Awake, creatures of the night (and a few daytime ones as well)

Well, at least this post isn't about snakes. Since taking up residence here, we've left the outside lights on at night for safety/location/just because we can purposes. Subsequently, we've made a significant shift in the food chain, or at least its location and operating hours. Yes siree, the bug buffet is open for business, and what an amazing array of arthropods we have!

Toads, spiders, moths and....something else (and a very cool looking something else, at that).
We also have little piles of *something* poop outside the garage door. My money is on snakes (there we go with the snakes again), but we'll find out some night soon, I'm sure.

We've had some closer-than-expected encounters with snakes and are developing a healthy awareness of watching where you walk. The brain works like this as you scan the ground in front of you: "rock....dirt....another rock....stick....rock....stic, er, snake" But this fellow was a delightful surprise. I took photos of him with the camera phone but won't share them here. Instead, enjoy this wonderful shot of the Yellow Spotted Salamander from Wikipedia.

Big Red and Little Red are back from adventures with the grandparents on Friday afternoon. I'm sure they have their own stories to share. Perhaps its time for that first post from the chilluns. Look out internets, here they come.

Post-script: Some quick searching has revealed that the little lumps on the spider's abdomen are, in fact, little spiderlings that ride around on momma for awhile before sojourning forth to freak out unsuspecting relocated suburbanites. Click on photo to enlarge and see details on the babies.