MLK Quote

MLK Quote

Nature's Inspiration Movie

http://www.flickspire.com/m/HealthierL433/NaturesInspiration -- Nature's Inspiration Movie: The photographs in this short video are from award-winning photographer, Ken Jenkins, and they are breathtaking. However, this video is much more than beautiful photographs! Peggy Anderson has compiled beautiful quotations from the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, and many others that truly capture the beauty of nature and solitude. Absolute must watch for nature lovers.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining

To me the dark cloud was the mini jungle that I created in one long stretch of the garden.
As you can see in the above pictures that the place is indeed a veritable forest taken over by overgrown grass, creeping ivy, violets, wild ginger, that unknown-bushy plant(tree) and Jerusalem Artichokes. But, now I am dancing on the moon. Because in my jungle, a snake has taken up residency :-). Twice I tried to take pictures, twice it slithered away so quickly that I could not take any. I can't even identify it. Online searches make me believe that it could be either of the following (eastern ribbon snake, queen snake or eastern garter snake though habitat-wise it cannot be queen or ribbon. But Who Knows? May be there is even a hidden water puddle somewhere there in that jungle):

All the three above pictures are taken from Wikipedia. I do not claim them as my pictures.

It looks shining black with whitish (yellowish or some light color)stripes running along its length. I could not count if it was two, three or more such stripes. It is about two feet (or could be more as it slithers into its hideout at lightening speed) in length. It basks in the sun in this asparagus patch:



Last year I found this snake slithering away from my garden to that of the neighbor.



I was sad to see it go to neighbor's garden. I wanted it to be in my garden. But, this year I am feeling so happy that I am feeling dancing and clapping around the garden (too bad that I can't do it; I will surely then be captured and taken to an asylum) for my friendly neighbor Snaky's presence. Also, there will be no chance that he will go back to neighbor's yard as this new neighbor has cut down and cleaned everything in his yard (only grasses left). All online research is also telling me that presence of snake signifies a very healthy ecosystem. I am so happy that at least I am being able to create such an habitat and contribute towards the health of Mother Earth. Not only snake but a sparrow and a sterling has made nest in our house this year. The sparrow has made the nest in our patio window slides, just above our head and within our reach. They must be crazy to make it so close that we can reach it by our hand! The sterling has made it in the roof (actually under the roof. There is this opening, I don't why, a small narrow one to the inside of the roof; they have made it there). Whenever I go out into the patio to tend my plants and seedlings, the Father-Sparrow comes out, sits on the patio railings, looks at me and chirps out loudly. I don't know what he is trying to say -- may be scolding me for being there and scaring the babies and asking me to leave; or perhaps giving out a danger signal; or may be begging for food as they all have seen me filling out the bird-feeders.

Lovely story and a video to go by with today's post. Careful, it can bring tears to your eyes. Here it is. Whatever knowledge you might have of snakes in garden, please share :-). By the way, dear bloggers, all these are non-venomous and very shy snakes. If these were poisonous, I was not going to have that wild dance :-).

7 comments:

  1. We have many snakes each year most are venomous copperheads or the always very aggressive cotton mouth. We also have a few helpful ones that are shy but will eat the smaller venomous snakes. Just this week we have found two harmless snakes in the yard, one harmless very large one afraid of the lawn mower that tried to climb up the side of the house by the front door window in escape, and one copperhead climbing the wall of the tool shed.

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  2. A very friendly mini eco system for snakes you have there KL! None of our snakes are venomous here. I just started gardening this year, organic, heirloom veggies. In answer to your question, I use a Canon and all Canon lenses :)
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  3. Very cute snake-arium you have behind your house. Just don't end up like Steve Irwin. Not to be alarmist (well, maybe) always have a good first aid kit in case you get bit. Wonderful that Boonton has the ecology to support those kinds of animals. In Elizabeth, we're paved over nearly completely and the non-pet animals are rare.

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  4. Congratulations on having the sort of garden that invites in snakes. Maybe you should post a video of your dance - but make sure you don't scare the snake too much.

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  5. Aaaagh let me outta here! I hate Snakes!

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  6. Excellent...we have garter snakes and rat snakes mostly around our pond but they hang about other areas of my wild gardens...they do signal a healthy ecosystem...if you get a picture I would be happy to help identify it...oh and congrats on the birds nesting too...papa is probably scolding.

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  7. Wow - a snake. I'm pleased to read that your garden is what could be considered a healthy ecosystem. You are obviously doing something right. If you neighbour has cut back all his garden then more chance the snake will come reside in yours.
    I hold my hopes that one day I will have frogs in my pond. If that ever happens we can dance together :)

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