I have had a horrible afternoon. To say that I am afraid of snakes is an underestimate; I am petrified of them. While doing some garden work , I put my hand out to get a potted palm and right under my hand was a huge, steel gray snake. It had its head in a hole and no amount of water from the hose would budge it. I went in the house, had something to drink and sat a while to calm down. Then, I walked outside to go to my car and a beautiful thrush kept flitting around the porch as though calling me. Two steps down the steps and I saw what it was warning me about--a reddish brown snake coiled right at the entrance to the porch. I could not get my key in the door quickly enough to get back in the house.
I couldn't leave by the garage door because the gray snake was there and I couldn't leave by the front door because the brown snake was there.
Eventually, I leaped over the bannister and went another route. But, it has left me shaken and I won't be gardening by myself anymore. And, my camera was in the car so I couldn't get pictures.