thanks everyone! there are some places RIGHT in the neighborhood here that I will be biking over to that look like they would easily harbor garter snakes. It's definietly too hot in the mid day... the coolest temps we are supposed to have all week is 99 degrees!!! But I think at sundown and early in the AM as the sun comes up, the snakes would have to come out and forage. We are also going to take a whole day to visit a state park that's about an hour away... I sure hope I find SOMETHING slithery while I am here! let me tell you 100 degrees in texas feels 5 times hotter than 100 degrees in PA. Texas is HOT and there is a drought here.... it has only rained here in Katy once this whole season. there was one rainshower 2 weeks ago, but other than that, there has been NO significant rainfall since JANUARY!!!