Snakes on the move

 

 

Spring is the time for the annual "snake migration" in Illinois. 

In the spring, snakes go traveling, on a quest in Southern Illinois The Forest Services says that short stretch of road offers the chance to see a diverse array of not only snakes, but other reptile and amphibian species. “About 66 percent of the amphibians and 59 percent of the reptiles known to occur in Illinois are found here,” the Forest Service says of snake road during the migration.

Science is amazing, life is amazing. God, who created them all and set things in motion, is beyond amazing.

smlagrange.wordpress.com

 

Snake migrating: A yearly gathering in Southern Illinois

Common names of some of the species you might encounter on or near Snake Road include:

Spiny Softshell

Northern Red-Bellied Snake

Spotted Salamander

Chorus Frog

Slimy Salamander

Broadheaded Skink

Eastern Hognose Snake

Red Milk Snake

Midland Water Snake

Western Ribbon Snake

 

The list above is a partial listing of snakes in Illinois. It is estimated that 70% of American snakes live there. 

Notice that lizards and turtles are there as well, to snack on the baby snakes. Also, they would be lunch for snakes. 

My son is an entomologist who did his graduate work at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. One event he arranged for undergrads was to take them to view the "Annual Snake Migration in Southern Illinois".  

I had never heard of the migration, thought it was something made-up. He described this with great enthusiasm and their one overnight campout went without any mishaps. 

He spoke of making another trip where hunters nailed dead squirrels on to  trees in this forest. This is now considered to be an urban myth, thankfully.

 

Southern Illinois is the top place for migrating snakes

to hook with its species.

 about 1+ min. long

 

 

about 2 minutes long

 

Many many sites are about the annual Snake Migration in Illinois, which quite an event.  Tourists travel to observe this! Would you?

 Any amazing % of the American snakes live in Illinois.

 

For anyone wanting to finding out about this can

go to: Snake in Illlinois 

Tim Conway's Mastery of Making People Laugh

 

Being born in 1950s, my generation were privileged to be in front of the TV, glued to the offerings at that time.

So many changes happened in those years.  Comedians became a big part of any variety TV shows like The Carole Burnett Show.   Tim Conway? Oh, my.  That man was gifted. 

What could he do? Tim Conway simply walked on the stage, with a slight limp.  That sends him off to something...and the audience goes wild.

    

                               The famous elephant story         

                                    The Koala story

 Falling down the stairs

 

Watch these if you have 2 - 4 minutes.   You'll see just how amazing Conway was.  Once he read the audience and his co-stars, he would take off on improvisation that went way off the boards.

        

Being a Hover-er

 

    It is a matter of hovering that bothers me. 

Throughout parents’ lives, we watch our babies become children, then children becoming teenager (God help us), and teenagers moving onto different stages of life.  Then they complete a circle, which is repeated for millennia.

I have been and still am a hover-er.  Children, etc., grandchildren, and my husband.  He resents my hovering, but there it is.

 

As a teacher, one can see hove-ers all over the classroom.  I can understand certain issues that need a hover-er.  But there are other issues that prevent a student from being able to grow as a student.  Oh, well.  That was in the past.

See this lilac plant, hopefully growing to be a bush?  I have hovered over him for nine months.  Planted in bad soil.  Desert heat.  Lack of water.  Replanted in good soil.  Cold winter winds.    

 And now?  He just might make it.

 

See this geranium?  When we moved here in August, this was dying, with stems drying.  Lots of hovering to bring her from the brink of death.

Now, my adult kids are hovering over us.  I hate it.  But I can understand why they are the hover-ers  Are we on the eve of destruction?

It’s a circle of life thing.

 

Lost dog?