Ssssssssnake!

I was watering the potted plants on my front patio the other day (a never-ending job during the summer months--when will I EVER get around to adding drip?), and imagine my surprise when I almost bumped into this little beauty sunbathing on my gardenia! (Of course I had to dash into the house to grab my trusty Sony Cybershot digital camera.) Does anyone know what kind of snake this is? I'm thinking a garter snake. (Much less imposing than the GIANT rattlesnake I nearly tripped over during an outing at Five Mile a couple of months ago.) In researching, I was surprised to learn (according to Wikipedia) that the garter snake gives birth like a mammal, rather than laying eggs. So there, now you can't say you've never learned anything from reading my blog! (Click here to see a fun "gutsy rabbit vs. snake" video!)