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Sunday, May 18, 2008
SNAKE!
Today we came upon the little fella you see below. We were driving along, minding our own business when we spotted this 3 1/2 foot-plus snake sunning himself on the warm asphalt of the road right in front of us. At first we were thinking he might be a rattlesnake, but, upon closer (yikes!) inspection, we saw he was a bull snake.
I did NOT take these photos. I "guarded" the car while Mr. CarolForPeace got out and got too close for MY comfort.
When we first saw him, he was all stretched out, but the presence of a human-looking giant nearby started to make him nervous.
Did you know that red-tailed hawks live an average of 21 years?
I did NOT take these photos. I "guarded" the car while Mr. CarolForPeace got out and got too close for MY comfort.
When we first saw him, he was all stretched out, but the presence of a human-looking giant nearby started to make him nervous.
Here he's thinking a big, clothed animal might be stalking him, so he's positioning himself to exit stage left. He was stunningly beautiful as he slithered off; his markings undulating in perfect grace.
Two rattlesnake experiences:
I was hiking with a friend one early fall morning. We were bushwhacking on a grassy mountainside. My dog needed a drink, so I turned to put my pack down and to pull out the doggy bowl and water. Right before I put my foot all the way down, I saw that I was putting it down on a RATTLESNAKE!!! Because it was still very cool outside, the snake was slow and I got away before it moved.
Another time, Mr. CarolForPeace and I were hiking a local trail when Mr. Buddha dog stepped over a rattler that was stretched out across the trail. Buddha was on leash - the snake hanging out between him and me. I had to make the decision to call him back, meaning he'd have to step over the snake again, but fortunately, that worked out. Then Mr. CarolForPeace didn't believe me that it was a rattler, so he dropped a blade of grass on the snake, which immediately coiled and rattled that threatening tail of his. (Hubby wants me to tell you that he's not proud of this.)
So anyway, this morning, when we had our snake encounter, we were on our way to visit Mr. and Mrs. Owl's abandoned home. Sure enough, when we got there, everyone was gone. The "For Sale" sign was up and everything. The kids were probably practicing their flying lessons. I'll miss them...
BUT, baby Hawk was sitting on his nest. He's getting so big! Through the binoculars, I could tell that he still has that "sweetest little baby face".
I was hiking with a friend one early fall morning. We were bushwhacking on a grassy mountainside. My dog needed a drink, so I turned to put my pack down and to pull out the doggy bowl and water. Right before I put my foot all the way down, I saw that I was putting it down on a RATTLESNAKE!!! Because it was still very cool outside, the snake was slow and I got away before it moved.
Another time, Mr. CarolForPeace and I were hiking a local trail when Mr. Buddha dog stepped over a rattler that was stretched out across the trail. Buddha was on leash - the snake hanging out between him and me. I had to make the decision to call him back, meaning he'd have to step over the snake again, but fortunately, that worked out. Then Mr. CarolForPeace didn't believe me that it was a rattler, so he dropped a blade of grass on the snake, which immediately coiled and rattled that threatening tail of his. (Hubby wants me to tell you that he's not proud of this.)
So anyway, this morning, when we had our snake encounter, we were on our way to visit Mr. and Mrs. Owl's abandoned home. Sure enough, when we got there, everyone was gone. The "For Sale" sign was up and everything. The kids were probably practicing their flying lessons. I'll miss them...
BUT, baby Hawk was sitting on his nest. He's getting so big! Through the binoculars, I could tell that he still has that "sweetest little baby face".
Did you know that red-tailed hawks live an average of 21 years?Labels: bull snake, hawks, owls, rattlesnake
posted by Carol at 5:28 PM
13 Comments:
I saw what was probably a bull snake down here a few weeks ago. It was curled up on the road to warm up. Unfortunately, I suspect it probably got hit by some driver shortly after. :(
I hope he made it off the road before anyone hit him.
I'm glad that we bothered this one enough to get him off the road. Of course, there's always tomorrow...
