’all who are in the path get to watch it Monday. If not, NASA is live streaming it. (We’ll watch that, too, since we aren’t in the path of totality. We’ll see full coverage from somewhere else.) Here’s the website in case anyone wants to watch:
https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive-info