I have determined the following: A Forrest + A Creek + 75 feet to house = SNAKES!   About two months after moving in last year Ryan nearly ran over a snake with the lawn mower.  I killed what we found out from the locals to be a four foot Copperhead.  We'd not seen any more snakes until this past summer.  In these past four months we've experienced seven or eight smaller ( 18" to 30" in length) ones coming into the garage.  We've have the exterminator working with us to solve the slithering issue, but nothing seems to be working as of yet.  We catch them on glue traps placed just inside the garage door, as we believe they enter under the weather stripping.  I hate snakes, especially poisonous ones!

This is one of the many beautiful types of butterfly's that relish in the front yard foliage.  There are brown ones, black ones, spotted ones and others with solid colors.  However, this particular one is my favorite.

With the forest and creek behind the backyard, we are blessed to enjoy the many different types of wildlife that come around.  This year while Arlene and Richie Sims (Danieal's Aunt & Uncle) were visiting, they captured these new born's in at the salt block.  There are about five deer or so that regularly visit our home for early morning or afternoon treats.   We also enjoy a family of bunnies, a very large and active squirrel that spends hours planting nuts across the backyard for the winter, many types of birds - from the  Cardinal's, doves, quail and finches to the large turkey vulture that nests in the forest.  There are three red fox  and we have also seen a BOBCAT in the backyard!!!   For living "in town" I think we see a tremendous amount of wildlife.  

SH