Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:


Andy replies:

Excellent advice and a good post , Carl....

As for the poster who lives in Texas and hasn't seen any poisonous
snakes,
well,.... they have seen him/her......
I don't worry about snakes since I have lived in rural areas for most
of
my life, and am always aware of the presence of snakes. It's not hard
to avoid, and only a damn fool get him/herself bitten , mainly because

of carelessness...... Still, I have also been lucky.....

I presently live on a lakeside, and cottonmouths and copperheads
abound
around here. I have a HEALTHY respect for cottonmouths, but I don't
worry about copperheads so much since their poison isn't very strong,
and
their actions are predictable, UNLIKE the cottonmouth.....those SOBs
will
actually chase a person and make them change their underwear...

Anyway, I was interested in hearing all the various critters that
folks have
encountered in their garderns.... I would like to add that a blanket of

leaves in the fall, or also in the spring, often harbor copperheads
that are
practically invisible. So when you start to gather up a big armful for
your
garden, think about it........... Sorry if I caused anyone to give up
using
leaves, but it's not hard to do it without exposing oneself to bad
critters...
Use a rake and a piece of cardboard or wood panelling.....

Good luck to all,
Andy in Eureka, Texas (presently revelling in
surplus tomatoes)