Garter Snakes

     I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there seems to be a little resurgence in garter snakes reappearing after a very long time.  As many of you know, they are so important in our environment,  keeping the rodent population under control.
They have been gone due to pesticides and other chemicals that are used on lawns and gardens, but many are killed by people out of fear also.  The learned fear of snakes and reptiles in general comes not only from the Bible but also media. 
    
When I was a boy,  I would gather a friend and we'd take an old refuse drum in a wagon and look in the prairie for garters.  I was bit a few times back then, as they were defensive of course.  We would pull this wagon full of snakes around the neighborhood and I'd eventually let them go.  They would end up sitting on neighbors porches and in their yards, they were not very happy with me.

I finally have seen garter snakes in my yard this year!