Day 11: The next time I see this guy (or one like him), I will use the proper form of address when I request a portrait: "Would you mind, Mr. Pickering?" There are two subspecies of Common Garter Snake in the Pacific Northwest: Puget Sound (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii, above) and Valley (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi). The most obvious distinction is in their colour. Fitchi is striped with yellow and marked with red dots, while pickeringii sports a vivid aqua blue. Both can be found in grasslands where sufficient moisture is present. Mr. Pickering took me somewhat by surprise because I was focused on a forest of Shaggymane mushrooms about a foot to his right. I would never have forgiven myself if I had trodden on him. He was warming himself in noonday sun, not moving a muscle even when I knelt down to gather the 'shrooms. Life's rough when you're a snake and the nights are cold.
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