I was wandering around my garden and ponds with a camera at the ready to take pictures of a couple of flowers that I had spotted. This is December after all and not too may flowers are brave enough to put on any display. I stopped by a Knockout rose bush that I had first planted over 30 years ago before the ponds were ever built. I actually located the pond around this rose bush when I built it. It had a few sorry looking flowers but then again, the roses on this bush are never very great anyway.

Moving along, I came across several Fall Asters that still had a healthy bloom and host the few butterflies that remain.

At another spot, I found a Gregg’s Mistflower that held a bloom or two

Finally, and much to my surprise, I discovered my friendly Brown Snake that has spent all of the year with us. I must say that he looks pretty healthy so I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he hadn’t found a goldfish or two for dinner. This one is between 3-4 ft long. Interestingly enough, Mikey, the Dachshund/Chihuahua mix who was a couple of feet away, never spotted the snake and as the pictures show, it was well out in the open. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing. This snake is non poisonous but at the same time, I don’t want the dogs tangling with any of the snakes just in case another Rattler shows up as happened with Richie last year. Besides, I try not to harm the snakes in any way as they are all a part of Nature’s Plan. He was gone five minutes later when I went to check. I would have thought that the snakes was already denned up for the winter but maybe it is not cold enough yet. BTW, I use a telescopic lens so I am not that close to the snake even though it may appear so.

I completed the circuit of the garden but there was nothing else of interest to warrant taking anymore pictures so I will close with another Knockout Rose.

Written 12-19-2018