Rattlesnake
 

Well, today seemed like a good day to get outside and work in the yard. No rain predicted, and things have dried out from the several days of rain we had last week. We are clearing away the grape vines and bamboo in a little patch on the west side of the garage so the big palm and bunch of little siblings can have some elbow room.

We had been dragging the cut stuff over to a pile we have in back of the garage for a couple of hours when I heard Connie call out in alarm. I dropped what I was doing and ran over there just to see the back end of a pretty big diamondback going off into the brush, buzzing like crazy. So I guess Connie scared it as much as it scared her. Strange thing is that I was right there not more than a couple of minutes ago, so I guess that rattler was just on the prowl.

Yeah, they are definitely around here, but honestly we don't hardly ever even think about them. Hopefully neither Connie or myself will have a painful encounter with one some day.

More proof that they are NOT out to get you!

So cool.

One of my more treasured memories is from about ten years ago. We were canoe camping at a state park (Tower Hill SP here in WI), and I was scrounging kindling near our site. I heard buzzing near me for maybe thirty seconds -- thought it was a strange insect -- before I finally figured out I should look for a snake. There was a little Massasauga looking as threatening as it could, coiled a few feet away in an opening in the brush. It is still the only rattler I've seen in the wild.

Beautiful little guy, and endangered in WI, and decent enough to not strike at someone who should've been more aware of his surroundings.

Yeah, I don't think that rattlers really want to bite someone if they have no other choice. We rarely even hear them buzz around here when we find them, but this one was obviously startled by Connie. She says it was quite large but retreated instantly into the brush, buzzing the entire way. I just got to see the back portion of it, and not a real good look at that.