First Snake of the Season

[clifty_man]

I was searching for my bird feeder, which apparently a coon or something had carried off, when I noticed that a couple of the dogs were worried about something.  I looked where the dogs were looking, and there was this snake sunning itself after a cool rainy night.  It looked scary at first, with a fat body like a poisonous snake might have.  But

Comments

[clifty_man]

I have to confess that I was a little nervous; any snake bothers me. The camera was about 4 feet from the snake, maybe a little closer.

[xerhino]

I think I recall seeing one on Indian House Bluff many years ago. You mentioned the spreading hood/head. My First impression of it was that spreading in a cobra-like fashion meant that the snake and I were immediate enemies. I'm glad you educated me about that.

I would assume

[baelzar]

...that the snake was about to start flying and run get my tennis racket.

[chairtomorrow]

Hognose are the worst-tasting animal I have ever eaten. Here in WI, they eat almost nothing but toads and you can tell. Your dogs are lucky (though it was disgusting enough a dog might have loved it.)

[zoldang]

I like the transition, from frightened dogs and scary things to "That made me
happy, because hog-nosed snakes are very entertaining snakes, and I hadn't seen
one for years."

I imagine this could work well in movie form too, with protagonist boy/girl
scared stiff, scary music score welling up, and the audience about to piss
their own pants... and then suddenly out of nowhere there's a jolly Ozark
mountain man, clearly at one with nature, picking up the snake and saying "Hey
lookit that! Haven't seen one of these in ages! Don't worry, he's harmless.
Now, see, if you look at (etc, etc)..." All joviality, and happy banjo music.
Sort of a transition point for the protagonist being afraid of nature in the
first part of the movie and comfortable with nature in the second part,
overdone in the style of Hollywood maybe just a little. What with the new
3D movie experience, a nature epic could work well, snakes, cougers, cliffs,
and all.

[clifty_man]

Cue the Deliverance banjo music. "Don't worry, he's just a jolly Ozark mountain man."

I do find copperheads around here, and I don't pick them up.