Books We Love Insider Blog: That Feeling and Garter Snakes

Monday, August 10, 2026

That Feeling and Garter Snakes – Barbara Wackerle Baker

Jillian of Banff: https://books2read.com/b/Jillian-of-Banff

I got that feeling again. It bubbled up so quietly it totally caught me off guard. Happy-sad vibes. They hit me when I completed a read through of Book 4 from my Summer of Lies series. Happy – I finished. Sad – oh no, what now? I have to send her off. Say goodbye for a while.

The happy feeling put a skip in my step. The sad part made me worry if I did her justice. A mixed bag of emotions. Somewhat like being a teenager and wondering if you’ll have a date for prom.

I ignore the flare-ups that attempt to filter through the happiness. You know the ones I’m talking about. They come from anxious anticipation about editor’s critiques, potential rewrites, beta readers reviews and the end all—will anyone even buy the damn book if/when it gets published?

But for now, and because summer in Alberta is too short to worry about stuff I can’t control, I vow to enjoy the heat and sunshine we’re experiencing.

And to prevent me from spiraling down the infamous rabbit hole I will enlighten your day with fun and need-to-know facts about garter snakes in case you have a story percolating that needs a slithery character.

Don’t you dare groan.

Snakes in general get a bad rap. And some of them deserve it. But the lovely garter snake does not. People often jump or shriek when they see them. But it's not the snake’s fault. They have no intention of scaring you. They’re shy and prefer to live a quiet life. Which is why they slither away when they sense your presence.

Garter snakes are Calgary’s most polite wildlife. They don’t hiss. They won’t chase you. And they’re polite sunbathers even when they’re shedding their skin. If the skin comes off in one piece, it means they're very healthy.

Fun facts:

if picked up, a garter snake will let off a stink and smear you with a greasy fluid from the base of its tail to make itself smell too bad to be eaten…and hopefully make you put them down. The fluid is nearly impossible to wash off and it's their way of saying ‘leave me alone’. Most people don’t need to be told twice.

during the winter, hundreds of garters gather into a ball and have a good old fashion cuddle. It’s called brumation – a cold-blooded creature’s version of hibernation.

their rear-fanged teeth and mild venom helps to subdue frogs and fish. I did not know that. If you piss off a garter by handling it, you might get bit. No, you won’t die. But you might get redness and itching at the sight. And it might teach you to leave them alone.

they’re fast and also excellent swimmers

instead of laying eggs, female garter snakes have 15–40 live babies in the middle of summer

they eat grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, slugs, snails, earthworms, frogs, toads, tadpoles, mice and small minnows

Having said all that, maybe none of your stories need snake factoids so here are a few pictures that hopefully put a bit of summer back into your feelings. Have a great August.