For Goodness Snake!

The quest to rid our yard of rodents and pests seems never ending. For years, we've tried without success to banish the mole population in the back yard. Each summer, we also have our share of bee and wasp nests to eliminate with our magic can of killer foam. Today Carter saw something of a slithering nature.

He had a friend over for the afternoon and they were out playing football. He tells me the story after his friend leaves.

"Mom, I had to pee so I went over by the pine trees."

Mom interrupts, "Why were you going to pee outside when the house is right here?" I shouldn't have been surprised if he answered, "Because I can." But he didn't.

"Mom, I just really had to go. So I'm standing there and when I look down there's a garter snake. Black and red!"

I tell him I don't know what kind of snake that really is but in my mind I'm thinking some poisonous fang variety. (I hate snakes!) "Did you show your friend?"

"No, I ran over to Nathan and we waited like 5 minutes. We didn't see any movement in the grass or anything, but when we went back over there, it was gone!"

He joked, I think, that now when he has to go to the bathroom, he's going to worry there'll be snakes there. I suppose if he goes indoors like most humans, he'll reduce the odds.

I just know I am not going to be volunteering to mow the front yard next time! Yikes.