Been a slow hot dry summer. The copperheads now are dormant or only come out when it rains or very late at night when it cools. I get some rat snakes now and then though.
Speaking of which, just a few mins ago I am in the living room and I hear the wife go to the front door to get something she forgot in the car, then I hear this incredibly loud sustained horror movie grade scream just after I hear the door open. I come around the front entry wondering if it is something serious or what Vermin I will have to deal with when I see her rapidly backing away from the slightly ajar front door.
I can also see the tail of a rather large rat snake curling in the doorway about the height of the Outside front Door handle. I think she opened the door as it was climbing the outside and it half fell on her from the side as she started to swing it open.
Literally by the time I could throw on my old crocks (yes, they make good all weather house shoes) and a headlamp, that rat snake had gotten the hell away from the scene.
I did find a 20" copperhead while looking for it though.
Fortunately the wife is at least a little conditioned to snakes by now and just seeing them doesn't freak her out too much, but frankly that would have surprised the hell out of me too.