found in the yard today

Okay, so this isn't a picture of OUR garter snake, but it looks just like it. I was being a leafherd (which means I was corralling leaves into a pile) and I found him by the fence. Noodle was absolutely delighted, as she's wanted to find a snake since we moved into this house. David & I had each seen one in the yard in the past year, but Noodle hadn't. So now we're trying to determine whether we should try and keep him through the winter. I guess garter snakes like earthworms, which I would not have guessed (Thanks Dean!). So, we'll see. I have a tank that we could use, but we'd need a heat lamp, substrate, and of course determine an appropriate food source. If we can resolve the food issue, I'm not opposed to keeping him, as snakes don't require much in the way of cleaning, and that's my big issue with pets right now. Between a litter box, a rat cage, and a rabbit cage, I'm kind of at my max. Noodle really is enjoying the little guy, though.

So much fun!

I took Noodle, Spud & Curlylocks (the 3 year old girl we babysit) up the canyon today for a picnic. I'm amazed at how much little kids will eat when you make it fun for them! Curlylocks ate four sandwich quarters without even stopping for a drink! Usually it's like pulling teeth to get her to eat ANYthing! After lunch, we went over to the river and happily it was a really shallow area, so they could wade around quite freely, as long as their feet could stand the cold snowmelt-fed river. We moved a couple of wood pallets over there, and they used them as their "docks," which made it easier to hop in and out of the water. Near the end, Curlylocks spotted a little snake, so I grabbed it and we had fun playing with it for 20 minutes before letting it continue on its merry way. It was really a fun time, and I think I'll make a point to go up there more often. And it was at least 10 degrees cooler than down here, so that was an additional plus.

I forgot to pack my camera, though, so no photos this time.