I See You

We have a collection of cinder blocks, gardening supplies, winter driveway markers, used pea frames, fire wood and yes, dead leaves stored underneath the balcony. I caught sight of a small garter snake sunning itself on one of the blocks - a great photo I thought, but unfortunately it saw me and slithered off. 

But not to worry! Another, much larger, snake had also been enjoying the late afternoon and was in the process of beating a hasty retreat when it saw that I had seen it and froze. So here we are, looking each other in the eye for a moment, sizing each other up.

Garter snakes are mildly venomous, but can't do much injury to humans. Just as well because we have lots of them and I can't imagine how it would be to walk across the lawn if we were constantly in fear of a bite.

Should have been a full moon. tonight. Well, I suppose there was. Clear skies, lake as calm as could be - but wait! Are those clouds on the horizon to the east? Indeed they are. So I waited on the fishing pier, camera in hand, wishing for the moon to rise above the clouds. The martins were still chirruping as they flew overhead, the red-winged blackbirds called out from the reeds and the robins never seem to go to bed at all. It grew darker and darker, but still nothing. Sad to say I gave up. I'm putting this in to remind myself that today was the day that I went to photograph the moon and Nothing Happened.



NW Wisconsin