Wife has heebie-jeebies

[Brian Ellis]

Snake in garden: guestimated ~ 1 m long, 15-20 mm thick at fattest. It was the Cyprus Whip Snake, a harmless coluber which can grow to 3 m and as thick as your arm, shiny black in colour. Useful rodent and venomous snake eradicator: can constrict. Wifey has a horror of snakes. First time I've seen one in the garden, although they are quite common in the wild. I suspect it may have visited us before, though, as the dog, who is not the most courageous of beasts, has reacted strangely to something which I could not see from a distance.

[Dr Mordrid]

Tell wifey to buck up - it's either the snake or a rat/mouse invasion. Which would she prefer?