06/29/2026
I was out mowing recently when I spotted a large water snake stretched across the dam by the pond. I managed to snap the second photo from the seat of the mower with my phone, but the moment I brought out the big Nikon, it slipped into a hole behind the rocks like it had rehearsed the escape.
A little later, I found a smaller snake tucked into another opening in the rocks — that’s the one in the first photo. Apparently that spot has become its regular hangout, because I’ve seen it curled up there several times since.
I’m not exactly a snake enthusiast, but living in the country, I’ve learned to appreciate their usefulness. They keep the mouse population down, which means fewer chances of those critters ending up in my house. So we’ve settled into a kind of mutual understanding: they stay outside, and I let them be. Honestly, we’ve even encouraged them a bit by feeding them small fish we catch while fishing. Coexistence at its finest.
