Notice anything odd

about this "stick"?

This fellow was basking on the porch this afternoon when I went to water, and as soon as I saw him he pretended he was a stick. 

I decided he needed a photo-op, and so here he is.  When I came back from the ablutions, he was gone. 

The weather is much too warm, and not only that, early-warm; it's not usually snake weather for almost another month.  Garter snakes are pretty common here, though usually not snuggled up to the siding on the front porch.

I would dearly love to know how he got up the steps too.