A walk to the pond is usually relaxing and restoring, except when it’s NOT. Lol Last night as I was going through the gate between the two pastures I kept thinking that I should have brought along my walking stick. My “snake radar” was going crazy because the grass has gotten so tall, and I was feeling a little less than confident. I remember thinking, “I’m either brave or stupid”.
Well the first thing I did was startle three big bullfrogs. I heard one of them croak just as I got to the edge of the pond and then I watched as all of them entered the water. Huge creatures! I hope that I may be able to photograph one this summer. At least I now know their favorite hangout.
I walked slowly along the bank and watched baby fish play in the sunlight. I also kept my eyes on the three or four rocks that I have learned are favorite spots for a turtle sunbath. Sure enough, the last one had two local residents basking in the warm light. But as I snapped off a couple of shots we had an unexpected visitor! He didn’t seem to bother the turtles, but he sure surprised me!
You know I’m not fond of snakes, but my hope was that he was quite content to stay in the water. So I didn’t panic. I just turned back and walked slowly toward home. Not more than five steps later a movement in the water caught my eye and this even larger snake came rushing toward the bank. Well, just for the sake of documenting my story, I took some photos (thank goodness for a telephoto lens), but I was sure thinking about that stick again. And my steps toward home were just a bit faster than usual.
So, next trip down to the pond: I’ll walk softly, but I’ll carry a big stick!
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