Snakes Galore!

While much  of the work of an association manager is what you would imagine, much is not.  Being a mother, especially the mother of teens, makes for great training in multitasking and on guard for the completely unexpected. 

Today was no exception as I pondered whether I truly work for a management company or for a wildlife show.

The rain stopped and the sun tried to come out, and along with the sun, the snakes and critters appeared. First I came across a green snake.  He was stretched out nearly the whole width of the path and right in the center of it.  I debated the best way to get past him, with the most obvious choice being run like hell, but instead I tiptoed very, very slowly around him.  Disaster averted!  Turned around looked back, he didn’t flinch and didn’t seem that scary after all, so I proceeded to take a photo.

Next stop was the pump house, where the sound of the fire alarm panel called to me like a siren calling a sailor at sea.  Took care of that issue and was crossing the bridge to the breezeway.  I think a troll would be preferable to what I discovered there!  First was big, fat snake, later identified to me as a water moccasin.  After feeling a little more confident from surviving my encounter with the green snake, I leaned over the bridge for a better photo.  Apparently, they are much more sensitive to movement than the green snake.  As the green snake never budged, and if it had eyelids wouldn’t have blinked as I tip toed around him.  Nope,  Mr. Poison Fangs started moving...FAST.  I almost dropped my phone on him.  Not sure how I would have explained my need for a new phone to my company, but one thing is for sure, I would have NOT gone in after it.  

By now I’m on full snake alert, and with no time to spare, as before I could finish crossing the bridge I saw another snake.  Look in the very center of the photo, he must not have liked the moccasin either, because he was pretty camouflaged and curled up like a tight little dog turd pile.  Found out he is a ribbon snake.

I haven’t even really started walking the property well and all systems are on alert.  A rabbit darted behind the condos and I told him he needs to stay away because I’d hate to see him eaten by a snake.  By the way, he was the highlight of this adventure as pretty much the only critter I had no fear of being bitten by and the cutest.

Once on the boardwalk I started to settle down a tad, until this huge black snake slithered past me.  By this point I text my admin and ask her to please talk quietly when I get back to the office as I’m jumpy and hoping not to develop any minor version of post traumatic stress syndrome.  This snake went under one of the ground level balconies. 

I finally reach the back of the A building and run into an owner.  Who asked me how my day was going. I replied, “It’s been pretty full of snakes.”  He actually had the gall to laugh at me.  Well he shouldn’t have laughed too long, because as we walk back toward the breezeway, my already tightly wound nerves and senses saw and heard movement on the edge of the boardwalk.  I hate to admit, that though I tried to fake it as a dance move, I’m pretty sure I nearly knocked him off the board walk.  This particular creature I had never seen in my life before.  The best way I know how to describe it is that it looked like the outcome of a jellyfish and a salamander breeding.  Gross.  Slimy.  Entirely icky.  Then noticed said resident was barefoot.  I commented on that fact and was told the animals were as scared of me as I am of them.  Based on my heart rate at that moment, that was quite debatable.  

After spending most of my day on site, I was relived to head back to the office, pack up and go home.  My joy was short lived as I received a phone call to go to my other property, where a turtle was reported. 

Was told that maybe it was “lost” on its way to the beach to lay eggs.  Knowing that I’m now a state-certified volunteer with the local sea turtle group, I was called to “rescue” it.  While I knew no sea turtle would be up on this side of the dunes, I proceeded over there.  Found a non-threatening looking Eastern Box turtle, who seemed stuck against the fence.  I picked him up and moved him to a better location.  While carrying him, a dog came running up to me and start licking me.  At this point, I’m pretty pleased with white, fluffy, little dog kisses.  His owner came around the corner and called him away.  I let her know he was just checking out the turtle. 

So, I survived the day.  And don’t tell me you had a crazy Monday, unless you also had encounters with four different types of snakes, three bizarre amphibians, one rabbit, one turtle, and one dog.  The idea is flitting around my head to ask my company  for hazard pay and I no longer consider this an “office job.”

Now it’s time to go convince my dog that all is ok, as he is captivated by whatever critter smells I brought home on my shoes and pants!

Until my next adventure, which typically is at the very least a weekly occurrence…..