Friday, June 13, 2008

Serpent Siestas


This lovely old metal mailbox is outside the front door at Willow
Manor. It's no longer used for mail. The industrial size mailbox we use
is 200 yards up the driveway at the main road. Since this one is quiet,
dark and cool, little snakes love to slither up the ivy and use it for a
napping spot in the spring and summer months. I found out a few years
ago when I randomly stuck my hand inside one day.

33 comments:

  1. What a charming old conversation piece. Do you happen to know how long it has been, since it was actually used? Does it have the little scrolled ends, for holding the newspaper? I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. EGADs!!!!!!!!! I'll bet you got the shock of your life...I'm assuming the snake was not poisoness?...We have a lot of stone around our garden and patio/courtyard area along with English Ivy and snakes love it there.

    I love the old mail box...I wonder how old it is...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonder how the snake felt when his cozy little hideout was invaded? I have this mental picture of how that all went down.:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. what a perfect spot for sweet tiny snakes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Willow...beautiful photo suitable for framing.... the mailbox with the ivy is exactly what I would expect at the manor....

    I shudder to think you putting your hand inside only to find a snake :( We have to be careful around here as well...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oooooh, I'm shivering thinking of putting your hand up there and having that discovery! Beautiful, though! Your place must be absolutely beautiful. Does all that ivy hurt the structure at all? I love how it looks, but I think of it on our trees and we're always having to yank it off. It's gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Snakes in a Mailbox ... is there a movie there?

    ps -- lovely site

    ReplyDelete
  8. EEEEEEEEK - I do not like snakes at all.
    we once had a dead scorpion in Morocco. Not fun. It was HUGE.
    However your mailbox does look very charming.
    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Be careful! I love old metal mailboxes. Don't let your ivy cover it over completely....it is a treasure.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Snakes alive! Mercy!

    It looks so darkly green and mysterious.... Beautiful shot, Willow.

    By the way, do pop over to the birdbath..for some tea, Russian style...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh so funny! I'm with Pappy invisioning the whole episode. Too bad there isn't a video! tee-hee!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yikes .. so pretty and hiding such scary thingies ... I assume the slithering snakes it secrets are safe?

    Willow, thank you for your compliments on the photos ... I love to share my pix of my NYC and it makes me feel so good to know they are enjoyed!

    :-Daryl

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow, that's beautiful :) I want it!
    Hope they're not deadly snakes!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hmm...and how high did you jump? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Okay, all, just to let you know...they are little, cute, non-poisonous snakes. Sweet ones.

    And I only jumped about 10 inches off the ground...not a full foot. I let out one teensy little "yoh!"...not a full blown bloody scream.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Shivers!!!

    I'm curious, Willow, how old is your manor? Our first house was a 50+ year-old post World War 2 home. We had a similar mailbox outside our front door, and joy of all joys!, our mail was delivered to it each day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. MG, the original house was built in 1927, with an addition in the 1950's and another in 1980. I've got the paperwork all here to fill out to apply for The National Register of Historic Places...somewhere here in my pile of "to do" things.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I scared Willow once in our basement when we were kids. I can attest to the fact that she really can get airborne 10 inches off the ground! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a wonderful subject to photograph. And because I'm Aussie, I always think twice before sticking my hand in a mailbox - it's a haven for huntsmen spiders!

    ReplyDelete
  20. EEk! That has happened to me too. Once with a snake and several times with spiders and geckos. It's the wriggling in your hand that is so off putting.

    I love your old mail box.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm a lurker here and rarely post but I have to say the photos you have been posting are just lovely.

    I read somewhere you are in Pennsylvania - so am I. We have many historical homes in my area and you really should find the time to apply. I think there is a tax incentive there too. :)

    Glad the snakes are not poisonous, but they are snakes just the same!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love your new banner Willow! You and Betsy have been busy renovating your blogs. :-)

    Thankfully, there are no snakes in my area except earthworms -- and they are snake enough for me...tee hee.

    Have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anne, my daughter lives in Philadelphia and we visit her a few times a year. We are in Ohio. Thanks for stopping by The Manor! :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Neat mail box....and I assume these are the "garden variety - blue racer" type of snake? Certainly not the kind that sculk around DeeDee's state!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Strider, I think they are little garter snakes in the ivy. We do have those blue racers, too, but they are much larger and I am a tad frightened of them.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You know Willow, the title of your post has been with me all day. And now I have come to the conclusion that it would make a great title for a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beautiful photo.

    I just bet there's an old old letter wedged down in the bottom, Willow. :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Drifter, I know! That's what I was looking for when I found the snake. I love to find an old note or ephemera, long forgotten in a vintage book.

    ReplyDelete
  29. OMG... be careful!! love the pic though....have a great weekend...
    The Bach

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love the dear little box, but ewww at the snake tale, now there's a great dinner conversation!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I can sooooo understand why you don't use it anymore!


    It's charming though

    ReplyDelete
  32. how deceptive that picture is! the nestled in mailbox looks so peaceful, a picture form a bygone era almost but then to read of snakes! IKES! that would freak me out totally. Anyway, it certainly looks beautiful. Good reason though to not use it anymore!

    ReplyDelete
  33. i get goose bumps thinking about snakes! we used to live at the edge of a tropical forest & we've had a couple of snake encounters too! one was waiting in a pot when I was doing re-potting of plants!!!!

    ReplyDelete

Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)