Snakes and Stonewalls

Ed usually does his very best to make his walls tight. This wall was raised rapidly as we needed the certificate of occupancy for the house. Big gaps mean penthouse accommodations for critters. This is the curved wall coming out of the basement and I just happened to see a garter snake stick his head out of the wall. Usually I scream, but I saw this one through the window before I went outside. I did the brave thing and went to get the camera. When I got back one little garter snake was not what I found. Instead it was a writhing knot of snakes. I bravely moved in to get a picture. The snakes tried their best to get back in the small, one- at- a- time hole, but ended up slithering up along the edge of the ramp, across the patio and into the flowerbed in front of the house. I'm quite sure they went back to their safe spot in the wall after I was gone. So how many snakes are there? Four, enough to give me the willies just writing this post!