Snakes

Indiana Jones and I have something in common. Our discomfort for snakes. While on the Yuba the other day, I had the fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, experience of crossing the path of not one, but two snakes.

Normally, I'm okay with it as long as it is a comfortable distance away. Even when close, I'm not one to run or scream like a girl, however, I rather not meet them on those terms.

The first snake was pretty small, maybe a foot and a half. He was on the path and I saw him when he was a few steps away. He slithered off and after I took a breath, I continued on. I'm not sure what kind he was, but he didn't seem very threatening. (Yes, I know, the small ones can be bad too.)

The second snake freaked me out. It was late afternoon and I heard a rustle when I looked down and saw a pretty big snake, in both length and girth less than 2 feet away from my boots. Since he was at least 4 feet long, probably even longer, I wasn't feeling very comfy. I froze in that spot and waited for him to saunter off.

Innocent enough. The next thing I know, this guy climbed up the tree next to me in no more than a few seconds. That freaked me out a little. A few more seconds and he was about 7 to 10 feet in the air above my head.

I was not feeling good about that! I darted off and watched from a safe distance as he went from branch to branch seeming to defy gravity. It's one thing to have a snake below you, but when they get above you... Yikes.

When I was younger, I would often float the Ozark rivers in a canoe. Going under branches, you had to be thoughtful of the possibility of a snake in your face or falling in your lap. And yes, it did happen once. A snake fell from a low tree into the canoe at my feet after bouncing off my upper body. Perhaps that was the start of my anxiety. Who knows. Whatever the case, I'd rather not see them unless I'm watching Animal Planet.

Speaking of snakes, there is a video you can watch of a rattler swimming across a lake and trying to get in a guys boat. Not cool! I'm not exactly okay with the guy tormenting the thing, but man, I don't know what I would of done in that situation. It is bad enough when I see snakes swimming around me while wading. I don't want one trying to get in my float tube some day.