Well howdy folks, pull up a chair and let old Howe Weird tell you a tale today. You know, life’s just full of little unexpected twists and turns, especially when you’re out on the open road. And sometimes, those twists involve a slithery surprise that’ll make you double-take and maybe even question what exactly you signed up for.
Our story today comes from a lady who was just minding her own business, taking a good long drive all the way from Virginia down to Georgia. Now, that’s a fair piece of road, a journey where you might expect to see some interesting sights, maybe grab a good roadside peach cobbler, or just enjoy the changing scenery. What you probably don’t expect is to find a passenger who’s decided to hitch a ride under the hood of your automobile.
She was rolling along, everything seemed fine, until she stopped for gas, as folks tend to do on a long trip. That’s when she started hearing something a little… off. A strange noise, she described it. Now, for most of us, a strange noise from under the hood is usually a sign of trouble – a loose belt, an engine cough, maybe even a squirrel’s nest if you’ve parked under the wrong tree. But this was something else entirely. Being the sensible sort, she popped open the hood to investigate, figuring she’d at least get an idea of what she was dealing with.
And there it was, folks. Coiled right around the engine block, snug as you please, was a live black snake. Can you imagine? After all those miles, all that heat, all that vibration, this creature had made itself quite at home. I reckon that car engine was probably warmer than any rock it could find out in the wild. It reminds you to always be prepared for the unexpected on the road, maybe keep some road trip essentials on Amazon (paid link) handy, though I don’t think “snake wrangler” is typically on the packing list!
Of course, finding a snake in such a spot isn’t something you handle with a broom and a dustpan. So, animal control was called to the scene. They came out and, with a gentle touch, safely removed the reptile from its rather unconventional resting place. Turns out, it was believed to be a black rat snake, a common enough critter in these parts, but certainly not a common engine accessory. And the best part? The snake was completely unharmed. After all that, it was still in tip-top shape, ready for its next adventure, though hopefully one that doesn’t involve quite so many horsepower.
The woman, with admirable composure, was naturally relieved it wasn’t a bigger mechanical problem and that the snake was okay. She even joked a bit about needing a new car after such an experience. But I tell you, it just goes to show, you never truly know what’s hiding around the next bend, or in this case, under your own hood. Back in the day, a fellow might’ve needed some specialized tools, maybe even a little something from Radio Shack (paid link), to figure out what was rattling around under the hood, but I bet even they didn’t have a specific “engine snake removal kit”!
Just another day in the world of the wonderfully weird, where nature finds a way to surprise us all. Keep your eyes peeled, folks, and maybe give your engine a little knock before you start it up, just in case!
Check out snake catcher on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=snake+catcher&tag=howeweirdcant-20 (paid link)