Departing Hollenbeck Draw This Afternoon
What’s that in the road?
Oh. . . nice buttons.
I’ve been all over these hills for the last couple of days. I saw a horned toad yesterday and a couple of lizards that were too fast to photograph. But I hadn’t seen any of these. It was annoyed, coiled and hissing. I was in the pickup leaving. All I had with me was the camera and the puppy. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity. The photos aren’t very clear. I wasn’t getting any closer, sorry!
August 26th, 2005 at 7:41 pm
Damn, that is one sorry looking “road.”
August 26th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
We’ll be down to visit you right around the 30th of February.
August 26th, 2005 at 9:34 pm
WOW. I’d say you were just a little bit TOO close already! Great pic, though!
August 26th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
And here I thought my wife was in Florida all this time, I guess she wasn’t today, photographic proof!
August 27th, 2005 at 6:55 am
Grouchy looking fellow. It was time to leave. You gotta remember to throw your shovel in when you head to the boonies..bonnie
August 27th, 2005 at 9:33 am
I’d be using a zoom-lens, sooo scary!
August 27th, 2005 at 9:39 am
Um. I don’t think so.
Mr. H.K.
Postcards from Hell’s Kitchen
And I Quote Blog
August 27th, 2005 at 10:21 am
I agree with Bonita–this is a good reason to invest in a telephoto lens.
Although if the fellow in question is like his Arizona counterparts, the Diamondbacks (our baseball team, not the reptile), you’d have nothing to fear–the Sankes just finished a home series with the Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York (which is the actual name of a team most folks call the New York Mets) in which they were outscored 36-10 over the four losses.
In fact, the club was recently given custody of a child who had been suffering from severe physical parental abuse–on the grounds that the Diamondbacks couldn’t possibly beat anybody. ;=)
Kirk (”I’m melting!!!)
August 27th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
Yep! I’d say that was close enough Moos! Ya know, you were in one big weapon. I once ran over a big fat water moccasin that was laying across our driveway. I was in the car with my two baby boys and my MIN and no other weapon but the car.
August 27th, 2005 at 3:48 pm
Okay - I’ll be honest. I’ve spent the last few days out here on foot. There were people on the ridge watching me as I left. I did look in the back of the pickup - and there was a shovel. I chose to shoot it only with the camera. Anyone who knows me - knows that this was one lucky rattlesnake. But I thought that I’d spook the fencers. Or maybe get locked up for killing the thing in plain sight of witnesses.
Jim - That part of the “road” is wonderful.
mtpolitics - Chicken.
Thanks David - It’s called zoom.
PC - If I’d known, the fencing crew would have seen how handy I am with an irrigating shovel.
Bonnie - you know me better than that!
Bonita - I know, if I had my old OM-1 with the long lens - it would have been a better photo.
Mr. HK - What?!
Kirk - That was bad.
Babs - I know - but do you know how deep those ruts are? My weapon of choice is a shovel, I have used an ax in a pinch.
August 27th, 2005 at 10:46 pm
How do you get close enough to whack the snake with a shovel without it striking you? Do you aim to chop it’s head off, or just wildly chop at whatever you can hit till it stops moving? You must have a firm strategy by now, and developed your own technique. You seem to have a lot of confidence out amongst them. Linn
August 28th, 2005 at 10:54 pm
I remember my Dad killing a rattler with an irrigating shovel. Not something that I would ever do. I would have done the same thing you did. Shot the guy with my camera and leave!
-Brenda
August 29th, 2005 at 7:12 am
Okay, I googled it. You use the shovel to chop the head off. I would never have the nerve. Snakes just freak me out, even tiny garter ones. Our puppy learned to sever the garden hose yesterday. She decided it didn’t need a sprinkler at the end anymore, and had so much fun, the hose now has 4 ends. Linn
August 29th, 2005 at 12:53 pm
Girl, you and your snakes.
One of the kittens had a baby snake out on the back porch the other night. Tinier than the “copperhead” I took a pic of during the summer, but still a snake. Ew. Mr. Diva smashed it with a hammer. Double Ew.
Frankly I’m tired of the snakes we’re experiencing this year. 3 at the house is 3 too many.
August 31st, 2005 at 11:35 am
It’s a beauty!
September 5th, 2005 at 2:00 pm
yeah, that was close enough
it does look very annoyed