Specifically To: "larryl 7 Southern Oregon"... Your reply was a bit thoughtless regarding your comment referring that 'you built a pond - deal with it' attitude. I am deathly afraid of snakes, just the sight and I go into a panic attack and vomit - all because of just the sight whether it be non-poisonous or poisonous, doesn't matter. Everyone understand having a water garden brings in all types of wildlife...being a lover of ALL animals, including reptiles, I get an emotional attachment to the various creatures that live in my pond. It is obvious snakes have to eat, but I don't necessarily want them to eat from my personal, nurtured pond. You wouldn't want animals eating veggies or flowers from a garden you worked hard at maintaining? So instead of dishing out attitude to those of us that love the pleasure and beauty the ponds and the inhabitants bring to us, try instead giving us useful info, not flippant, sarcastic comments that help no one. This is a forum for us to ask for help and get 'real' advice, not a platform for your opinion. And don't forget, snakes can be a real problem for a lot of people in a lot of different ways.

Wayne...up to now the wisdom from my other pals was it's a Juvenile Rat snake...it does look more like a racer....interesting...I saw an adult in the same area last fall....and man...she was BOOKING....I had my camera with me and I couldn;t even get a pic....and just like that she dissappeared....couldn't find her anywhere...looked by every small shrub etc... hbwright...I started using the lasagna method with newspapers...in this case, I had some cardboard, and I weighted it down, but never got to mulching it, as it was in an area thats a Work In Process......perhaps some discreetely laid cardboard would attract some vole eating machines....I've had adult racers and corn snakes as well...but I'm yet to see the dreaded "lasagna snake"!!!

Hi Royce, Very nice seedlings! I can't wait to give that a try this summer. I'd be thrilled with anything half as nice as yours. The photos all look good to me. I'd say the Canon and the Olympus are tied for first...but the Nikon doesn't look as bad as I expected from your previous posts. Of course it's hard to judge in this format. You have a much clearer pic on your own monitor before resizing and compressing. I'm still having fun with my A620. I took some really cool pics of a garter snake eating a frog and a close up of a 6 striped racerunner (lizard). But I won't post them because I'm afraid you'd have a heart attack! :-) Hope you enjoy your new Canon. Kat

Ok - Here is how I recieved my first snake bit (for those curious) I knew it was going to happen (even before I stuck my hand in the aquarium). A friend of mine ran a apartment complex in Georgia. He had found a Red Tail Boa in a apartment that had escaped, and the owner had been evicted. He took it home, put it in a 10 gallon aquarium, the snake was a good 5' or more. He had crammed the tank full of towels, and put in a hot rock, and had a 150W light bulb shining in the poor snakes face 24 hours a day (for warmth he said) He added a coffee cup of water for the snake to drink out of - and of course - the snake had tipped it over. David, while his intentions were good - he was afraid of the snake. He had not fed it, and it was "not happy" I knew that I was going to get nailed before I even put my hand in the tank to remove the wet towels, and clean up the water. The snake did exactly what I expected him to do. He struck me, and wrapped my arm very quickly. I stood there (my daughter watching) with a snake stuck to my arm. I gently pryed his mouth from my arm - and after cleaning the cage, returned him to it. I made sure not to even cringe - as I did not want my daughter to develop a fear of snakes! I never made a sound, and I think my calmness helped both me, the snake, and my daughter. I told Richard and his elderly mother that the snake needed to be with someone familiar with handeling snakes (I had grown up with boa's because my brother had one when I was a little girl) They sold me the snake, I put it on a plane to Texas, took it to my brother - who then placed it with a person who handles boa's and takes them to schools as a part of a teaching program. I have a fondness of snakes, and would hate to kill it unless it poses a danger to our lives. My snake bite was expected, thankfully I do not meet any of the "reasons that people get snake bitten" - but thanks for posting - because I think you are exactly correct. Most (but not all) snake bites are due to stupidity - many of the others are probably just due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We almost stepped on that poor snake in my images before we noticed it. Its only defense would have been to strike - this would have just been - being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank goodness for all of us - our situation ended up ok. I will just have to keep a closer eye out before I go treading through my garden. RT