TheBanyanTree: snake story

[Tom Smith]

Signs with a coiled snake in a triangle advised CAUTION at all
park entrances.  I had walked the trails of this well-used
urban natural openspace area hundreds of times without seeing a
snake of any kind.  

I did not want to see any rattlesnakes after hearing stories of
their bites containing digestive enzymes that dissolved flesh,
antivenom treatment that cost thousands of dollars and pain
levels registering 12 on a scale of 10. 
 
The odds of hitting a jackpot though go up with the number of
coins gambled, and on one early February morning walk I saw
directly in my path what I thought was a straight stick of
wood, that as I drew closer developed a triangle-shaped head on
one end, with yellowish triangular lines tapering to a
segmented tip on the other.  

I cautiously walked around what I now knew to be a rattler, to
the tail-side.  The snake remained motionless.  I saw no
injuries.  I took the Olympus C-700 ultra-zoom camera out of
the case on my belt and got shots from about 10 ft away.  

I noticed in the distance a jogger coming and thought I had
better stay to warn him, knowing joggers are sometimes lost in
their own world, having been in that world myself for many a
mile.  When the jogger showed no signs of seeing the snake at
about 40 feet distance I pointed and yelled "RATTLESNAKE!!"  

The jogger stopped immediately, walked around the same end of
the snake that I had, and said, "Thanks!  You just saved my
life."  I never thought I had done anything that good, but must
admit I felt happy.

People with dogs, lawfully and wisely on leashes, approaching
from behind me abruptly reversed their direction.  The snake
slowly moved in the direction he had been pointed, into
underbrush, and disappeared.

Photo at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9482738@N07/4670667584/