I have a racer (or maybe it's a racer and friends...they don't wear name tags!). I definitely wouldn't harm him but my heart definitely throws out a couple of extra beats and I involuntarily "yelp" when I come upon it unexpectedly sunning in the pine straw.

I used to have a friendly racer who hung around my courtyard and liked to be stroked, especially when it was shedding time, till my neighbor took a golf club to her. (afraid the snake would eat her poodle, sigh)

Dirty that's cool. Writer shame on your neighbor.

Writer, I had a racer at my old house. He would hang out and garden with me. One day, I caught him on the back porch when I had propped the door open to take some plants in and out, trying to get into the bird aviary. He was trying to climb the wire. I looked at him and said "What are you doing?" he turned and looked at me and slowly crawled back outside. He never came back onto the porch.

Funny story. When my cousin and I were teens, we used to go walking down the roads out behind my grandmother's house, hunting for plums and pears growing at an abandoned plantation house. One day, we were walking back through my godmother's yard, when I saw her step across a black snake laying across the drive. I said "Look out! There's a snake!" She screamed and took off running and I ran too. the snake chased us. She was much faster than I was, and I was tired of running, so I turned around and stomped my foot, and the black snake turned around and ran away. It was pretty big, too, but they'll do that -- chase you if you run. I don't think they are trying to hurt you, just trying to play.

That's a great story about the snake and the aviary, dg.

I agree-quite amusing. And you're def. on the right side of the snake/human conflict. What the h*ll is wrong with people like your dumb neighbor, writersblock?

Although more focused on what happens when a truly dangerous animal, like a bear, is chasing you, the old rule of thumb is, you don't have to be able to run fast, just a little faster than whoever you are with!

What the h*ll is wrong with people like your dumb neighbor, writersblock?

I don't know, that's for sure. She seemed like such a nice lady. :(

I'm one of the few who aren't bothered by the sight of a snake, in fact, as long as they aren't poisonous, I welcome them. But there are a lot of people who are so freaked out by them that they can't even look at a photo of one, much less a live one. Since I'm that way about cockroaches I give them a break for it.

Well, spending summers on an island where there are more snakes per square acre than people helped my snake education. There were a lot of rattlers on her property, and one day, a man who was helping my aunt's FIL clear some land killed a 6-foot Eastern Diamondback. I was about 10, I guess. I remember him saying that if you hear a rattle to stop, listen to where the noise is coming from, and start backing up very slowly. The rattle is warn you not to come closer, and if they see you retreating, or they can sense you are leaving when they can't feel your heat anymore (like when they are blind during molting), they will not strike at you.

I've actually been fishing on dark water creeks and had mocassins fall into the boat. They don't want to be there, so all you actually have to do is reach over with an oar and toss them out. It's scary as shite having them fall into the boat, though! Never heard of anyone getting bit by one like that, though.

I lived on 5 acres in the country for 5 years and never saw a snake. Not one, and I had chickens too. I know they were out there, but for some reason, they kept their distance.

We consider a black snake or racer around the house beds to be good luck as they will keep other snakes away even poisonous ones, since they are the fastest snakes there are.

I love your snake stories. Here is mine: I was sitting at my potting table that was tucked under an orange tree when something dropped out of the tree and onto the table next to me. It was a snake with a rat in his mouth. I ran and got my camera and took frame by frame of the mouse getting the life squeezed out of him and then being eating. Very cool. I have since lost those pictures :-(

Awesome story there, Laura! That's one for the books!

My older son lives along a floodplain forest/creek habitat area. Heavily wooded land all around him, they also have an old stone patio of multiple levels and sections. Well, the garter snakes just love this area. I mean, it's nothing to go out on that deck on a sunny morning and be greeted by multiple snakes basking in the sun. His 5yr. old daughter-my first granddaughter-is just so cool about it and about all wildlife. She's not scared at all. Granted, these are harmless snakes, but how many cute little blond-haired 5 yr. olds are there that would happily pick up a snake if they could?

Also had snapping turtles come up from the creek to lay eggs-right in the little soil areas fro planting along the edge of the patio! This is not twenty miles north of the big city of Milwaukee, yet wildlife is crazy abundant. River otters, salmon swimming upstream to spawn....there's just a lot going on there. Deer occasionally poke their heads in the windows of the house! Not in through an opening, but they can be seen looking right in the windows! Crazy place.

What cool stories! Close Encounters of the Slithering Kind!

I remember when I first planted Muhly Grass in my yard. My Mother-In-Law saw it and sincerely warned me about having it in my yard because the grass attracts snakes that like to hide in it. That was... hmm... four years ago? Since then I have yet to see a single snake in my Muhly Grass. I had a 5 ft Coachwhip shading itself under my Fakahatchee grass the other day, but that is about as close as they have come to being in the Muhly. A third type of snake I have in my yard that I am proud to have are Crowned Snakes. They are uncommon and live in sandy soils. I have taken to using them as an example of why we shouldn't be trying to completely change our soils by lumping on organic matter as I am more likely to find these threatened snakes in the least amended beds.

I agree - really cool stories! How refreshing to have a thread where people actually like their snakes and stick up for them! I am so tired of people being so freaked out by snakes and killing them at the drop of a hat. I've had folks kill them and bring them for me to ID and I'm always so sad. If you don't know what it is why kill it? It is really true - they are more afraid of you than you are of them ... they only want to get out of our way and back to a safe place. Except for maybe Sam who seems to enjoy hanging out with dirtygardener. lol

I have lots of black racers and also use Craftsman black garden hoses. I have reached down to pick up a hose and have it be a black racer about three times now. Nearly gives me a heart attack ... and the snake too ... they leap straight up in the air and take off like a shot.

My black racers are always grumpy. But, I do have little browns, ring necked, and pinewoods snakes that let me carry them around and enjoy their beauty and company.

Here's one of my black racers hanging out by the hose. This was right after the last freak out so I was checking and spotted him so went and got the camera.

Keep up the cool snake stories ... it's very fun reading. :)

Oh Sharon, that is HILARIOUS! I have a lot of snake stories, having spent a lot of time walking country roads and exploring wild places, but I've never been bitten. No one in my family was ever bitten until my sister got bitten by a copperhead simply walking out to her car at my grandmother's old house. I always thought it was nature's retribution for her evil ways, but that's crazy, I know.

When we were little, we were always in the blackberry and plum thickets that grew everywhere in SC. Green snakes were our pals, as they love to hang out in just those places. I can't count the number of times I was picking plums, looked up and saw a little green snake looking back at me. I'd usually pick him up, pet him a little, then put him back into the tree. Snakes, at least the non-venemous types, seem to like me. An minister once told me that was a bad omen, but I told him that as long as I wasn't attracting venemous snakes, I would just consider myself blessed.

That being said, I haven't seen Sam for a few days. Maybe he ate all the frogs and moved on. I sort of miss him.

OMG - hopefully the snake didn't do a lot of damage to your sister. That would be so scary to be bitten by a copperhead ... and right in the driveway no less!

The only snake that has ever bitten me was a garter snake ... they are as grumpy as black racers. It was so beautiful, and I really wanted to hold it, but it was having none of that.

I grew up in Florida and was always in the loquat and mulberry trees feasting, but never ran into a snake. But, always did tromping through the woods. Maybe we learned as kids not to be afraid of them and we carried that with us into adult hood and people who kill them had bad experiences with snakes when they were young.

It's a good omen that snakes like you. :) Hope you see Sam again.