Gopher snake

just for the record. I nearly ran over her on the way to pick up mail; turned around and shooed her off the roadway (pavement in American) and hurriedly snapped before continuing on my way.

       'Pavement' you ask? When I first arrived in California I had to take their driving test and reading the rules of the road was advised that if stopped for an emergency one had to park fifteen feet from the pavement if possible (or was it ten feet?). Took me a while to learn that by pavement the roadway was meant. All my life up til then 'pavement' meant the pedestrian paths at the side of the road which in large English towns are paved with flagstones . . . let's not get into kerb and curb.