Yesterday, we’d had enough. After the marathon of phonecalls over the new baby, we just couldn’t cope with the phone. So, when lunchtime came around, Dan and I grabbed waterbottles, apples. pen and paper. Off we went to Lathrop Park. It’s only 3 miles down the road, and we have a park pass. So, we drove out and climbed up on our favourite rocks.
We worked for a bit and then climbed around on the rocks for a while. There are all sorts of bowls and hollows carved by wind and water. In one of them was an area big enough to lay down. We were looking at that when Dan suddenly said, “Jaye, Don’t look!” Too late. I saw the snake. ::::shudder:::: However, Dan looked again and said that it was only a bull snake. It was about 7ft long. Not that this made my jitters much better, but it helped. I went around to another section of rocks while Dan took pictures.
We went back to working for a while, ate lunch and while we were eating, we heard someone coming up the trail. By the time we looked, the hiker was about 50 yards away heading up the hill. It was Dad!
We finished about as much as we could do without computers and headed back to the car. Dan saw this cactus which was blooming.
We walked down by the amphitheater and onto the road heading to the parking lot. Now, after one snake sighting, I’m looking for them. I Don’t Like Snakes. I’m looking from side to side. No snakes,… no snakes…no… OH! MY! GODS! RATTLESNAKE!!!!!!!! just to the right of me. I must have jumped 3ft in the air and 3ft to the left all at the same time. Nearly landed on Dan who was in the left hand rut. Dan of course went back to look at the snake which was rattling for all he was worth.
He was one pissed off snake. Dan was afraid to leave him that close to the road, so he got a branch and moved him up under a treel. That snake was really pissed then. Once Dan was done, we walked back to the car and headed to the ranger station to tell them that there was a snake that close to the campers area. Lathrop has LOTS of rattlers, but that is a very public place and not a good spot to have a peeved snake.
::::SHUDDER:::::
We went home after that, and as my brain was good for nothing, we headed to Pueblo to do some of the grocery shopping.