Welcome, snakey

it's the snake's house now, Prof. You just live there.

Pretty much every morning with this lil guy

He'll take out any mice who live around you, which is a blessing

He's just a lil fella. Garters eat insects and slugs! So as a gardener, I am a-ok with him eating those.

in other news, i miss getting full nights of sleep. clover must be backsliding or something, it's maddening

hello sir snake

free roommate

Also, update on the paper wasps:

So when I tell people I really don't mind the wasps we have here, I have a new story to tell.

A couple days ago I was seated out on the porch doing some work. We have an Adirondack-style plastic lawn chair out there.

And the whole time there was a paper wasp just kind of hovering around my legs.

Thought it was weird and nosy at the time but didn't think much of it.

Well, I go out to sit down today but before I do, something catches my eye between the slats. So I bend over to take a peek...

...a nest had been built under the chair.

As in, hanging off the underside.

So I tipped the chair over and the nest broke off. The wasp guarded it for a long time but eventually either gave up or was spooked off long enough for me to fling it into a nearby bush. I felt bad for the poor thing.

It probably had laid some eggs in there already.

But did you notice how the words 'sting' or 'stung' weren't in that anecdote? How even sitting on a chair with a wasp nest beneath it didn't get me stung?

Actually I think they might have something under the deck itself. Or nearby, anyway. But since they're not showing any signs of hostility...

either way, the best-laid plans of wasps and men aft gang agley, or something like that.