In a shameless act of self-promotion, I was showing off my blog to a friend. As we were talking about snakes, I searched the blog for Garter Snakes -- certain that I had posted something about them. However, when I was mistaken my face probably turned as red as the belly of a red-bellied snake...
I have seen countless Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) on my adventures over the years. This time of the year they are emerging sluggishly from their winter dens. In the summer, they can be found resting in warm places -- wood piles, edges of trails and / or piles of rocks. And, I knew I had taken a picture of at least one...
So, I sorted through my files for this picture. One of the first "nature photos" I ever took. This was a garter snake that frequented our wood pile. It was there most days, usually sunning itself in the late afternoon.
The wood pile is still there. The snake has long gone. But, this image reminds me of that red-rimmed eye that carefully watched me as I watched it.
