The Rat Snake Is Not Your Enemy

Hello Friends,

What we have here today is a juvenile rat snake. Unfortunately, it is recently deceased in our front yard. I have no idea what happened to it. Hubby came in from the mailbox and said I found a snake in the yard. Alive? No. Show me.



Now, upon seeing this in your yard, alive of course, what would you do? Walk away and leave it alone? Do like me and get pictures and video? Or, would you grab a hoe and dispatch it? The final option would be like my aunt who saw a snake and SCREAMED for my uncle who had already left for work. This was in New Hampshire where there are very few venomous snakes to begin with.

Note that these snakes are non-venomous. Did your answer change?

These snakes are your friend and your yard's friend because, as their name implies, they eat rodents. As we know, rodents can carry disease which makes these snakes very beneficial to have around. They are not, however, a friend to your feathered friends as they also like to eat eggs.

Here is some additional information on our yard and garden buddies. Please click the link for the whole article.

The Natural Pest Control Benefits of Rat Snakes in Your Garden 

1. Expert Rodent Control
2. Chemical-Free Pest Management
3. Low Maintenance and Self-Sustaining
4. Balance in the Ecosystem
5. Disease Reduction

Finally, if you are in the screaming or dispatching category, here is a video on the rat snake which might help put your mind at ease and safe the life of a well-meaning, helpful yard guardian.

Next time you see a snake in your yard, consider that it may be one of the good guys and just leave him to do his job.

Until next time, stay safe and stay sane.

Climate Change...Crisis or Hoax?

Hello Friends,

Let's talk about it. This subject has been in the news in one fashion or another for decades. Dire predictions have come and gone and we're still here. First it was cooling, then it was warming, now it is encompassed into the generic "climate change". I believe in protecting the environment as much as the next person, but I do not subscribe to the climate crisis theory. I have been reading and collecting information and articles on the subject for a while and rather than summarize them, I will provide a blurb from each source and the link for you to read the full article. I realize that their narrative is beginning to crumble, but there are still many onboard with it. If that is you, it is my hope that by the time you finish, you will have a better understanding of what has been going on for years, and that you see the "climate change" scam for what it really is. These are not in date order.

66 Million Years of Earth’s Climate History Uncovered – Puts Current Changes in Context (September 10, 2020)

"A continuous record of the past 66 million years shows natural climate variability due to changes in Earth’s orbit around the sun is much smaller than projected future warming due to greenhouse gas emissions."

10 Reasons To Prove That Climate Change is a Hoax (No date listed)

"Let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons why all of the talks you are hearing of climate change is nothing more than a huge hoax. After you read this information, you can decide for yourself whether you believe the hype or if you agree with most others and say that it is nothing more than a big hoax."

1. Ice Records
2. Cold Temperatures
3. Record Levels of Snow
4. It is good for the Bears
5. Rising Oceans
6. Moose are Thriving
7. Scientists are not falling for the Hype
8. Carbon Sinks are around
9. Long History of no Global Warming
10. NASA says so

Carbon Dioxide revealed as the “Miracle Molecule of Life” for re-greening the planet (May 9, 2017)

"The “War on Carbon” is rooted in the most outrageously dangerous, dishonest and degenerate anti-science bunk that’s ever been shoveled into the minds of the masses. Far from being a “pollutant,” carbon dioxide is the “Miracle Molecule of Life” for re-greening the planet through reforestation. This essential molecule supports the entire web of life on our planet, and without it, all plants, animals and humans would die."

Carbon Dioxide: The “Gas of Life”: Tiny amounts of this miracle molecule make life on Earth possible (August 21, 2013)

"It’s amazing that minuscule bacteria can cause life-threatening diseases and infections – and miraculous that tiny doses of vaccines and antibiotics can safeguard us against these deadly scourges. It is equally incredible that, at the planetary level, carbon dioxide is a miracle molecule for plants – and the “gas of life” for most living creatures on Earth."

Simple Facts Expose The Climate Change Hoax (October 25,2024)

To believe in the climate change hoax, you must believe 5 (palpably untrue) things:

1. CO2 is the "control knob" for the climate. This has been proven to be ridiculous.
2. CO2 is harmful. Wrong! CO2 is plant food.
3. We are at historically high leves of CO2 in the atmosphere. Again, not true.
4. It's nonsensical to create government policies based on future hypotheticals about natural processes.
5. If we can't even predict the weather, how can we control it?

“The greatest folly is to believe in the palpably untrue. It is the chief occupation of mankind.” – HL Mencken

50 Years of Failed Doomsday, Eco-pocalyptic Predictions; the So-called 'experts'; Are 0-50 (September 23, 2019)

"Modern doomsayers have been predicting climate and environmental disaster since the 1960s. They continue to do so today. None of the apocalyptic predictions with due dates as of today have come true. What follows is a collection of notably wild predictions from notable people in government and science." There is a list with the initial 41 failed predictions plus an bonus update to bring the total to 50.

