~ * W * E * L * C * O * M * E ~ Mowermaid ! ! ! Thanks for sharing your ideas... and thanks for chiming in.... You are a lovey addition to the group ! ! ! and as you can read here.... there are many many lovely talented people here willing to share IDEAS ~ Thoughts ~ Instructions ~ Hopes & Dreams & Lots & L O T S ~ of Love & ENCOURAGEMENTS ! ! ! Again ~ W * E * L * C * O * M * E ! ! ! God Bless ! SusieSunshine PS I'm a Texan 2 ~ just doing so Missionary Work Up here in the Frozen KLONDIKE ! ! ! Gotta get back to my ~ T E X A S ~ ASAP !!!

Nancy, You can glean a lot of knowledge by reading some of the articles in the link below. It isn't a cake walk, but when you look at the lushness in Athens and my area north of Atlanta,plus plus, you'll COME TO LOVE IT. Ha. There, I've said it again. Have been gardening in this soil type for over 30 years. It can be a PIB as yolos says, but there are solutions. Here is a link that might be useful: Benefits of gardening in red clay soils

truly, it's not the best picture, but it looks like a Gray Rat Snake (elaphe obsoleta spiloides). not poisonous. doesn't really have the head shape to be a poisonous snake, and this is definitely the kind of predator i would want hanging out around my house.

Thanks all for responses. I didn't think you all would react like you did. I didn't mean any harm to the reptile community that day, and being a wildlife major in the Warner School of Forestry at U of Ga. I understood the preservation of natures creatures too. I love snakes and the reptile community very much and have learned how to overcome fear of snakes and others by knowing them inside and out. Maybe not as much as you all do though. At that moment though, my thoughts were, am I fast enough to ward off a strike to the head or neck from this Canebrake? Upper body strikes are the worst, as you all know. There were a lot of people in that area that morning on top of it all, and I made the decision against the snake. As time goes by, however, I wouldn't do that again now. It's true, the snake was communicating to me he wasn't intending harm to me through it all, I saw that too. I can communicate with most wildlife by actions, even bees. Let me know more about your thoughts if you want.