An uninvited guessst showed up at the fountain today.
I was out on the deck when I looked out and saw this rat snake slithering along the edge of the fountain.
He slid over the rocks on the left side…
…then glided over the rocks in the center of the fountain…
…and made his way to the other side, where he startled an unsuspecting skink!
He surprised me when he then turned around and quickly darted down into the water, coiling up and getting a quick cool off.
The weather here has been hot and dry, so the fountain has been a rather popular place.
After his brief sip and soak, he left the fountain and meandered his way under the holly bush to rest in its shade for a bit.
Now, I do consider my backyard to be rather Eden-esque, so an announced snake causes a bit of concern. Thankfully, although this guy was uninvited, he was not unwelcome. Rat snakes are non-venomous, they eat mice and rats, and they ward off copperheads…and, besides that, he did not try to entice me to partake of any fruit!
Backyard Bird Nerd 
Nothing like a cool dip on a hot day! 😉
wow, he’s a big boy!
That little skink and snake encounter photo is a gem, the way the snake is looking at it and the skink escaping. Great post Kathy, a snake in any backyard is a concern but non venomous is certainly a better choice.
Having this visitor feel so welcome in your garden attests to the fact that you’ve made a very healthy garden for all your other visitors too, Kathy!
These are such beautiful, docile snakes. I’m glad you didn’t try to harm him like others might have. Kudos to you! I have a rat snake that lives in a garden wall he rarely comes out. But leaves signs of his presence, like shed skin. And the fact that I haven’t seen a mice or rat in years is a good sign too! I would love to repost. Do I have your OK to repost?
Of course, feel free to repost.