The phone rang as I stepped from the shower. Soon dry, I listened to the voice of my neighbor saying a long slithery snake was crawling up my gutter’s downspout. This I had to see and I did, phone camera in hand. He was about four feet long, kinked and moving slowly. He studied me, I him. I took his picture on my phone and asked the nature app who he was. An Eastern Ratsnake it replied. I turned to the snake and told the harmless creature I was pleased to meet him. He stared at me, as if in disbelief that I would interrupt his afternoon plans. He fell asleep on the sunlit downspout.