It's already July - warm, mostly sunny, long days, and prime time for critters in Bittersweet Woods. Gary the garter snake has moved into the local habitat, residing under the concrete steps at our entryway. You will excuse me if I assign this dude a male identity. I came up with the name mostly because of a fixation on alliterative sounds - Gary, Garter - you get the idea. Here he is just outside his den near our front porch.
We have seen snakes off and on over the years, but mostly off. This year, there have been several - mostly the benign garter snake and the wily black rat snake. Suz has been the snake observer; most of the sightings have been hers. She is pretty casual about seeing them compared to most other humanoids - she even brushed her hand against one while weeding.
Gary the Garter has been a very laid back resident. He suns outside his den. And usually just sits there when we pass by to observe. Even Gabbie and Tess, the curious old english sheepdogs, don't seem to phase him. Our grandchildren are here for the week - Connor is 11, Emily 7, and Catrina 3. They check up on Gary often. On the second day of their visit, Gary molted (shed his skin) and left his former skin near the den. He seemed proud of his deeper, brighter color of the "new" skin and ventured farther from his den.
We enjoy the critters that inhabit Bittersweet Woods, except for the occasional troublemakers - or the ones that want to come inside the house. More about one of those "insiders" in a future message. Come back to Bittersweet Woods - enjoy the serenity and marvel at the obscure goings on - often hiding in plain sight.
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