Yesterday I made my way out to the garden to pick some beans. As I approached the bean patch a Garter snake slithered around on the grass in front of me and slid right into my row of beans. Needless to say there was a scared scream heard throughout the yard and no beans were picked. Later the beans were again approached and the Garter snake poked his head out and looked right at me! Then he slithered into the woods. I know Garter snakes are harmless, and can even have cute faces (from a distance), I'm just not into things that slither around in the grass. We realized if Garter snakes were hanging out, our grass must be too long, so we quickly mowed away any places for slithery beings to hide.
The Garter snake sighting brought forth many family tales of Garter's that have crossed paths with us over the years. Mom told me she once walked into the kitchen of the old farmhouse and saw something sticking out from the cuppord under the sink. On second glance, she noticed it was moving (slithering, in fact). On closer inspection it was a Garter snake (in the house!). Luckily my dad has no fear and promptly removed it.
I was reminded of a photo dad had taken of my brother Tommy, at ten years old, grasping a Garter snake in his hand. When questioned how the photo had come to be, Dad said he had encouraged Tom to pick up the snake, in order to teach him that it wasn't harmful. I am very glad I missed out on the nature lesson that day.
There is also the tale from many years ago that involved John's cats. At that time, the cats had a "doggy door" so they could come and go as they pleased. That was until two of them, Cleo and Eddie, came back through the "doggy door" carrying a Garter snake, one end of it in each of their mouths. It was alive. And they let it loose inside the house. Terrifying! From then on, the "doggy door" was dismantled, and his family now screens what they let the cats drag in.
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