For the last 11 years I have feverishly been watching out for rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, and black widows whenever I am outside hiking, running or even playing with my kids in the back yard. In the same 11 years I have “only” run into a handful of snakes and one mountain lion (which my husband claimed was just a super over-sized cat)!!!
My latest snake sighting was a couple of months ago on my weekly hike with my BFF. A humongous snake was lying very still in the sun by the road we were trekking on in the mountains. We managed to run past it screaming loudly. However, on our way back down the hill we were scared to death when we saw than the snake was still there – lying VERY still and VERY long in the sun – waiting for us!
After discussing for half an hour whether to jump, run or sneak by it – my friend eyed a Fedex truck up the hill. She ran up and convinced the driver that we were both mentally sane, but scared of THE snake.
The Fedex driver was a merciful man and let us jump in his truck, drove us to where the snake was - and stopped! He asked us what we wanted him to do to the snake – which by the way, he identified as a gopher snake….”DRIVE ON” we screamed. And so he did. We got off the Fedex truck in safe distance from the snake.
A little later on our hike we decided to warn a lady walking her dog about the snake further up the road. The dog-walker smiled and said, ”oohhh yaaahhh, I saw that snake a couple of days ago. IT IS DEAD”!!!!!
As you can see; life in the California Wild West is full of dangers. Last night, the list of threats got even longer: TORNADO WATCH.
You know, you shouldn't just take some random dog-walking lady's word for a snake being dead. I think you were very sane and prudent, and your BFF sounds like just the kind of friend we should ALL be lucky enough to have!
ReplyDeleteI heard about the tornado watch, too. But we were really enjoying the hot tub and besides, the weather people are almost always wrong.
ANY idea who this BFF could be Jenna?!?!?!
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