A snake for Amy

Some of you may be nervous about that title, so yes, there's really a snake (a tiny one!) here today, but lots of other stuff to take your mind off of that, if you're nervous about reptiles.

A bit of a hodgepodge today. I was having coffee a couple weeks ago and looked outside. It took me a minute to focus because I hadn't even had the first sip yet. I did that, then ran for the camera. I didn't care that I was barefoot and the knees of my jeans got soaked in the dew. It was just cold enough overnight to freeze some of the dew or rain. I had fun playing with the camera settings.

Yesterday was a photo ramble in Fish Creek again, down the trail that ends up between bridge 4 and 5. It was lovely! No, really, stunningly lovely. Like this. I'd put an iPhone version of this on Instagram at the time, but this is what it really looked like. This isn't even one of the 4 star images from the day, and a couple of them I'm seriously considering 5 stars.

The path winds down a gully between two big outcroppings. Once the firetruck sirens went away it was peaceful and quiet. The light came and went, and eventually it clouded over, but the scenery was always beautiful. I spent some time sitting on a rock, listening to the creek.

I love walking along slowly, looking around, trying to find a beautiful shot. I'd been looking at the tiny little spring-fed trickle, when my eyes got back on the path and found this little guy less than a foot from by shoes. As soon as I shifted my weight he was off.

One of my Ironman buddies essentially bribed her kids to behaving on race day. She was liberal with her promises. One kid wanted a reptile. I think a python was mentioned. She talked him into a dog instead. (The dog had a long and happy life and recently passed away.) For a while the dog had some intestinal problems. One day the older kid called her at work, and in all seriousness said that he thought the dog had exploded, and what should he do about it? For years after, whenever I heard the dog had problems, I reminded her that she could have had a snake. Nobody has ever called and asked what to do about an exploded snake.

One of my other buddies has a kid, (or kids, I'm not sure) that is/are deeply interested in reptiles. I think she is not quite so sure about this, but is bravely facing the challenge. There was a photo of her that looks like she is getting ready to kiss a lovely boa constrictor.

I first met a snake in person in grade 5. One of my classmates brought in a garter snake several feet long. It took me a bit to work up the courage to hold it. Then many years later, I got a chance to hold a much bigger snake, a python about 5 feet long. It was really cool to feel it's muscles pushing itself along my arm.

The only other snakes I'd met were in my bad dreams. Tree roots turning into snakes. Chasing me. Glowing eyes watching me in the night. I'm glad I outgrew that, or learned to take control of my dreams. When they made me unhappy I'd change them.

Here's the first bit of red I found on the walk. There is more coming. A sea of it, and I don't mean a hockey game. Stay tuned.

I'll leave you with this fun reflection photo.