Sunday, April 22, 2007

Walk through the clover, and over a bridge

There is a bayou just a short walk from our house, a place I would have called a drainage ditch before I moved here.

A bayou (by-yo) is fun to walk to, because you can stand on the bridge and look down at turtles and snakes and small fish going about their business.
Plus the sound of a bike clattering over the wooden planks is always a nice old fashioned sound.

Right now the red clover is in bloom along the banks of the bayou, mixed in with the pink Evening Primrose. A slight breeze causes the whole scene to ripple like a body of water.


We took a long walk, about an hour, and then headed home along a street. I was walking on the grass, and Bernie was walking on the street, when suddenly he called out: "Snake."

Of course that tells me nothing about where the snake might be, so I usually attempt to levitate about three feet above the soil, like a cartoon character, all the while looking around frantically.

In this case, the snake was a baby copperhead (poisonous critter, even if it is a baby) and it was in the curb area, with its body going straight up against the curb. From where I was, I could just see his little head peeking over the edge of the concrete.

Bernie decided it needed to be "saved" from possibly being flattened by passing cars.

He likes snakes.

I root for the cars.

He grabbed a small stick and urged Baby Copperhead along into the grass and into the bushes. The snake was about a foot long and as big around as a typical hot dog.

Ugh. One baby snake=several baby snakes in my book, plus a mommy and daddy snake.

I think I'm going to go back to riding my bike now that the weather has warmed up a bit.
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10 comments:

Julie said...

Texas is so very pretty!
Except for the snakes!! I hate them, even though ours here are not poisonous.

I was concerned you might be close to the tornado- doesn't look like it from your pictues so I'll stop worrying!!
Thank the Lord you are safe.

Darla said...

Pretty bridge over the Bayou. Actually I guess the snake could be classified as pretty too. I don't mind them when they are pointed out to me but I sure don't like coming across them unexpectedly. They should have to wear bells or something on their sneaky little selves.

Darla

Lovella ♥ said...

I was busy packing my bags with a carry on of rhubarb and now its all unloaded again. I'm scared of snakes. I'm really scared of snakes. yikes.

If I come down I'll have to bring my bike built for two. You could go in the front and I'll go on the back. (i always go on the back. . .you don't have to pedal as hard.)

the clover fields are just beautiful, . .it's just the snakes . . .yikes.

Marie said...

I don't like snakes either! Growing up in Texas, we encountered them everywhere - even in the Heights, Jill - water moccasins in the bayous around here, too.
We call those evening primroses "buttercups" - if you smell them you get "butter" on your nose.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Yeah, you and me both. Yikes.
I'm OK if Bernie is there with me.
I no longer scream like an air raid siren, just a shuddery "eeekkkk."
It's just getting warm enough that the snakes are coming out to get a little sunshine. In a few weeks they will stay underground to keep cool.
Bike for two! Yeah! FUN!
And Julie, keep a thought for the midwest today and tomorrow, looks like tornados are likely. We should be fine though, we're to the south of the system.

Lovella ♥ said...

I saw the huge baseball sized hail on the news this morning. I know Texas is a mighty big state but all the same, lets maybe think about that bike ride another day.

Otis, Indee and Tobee too!! said...

snakes? no sweat. Just keep the boys inside and we'll deal with the varmints

A Lady said...

I don't like baby snakes either. The only baby thing around here is that my Baby Brother came to visit me for lunch. All the other nurses agree. "He's hot."

La Tea Dah said...

Hmmmmmm, the bike is a good idea. We don't have copperheads --- they would scare me too! We have rattlers though, but at least they announce themselves. What a surprise for your walk! I can't believe you had your wits together enough to take a picture! I wouldn't have --- I'd have been a mile away! LOL!

Frank's Girl said...

In New Mexico, they call Bayous "Arroyos." They have fewer green spots, and more dirt, but the idea is the same.

Virginia