Strawberries, Snakes and Firemen - Just another Saturday really

So it was one of those days that began quietly enough, tidying up the strawberry patch -

Which looked like this...

And now looks like this...

Found quite a few strawberries, not that anyone else in the family knows that.  The snails have been making off with a lot of them as well, so have sprinkled snail bait about the place.  I am organic in all things but when it comes to snails I have to put out bait (also use Round Up to kill couch grass and oxalis) otherwise I'd never get anything at all.

Mornings jobs ably assisted by Miss Pepper or Empress of the Front Garden as she prefers to be called...

And somehow ended up with a visit from the Firies.

OH OKAY, technically they were next door, but it was us - well more specifically me - who spotted the 1.5m red bellied black snake making its way from our chicken coop through a hole in the fence to next-doors yard.  Perhaps spotted is putting it too casually, I was contemplating the planting arrangement for my new bed under the liquid amber when the snake glided past, not two metres away from me.  I'd been standing very still for quite a while and the snake had no idea I was there.

I watched to see where it went, then sent hubby next door to make sure Louise got Ebony (her Kelpie) in (though in a fight my money is on Ebony to be honest).  Louise rang the firies - our local ones are all trained snake-handlers and they turned up within a few minutes to check things out.

Of course no sign of the snake. SIGH.  Bloody hell I wish they'd got it.  But they did check under our cubby and other likely places with no luck, so chances are the snake is making its way back from whence it came. I hope.

The main consequence of all this is because the snake was attracted to rodents, which in turn have been attracted to the chook food, we have to come up with better chicken accomodation.  Funnily enough we were planning to move the chooks into a new palace this weekend anyway.  Presently their coop looks like this...

Yes, an eyesore.  The whole arrangement hasn't been working for me for a while.

But, hubby had a brainwave.

You see we have this useless gazebo by the pool. This morning it was filled with empty paddling pool, inflatable pool toys and gardening tools.

But it is being converted. Oh my lordy yes.  This will be the chooks new home. Today I've been putting in top to bottom vermin proof mesh, plus shade cloth along two bottom sides so that the chickens have a nice protected area.  The best bit is that they'll be under cover. AND I'm going to turn where the coop used to be into a lovely new garden.

I'll post finished pics tomorrow.

:)