Snakes are not enemies!

This is mole kingsnake, left. It is a skinny, 2'-3' long snake that usually remains underground and eats insects, a few mice, and maybe some frogs here and there. Sure, if cornered it may bite, as any animal might. It is NOT a copperhead. I stopped a couple of men from killing one today because they said it was a copperhead. Please realize that copperheads (shown below) have distinctly triangular heads, an obvious pattern, and is much fatter/thicker around.

This guy, right, is a copperhead. These pictures are fairly to scale, so you can see how much fatter the copperhead is, plus the pattern and head that are very distinct.

Snakes are good to have around!!!! Please don't kill one just because it's there. I know, I know, some of you are terrified of them. Not sure why that is, but just leave them alone out in the world, and they'll leave you alone.

I've had black snakes in my barn. They keep the mice under control.

Trees are my most favorite organism. No matter what, trees are important and have an impact. They are also very picturesque. This elm on Ridgecrest just stands out from the rest; in this picture, you can tell it is set apart from the other trees nearby. I remember as a child riding horses on this road....it was narrower and tree limbs hung over and across the road, sort of like riding through a tunnel. A couple of times there was a black snake curled up and/or around one of those limbs, making it seem like I was in a Jungle Book movie and was going to be threatened by Kaa. I was never affected, of course. Even though snakes were once a common site, I never felt afraid of them. Just let them move along and I went on my way as well. Sigh. Don't see them very much anymore 
Wow. Started with trees and ended up on snakes.