This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was under a bucket right by the back gate just before Christmas. The homeowner bent down to pick something up and ended up face-to-face with it. Thankfully, the snake just did what they usually do: just sit there.
Just opposite of the wall is a drainage area with stacked rocks for erosion control. This is where the snake had been overwintering, and there are likely more there. These are the kinds of decisions made during development that can increase encounters with wildlife, which are often entirely optional.