neck ties

I am catching Bonnie's love of snakes. Friday we went to see a Winnipeg breeder to get a feel for what might be involved in keeping an exotic pet. I remember collecting myself to act as if I was comfortable with the local garter snakes so the kids wouldn't be scared of them. Friday I was reminded how far I've come in tolerating snakes.


There were too many snakes to count in Tim's basement. His kids were oddly calm while we talked. :D Bonnie and I both thought the kids looked as interesting as the snakes. Wide awake and bushy tailed. < g > To say that Tim's quite comfortable with snakes would be an understatement. He's so comfortable, I was in over my head long before I could get my defences up.
Tim kept answering questions and using his snakes to punctuate one point and another. Some, like his beautiful carpet python were very active.
Tim opened up the front of the cage and smoothly lifted the snake out and it immediately came awake, alive and enthusiastic. Once free of the cage, Tim held it by it's tail and let it extend fully to display it's full six foot length. As Tim's doing this, he told us that pound for pound it's one of the strongest snakes. As he's saying this the snake is pulling itself up against gravity in a most graceful fashion, all the while looking cool calm and collected. Then, for contrast, Tim was off to retrieve a full grown female ball python.


Before he walked away he quickly and casually handed me the carpet python.
The snake was constricting my neck with a single loop before I realised what was going on. Tim shrugged and suggested I unwind this six footer from the tail end if it got to be a problem and went ahead with the conversation. The carpet pythons are active hunters I gather. I don't know what this guy/gal weighted, but at six feet and two hands around, it wasn't like the garter snakes I'd known from home, I'll tell ya.
The colours on this snake were amazing and I got a really good look at the head as it proceeded to gain leverage around my neck, licking it's way along the back of my head as it went. The head was the most wicked example of a predatory serpent I could ever imagine.


The ball python is an ambush hunter. This girl was about four feet long, but much thicker and much more docile than the carpet python. It was perfect for dangling around your neck while you sketch, right Boo? It was wildly exciting to have these massive full grown snakes to handle. Tim's demo was very impressive. He's the right guy in the right field. He's calm and conscious, like his snakes and his kids. No doubt we'll be back when it's time to buy.
Thanks Tim.