Uh, that's not our hose

So there we were out enjoying the backyard, the warm weather and filling our pool so the girls could splash. I had gone to turn off the hose and came back into the yard when Harper said, "momma, what's that?" I glanced, told her it was the hose. She adamently replied, "No,what's that, momma?!!!" I looked again. And there it was, a very long snake. I told the girls to move to the patio, where Lucy promptly started crying and I ran in to grab crying Graham and the camera, hoping for some video and a photo so that I could maybe identify the snake. We followed the snake across the yard, into the ivy and then watched it reappear on the other side and make its way behind our shed. A bit thrilled, I went to move the hose and settle the girls, when across the yard comes a second snake. We watched it make a similar departure and then went back to playing. I called the neighbors to make sure that I should still be letting the girls play out back and not subject them to something awful and poisonous.
It turns out that we have a ratsnake- or two- or more. Good news. Should mean that we won't have mice and the kids can remain playing outside.
UPDATE: We now have snakes- and mice. Yep, Ian saw one in the kitchen last night. So here is my warning to the snakes: we will only allow you to stay if you help out with the rodents. If you don't pull your weight, we might have to rethink our happiness to see you around. And yes, that takes our count of strange animal encounters this month to include snakes, mice, birds, squirrels, and one giant flying cockroach. I don't think I have even mentioned the piles of poo that keep appearing on our walkway outside the front door.