Spiders, snakes and bats

I'm not too crazy about spiders, snakes -- or bats for that matter. But over the last few months we've had our share of all three. That said, don't give these matters a second thought if you're considering a visit!

This spider was in the basement scaring all of the snakes away.

The snake in this picture, a common western garter, was one of three (or was it four, I can't recall) that we evicted from the garden this spring. They were all safely relocated to the nearby bluff where they can see clear to Nebraska.

The bat, seen here clinging to the crown molding in the living room, came to our attention after bedtime one night when Audrey, then Fletcher, woke us up to alert us to the fact we had a visitor flying in circles around the bedroom. Thank goodness I knew where to find the tennis rackets that were, at the time, still packed from the move. Everyone, including the bat, survived to tell the tale though the bat hasn't been back since.