lunchtime bike ride (and gopher snake)

Went for a bike ride with Scott lunchtime on the new bike, which was cool. My gear selection needs some work but "the loop" (15 miles) was fun. Scott pointed out a snake on the road so I turned around for a closer look. It was a good 3 feet long an looked impressive as it sunned itself on the road. Scott observed that it was quite fat, so perhaps it had just eaten! When we stood looking, it decided it didn't much like the look of us so it move off the road.

Mum - don't worry, it wasn't a dangerous snake! Scott thought we'd struggle to identify it, and although I said I'd just put it down as the most dangerous similar snake I could find in my Nevada wildlife book, I think it was just a gopher snake. They apparently sometimes imitate Rattlesnakes but this one clearly had no rattle, so quite light on the fearsome scale.