Massive undertaking - 3 acre garter habitat

[infernalis]

Looking good Wayne.
Keep us posted on your progress.
You'll have to name the area at some point. Here's a few ideas:

"Habitate for Thamnophis"
"Wayne's Thamnophis Gardens"
and of course "Wayne's World"

To most of the world the only name that matters is...

[Stefan-A]

I guess you could come up with a name with the abbreviation "GTFO".

The "G" stands for "Garter", of course.

[guidofatherof5]

I guess you could come up with a name with the abbreviation "GTFO".

I wonder what those letters stand for

Many people would have to have it spelled out to them and they'd trespass anyway.
It might make more people trespass.

I used to have a very find 1973 Mustang Mach I, mint condition with an awesome candy apple red paint job.
I would always park it away from anyone else. Twice someone pulled up to it and opened their door on it. You can't have anything nice. Others will always try to ruin it.

[Stefan-A]

You can't have anything nice. Others will always try to ruin it.

So true.

[ConcinusMan]

That doesn't apply to your garter snake collection Steve, which is really nice. If anything, I wanted to make it even nicer by sending you your first concinnus'. I'm sure others here would want the same.

[infernalis]

I'm with Stefan and Steve on this one Richard. Utopia only exists in some far fetched dream world.

Just this last summer after I paid to have the grass mowed and I tore up another mower myself making this place look really nice.

went to town the next day, returned to the sounds of high pitched engines wailing... Drove back and found a pack of kids trespassing on 4 wheel ATVs "whipping donuts" in the freshly mowed grass.

Then I am the one they call an arse hole for showing up with a shotgun and a bad attitude.

I already know my neighborhood too well, No choice but to fence off the habitat with steel or I can already count on ATV traffic in there.

Fortunately I happen to have a roll of 3/8 inch steel cable and a pile of (electric/telephone) utility poles. When I make a fence, I make them count.

another thing the neighbors will learn really quickly, My "summer camp" is only about 100 feet away, we will be back there most of the summer set up real close by.

The best security I have ever found, the element of surprise.

[ConcinusMan]

A couple of very alert yapping dogs doesn't hurt either. I know my poms are small and wouldn't hurt a fly, but if a mouse farts a block away, they'll let you know about it. Good dog.

[infernalis]

My security team on patrol..









During the warmer weather, we live back in the woods more than we do in the house. My kid never misses much either...

[infernalis]

So anyways, time to update this.. The logger/contractor never returned. (Big surprise) so my habitat was left half done.

I have met with a landscaping contractor and we assessed the situation and he quoted me $500 to complete the whole project. I agreed.

Since he is in the landscaping business, we have now decided to run a York rake (Removes debris and bigger stones) over the flat part so when I seed it, the meadow will be lawn quality.

I do have some work to do, the small pond that formed from the work I had done already has sprouted life. There are egg clusters and tadpoles swimming in there right now.

We will have to net and dredge them all out so I can excavate.

Once he hits that with the dozer, we figure he only has a couple hours before the aquifer fills the hole too fast for him to drive in the hole with a dozer anymore, so I can keep the amphibians in this 500 gallon tank I have until we finish the pond.

He has a skid steer loader, so I can bring in a couple loads of big rocks for a basking zone. A row of big flat slates out of the creek bed will be perfect if I angle them so they get direct A.M. exposure.

Plant a willow on the bank and it should turn out nice.

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like a plan.
Keep us posted on the progress please.