Predator

So. I've experienced "Predator!"

Remember the show "Predator?" Although my memory may not be accurate, picture this scene:

"Walking in dense foliage, you sense the movement and rustling through the leaves is not just the breeze. You analyze the patterns, and note what seems like a slight pixelation of the bushes and branches that move and surround you, quickly dashing from underbrush to canopy in seconds, yet unseen."

Ok.

Here's my foliage:

Here's my story:

Walking the dusty dirt road, I noticed an interesting rock, at least my old eyes thought it was interesting. I stopped and took one step with my left foot off the road towards the special rock:

Just as I put my foot down, I heard, "Zing! Phlat! Zing! Phlat! Zing!"

I'd never heard a "zing" before, and I could see nothing but a directed wave of what little grass existed. My eyes tried to follow the sound, but I saw nothing until the third Zing! 

As my head turned to follow the zing, I saw a beige stripe along the vertical line of a green, pointy tail slither between the eroded rocks, into a hole to hide.

Two seconds. It happened so fast, I didn't have a thought to scream, and I'm a screamer. I stepped back quickly and held my hand to my chest, catching my breath.

I called Pooka to walk back to the car, where my husband had just arrived to jump start my van whose battery had died while I listed to an interview on Rhetoric —  a "Cresent Bay NPR Moment." 

Whew. That could have been a different moment.  Yes, there are snakes, tons of them, in our area, but I usually spot them.  I had no idea snakes could travel that fast — a predator I don't want to meet again. 

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Reflect curiosity and wonder --Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness...Friday Posts after August, 2011 are part of #TFotoFriPosts from June through August, 2011 are part of the #JJAProject Group on Flickr:#JJAProject