My snake stories:
1. About 10 years ago, my mother (who has a snake phobia) and dad, along with my nephew, were visiting us in NM. We all went to Bandelier Monument for a picnic. Mother decided to stay at the picnic site and read while the rest of us hiked. You guessed it. She was visited by a big bull snake, much like the one in your photograph. Yes, she lived to tell the story. But just barely.
2. I was sitting on the edge of the bed UPSTAIRS, when a snake crawled out from under the bathroom door, sidled along the wall to the closet door, and crawled in there. Called Animal Control. No one ever found the snake. For all I know, he (she's) watching me as I type.
I'd rather be watched by a baby hawk.
Your—or, Mr. C-for-P’s—photos and stories remind me to the day I left the retreat center in the desert outside of Tucson. Carrying my luggage to my car, I encountered a large, beautiful snake on the gravel path. I assume it, too, was sunning itself. I put my luggage down and reached for my camera. However, before I could snap a photo, the snake had slipped into the desert off the path. I look for it but could not find it. Its skin was two well camouflaged to be seen in the desert.
So the owlets have now fledged and flown away! Blessings to them and their parents.
I'd be sat with you in the car while Mr CarolforPeace did his Indiana Jones bit. :o) Lovely to see though Carol.
Baby Hawk looks very NOT baby like! ;o) Still cute though. (Do hawks 'do' cute?)
My son and I love a snake siting. We hope for one every year. I hate when I see one and he's not w/me. We both have the same appreciation of them. Just want to see them. No touching. No killing. Good stories. Scary though.
San, I guess that snakes are like cats - they LOVE the people that are allergic to them or terrified of them. Your poor mom.... Did she ever visit again?
And have you ever walked barefoot in your house again???
Nick, I think that snakes are very shy - and photophobic(?). Maybe you didn't pay him enough...
Yes, good for the owl babies! May they live long, healthy lives.
daffy, This hawk does VERY cute, in my opinion. He IS big, isn't he? He's probably enrolled in flying school. I just learned that baby hawks are called eyasses (pronounced "EYE-ess-ess"). Alrighty then...
Hey Mary, Snakes ARE beautiful to see. Nice that you share that with your son! I don't mind holding one that doesn't hurt people. I just don't like surprise contact!
On the more general topic of Things That Sleep In The Road:
When we first moved to the country almost thirty years ago (wow- I'm really getting old), there used to be an old bulldog that liked to sleep right in the middle of the road. Everybody knew she was there, and everybody slowed down to go around her.
A lot more people have moved in now, and I'm afraid she wouldn't last long these days. People are a lot more impatient than they once were.
But I'm glad to have lived in a place and time where sleepy old bulldogs could rest wherever they chose, and people were kind enough to let sleeping dogs lie.
We'd come across snakes once in a great while while walking through prairie dog towns - that is like a bed and breakfast for snakes.
Thanks for dropping by, nice to meet you.
Is THAT what they mean when they say "Let sleeping dogs lie??? I like that bulldog's sense of ownership over the road!
I agree that people are less patient now than they used to be.
(Isn't it strange to be able to say that you remember something from 30 years ago? If I had a better memory, I'd be able to say I remember 50 years ago. oh my...)
Oops! That last comment of mine was for Thomas. The Phosgene Kid and I were writing at the same time.
Thanks for stopping by, TPK (can I call you that for short?)!
I'm sure that prairie dogs are very tasty for a snake - or a coyote - or an owl. My friends watched a coyote pluck one out of a hole once. THAT would be something to see!
Anyway, it's nice to meet you, also!
eek. i had a run in with a snake a few weeks ago. He was eating a frog and i don't think i can ever stand to be around a snake again. They totally freak me out now. I was going to let my son go in the water he was in (earlier that day). Totally freaked me out though. I would have been guarding the car too ;-).
Wayfarer,
I did a search to find out if you have any venomous water snakes in your area. It looks like you don't. But now I have the heebies from looking at all of those snake photos.
What is it about those slithering creatures???
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