If you think it can't get any crazier, then check this out.

Climate scientists want to shut off the sun (April 27, 2025)

"Let’s quickly review: the Sun, and more precisely, its distance from the Earth, is what makes life possible. Sure, there are other factors, but you get the point. So, of course, greenies reeling from Donald Trump’s drying up their Green New Deal funding have come up with another brilliant plan to “save” the planet:"

I don't know about you, but I enjoy living, breathing and having food to eat. So now that you have been through all the information and digested the fact that CO2 is essential to all forms of life and that the harm being done to our planet is a threat to our very existence, I trust that you have reached a state of unanimity, and we're all on the same page here.


Until next time, stay safe and stay sane.

Choices?

Just a little food for thought as we continue to peruse the national and world events unfolding around us. 

Would you want to live this country?

• Where men pretending to women can participate in women’s sports and have access to women-only spaces. 
• Where perversion is normalized and celebrated.  
• Where there is the rapid, unchecked immigration of millions of criminals. 
• Where murderers, drug cartels, gang members and pedophiles are protected. 
• Where elected politicians call for violence against fellow Americans. 
• Where wasteful spending, fraud and abuse are called out and instead of fixing it, we just continue down the same path of destruction we have been for years, or even decades.
• One that is broke, crime-ridden and overrun with gangs.
• Where your speech is censored for speaking the truth.
• Where there is rampant mental illness.

Or would you prefer this country?

• Where men are men and women are women. No question...end of story.
• Where normal family values are seen everywhere from homes, schools and churches to city parks, from businesses to charitable enterprises.
• Where you have safe and secure borders.
• Where criminals are arrested, prosecuted and jailed.
• Where violence isn't a commonplace solution to a perceived problem.
• Where the wasteful spending, fraud and abuse is not only called out, but the damage repaired for our benefit as well as future generations.
• One that is prosperous, safe and free.
• Where our freedom of speech is protected.
• Where the mentally ill get the help they need.

You complain about the billionaires who are working to makes things better, yet you are okay with the likes of Bill Gates, George Soros, Klaus Schwab (recently resigned) and others like them (WEF) who are making decisions for the world that benefit no one but themselves. Hypocrites!

Folks, we are at a crossroads in history. Some would say we have sides to take. I prefer to say that we have choices to make. Maybe you should ask yourself, what kind of country do I really want to live in? And then make the appropriate choices.

Until next time, stay safe and stay sane.

Porch Cats

Good morning friends! After all the political and news-related posts lately, let's take a break and get back to our roots here at R2R while we visit with our neighbor's kitties.

This is Spot, also known (for obvious reasons) as Spotnose by her mama.

This is Adrian, named after Rocky Balboa's wife in the Rocky movies.

Spot is next to the chair I was sitting in.

They are both sweet and talkative. In fact, you can hear Spot coming from all the way over in her yard, and she knows some very long words, too. 

They do seem to enjoy hanging out with us and even helping with the chores on occasion. They were very interested in lending assistance when we were putting stain on the porch last fall. That was challenging to say the least, but we did get it done.

Our acquaintance with them started out by visiting in our neighbor's yard, giving them pets and scritches. Soon they started cutting through our yard going to and from on their adventures, but would skitter away when they saw us. Eventually, they got comfortable enough to be petted and follow us around the yard. You have to watch out for Spot, though, because she will trip you up if you're not careful. I say she is channeling Dood, because he used to do the same thing to us.

You know they like you when you come home from church on a Sunday morning to find Adrian sitting on the front porch.

Let me know if you're cat people too. You can see more cats here at my Facebook page Cats and More.

They're At It Again

April 21, 2025: "Today, four more Democrats — Rep. Robert Garcia of California, Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon — are in El Salvador, picking up their party’s mantle of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member over the Americans they represent." - The White House website

I cannot begin to imagine why anyone in their right mind would prioritize a deported gang member over American citizens. However, the answer may be in that very statement. I'll leave you to parse that out.

These four congress persons embarked on another trip in an apparent effort to try and drum up sympathy for this individual who is now ensconced in an El Salvadoran prison. Which, by the way, is his home country. To refresh your memory, this is the "Maryland dad" I talked about here.

Each of them is individually named in this report, with the question "Why hasn’t Rep. [name] spoken about these illegal immigrants putting his/her region at risk?" Then it goes on to list some of the illegal immigrants in their region and the crimes they either committed or are charged with, which includes murder.

These are representatives elected to serve the best interests of those who voted for them, i.e. their constituents. Do you think that is what they are doing? I certainly don't. I'd love to hear your reactions in the comments.

Until next time, stay safe and stay sane.

You can read the full story at the above White House link.

Update: They were "blocked by local authorities", who cited that the visit was not officially authorized.