In addition to trying to get out for the daily aerobic trek mandated by my cardiac team, I'm making an effort to tackle the myriad not-quite-heart-thumping tasks that fall under the rubric of house and garden necessities. I'm always hoping for a convergence that will fulfill my other self-charge: making a natural history discovery worthy of entry into the blog. Today was hope fulfilled. I was getting started on the job of cleaning up the vegetable garden, and in an old flower pot, I noticed a quivering in the leaf litter. I remained stock still and, soon enough, I noticed a little head emerge to check out what must have been a strange smell. The small Garter Snake was not yet a foot long and, most likely, one of this year's serpent class, all of whom must run the predation gauntlet, find enough to eat without being eaten, and then locate a suitable place in which to sleep away the winter. I don't think the flower pot will work, but I'm sure it's a fine place to hunt bugs.