It's Day 23 of My 30 Day Challenge - How to Start a Vegetable Garden.

Today I want to share a story...something amazing that happened within the last 24 hours...TWICE!

HAVE SNAKE WILL TRAVEL

In preparation of the Memorial Day weekend, my dear husband was in the yard cutting the grass. He had just completed the edging and was using the weed wacker near our raised bed when I heard my husband yell for me.

Since I was cooking dinner, it took me a moment to get out there. By the third shout I was outside, agitated to be removed from my kitchen. What did I see?

My husband chasing a 3 foot snake across my yard with his cellphone! He was trying to get a picture of this black rat snake that he almost killed with his weed wacker!

This snake was fast!

I watched my husband chase a snake with nothing more than a cell phone and decided a shovel and broom was needed to rid ourselves of this snake.

Off to the garage I ran to obtain the necessary tools. I quickly return with two children in tow; they were eager to find out what all the commotion was about!

But, scooping this snake into a shovel and carrying him off premise was not what the snake, or my husband, had in mind.

A quick grab by the tail and my husband is carrying the snake to the nearby woods for quick (and humane) disposal. I was amazed that the snake stayed still, only attempting once to snap at my husband and this was when my husband stopped to pose for a picture for me.

A quick toss in the woods and we were through with him.

ROUND TWO

This morning, my husband was walking through the yard when he sees what appears to be the SAME SNAKE only a few feet from where we had found him yesterday!

Was it possible that a little more than 12 hours after we escorted him from our property he had returned? Or did we have an infestation of black rat snakes?

With two little children and a squeamish wife, my husband wasn't taking a chance of a third encounter with this snake and this time disposed of the snake in a less humane manner.

The rest of the morning, the kids and I worked in the garden. I was quite uneasy, not knowing if any of us would encounter another snake. We did not.

TOMORROW

I am curious if there is a nest here and that is why the snake returned. I looked around the yard and did not come across anything. Tomorrow, my husband will do a more detailed search, checking in the drain pipes and leaf piles for any nests. I don't know if I would be more comfortable if he DOES find one or if he DOESN'T!

NOTE: We have lived in this house nearly 10 years and not ONCE have we encountered a snake here. Our neighbors witnessed the second round of excitement and confirmed that they too have not encountered a snake here, let alone two in less than 24 hours.

30 DAY CHALLENGE

Gardening has its moments that might push some people so far outside their comfort zone that they give up. As one who dislikes bugs, snakes and spiders, this month has been a month of encounters that are far outside my comfort zone.

I have two choices. Give up or overcome my fears.

I choose to overcome my fears.

Today did not get better from a comfort zone standpoint. After the snake, I found ants and termites living in some hollow bamboo poles I was going to use to build a trellis for my green beans. After containing the insects and disposing of the bamboo, I found pill bugs in and around my raised bed. While pill bugs are "good" garden bugs, they are still bugs!

What did I do? I bought new non-hollow bamboo poles, built my trellis, and planted my green beans.

Don't let your fears stop you from growing a fantastic garden. The benefits of a garden far outweigh the discomfort you feel as you come across these things.

I, for one, have learned a ton by stepping outside my comfort zone. And my children are better for it as they see their mother face her fears and continue to achieve her gardening goals.