I get it. Don't kill a black snake

Tonight, while walking Mutley the dog outside in the dark -- with no shoes on no less!! -- I saw a black snake.. I should have known I would. A small frog was hopping merrily along across the patio. A part of my mind thought.. it's humid, it's hot. The sultry weather was perfect for snakes. Just as quick as that thought rolled across my mind, the head of what appears to be a 5 or 6 foot black snake began to perch up from the sidewalk cracks........ The dark shroud around the long friend suddenly became completely clear. I was not alone. Me. My dog. And my snake.

I stared at it for a bit, watching its every move--from a distance.

So since then I have armed myself with the knowledge that killing it would be detrimental to 1) the snake eating rodents, 2) the snake eating copperheads, and 3) the snake eating rattlers..

But it was so hard to let it just be..

The last vision I had of it in the darkness of the night, it was climbing a tree to most likely get its next meal. Maybe a bird? Squirrel?

The woods are alive with so many creatures.
I love the heat of the summer.
We are all so fond of the warmth and beauty that comes with these hot months..

But yes, a part of me just longs for the cold air of winter to once again come and make all of these creatures of the night hibernate and vanish from sight.

Until then?
Appears I have a friend...