Rose Cottage Ltd

Okay then…

It’s 64 degrees here today in the beautiful Piedmont Region of North Carolina. The sun is out, the sky is deep blue, birds are singing, and there’s – a snake!

After working hard this past weekend when the temps were in the mid 40s to mid 50s – chainsaws going, wood being split, I decided that today would be a nice warm day to haul some more of that split wood to the shed at the back of the house. If it ever rains here, I’ll be that much further ahead of the wood stove “supply.”

I’m making my second trip and was about to take a step – carrying 9 split logs when…I notice something on the ground:

Do you see him? It?

Okay, I did give you a clue. But I, who am notoriously careful about where I walk and am always watching for snakes, never saw this one the first two times I (must have) walked right over it.

By the time I got my camera and returned, it had moved to an even more hidden position:

You can’t say the little so-and-so is not well hidden from all but up close and personal view. Actually the little “so-and-so” has a name – this time it’s a Eastern Garter Snake. Thanks to the Snakes of North Carolina web site once again for allowing me to quickly identify this latest “visitor.”

While my first thought might have been, “Off with its head” I decided since I all but stepped on it and it didn’t strike or bite me – to live and let live – and gather my firewood on a cooler day! This snake is also not poisonous – which would have changed my tune otherwise.

The news for the today is that since for the past few weeks I have been out on the property tramping around in leaves and debris as high as my knees – to note that snakes are still moving as long as the weather stays warm…FYI to self!