Changing Attitudes

As I was about to hop the guardrail to capture some fall foliage I happened to notice this water snake lying in the leaves and rocks.

Growing up as a Farm boy I learned about the good and the bad animals. Good animals were comprised of livestock along with wild animals used for food, commonly known as game. The list of Bad creatures was fairly long and included any wild animal or bird that may kill a chicken such as skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, hawks, owls, and weasels along with most types of rodents and any other wild animal with no obvious useful purpose. At the very top of the Bad Animal list were snakes.

Snakes of all kinds were to be loathed, detested, and killed on sight. Was not the only possible reason God created such a loathsome creature was to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden? Besides doesn’t the Bible say “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”? Killing snakes fulfills our part of this ancient curse and on occasion a poisonous snake, given the opportunity or sufficient provocation will certainly fulfill his end of the bargain.

As I maneuvered for a close up shot my hand dropped to the rocks. Choosing a couple of pea sized pebbles I gently tossed them toward the snake to bring her into “Battle Position”. At the toss she made one quick strike and then assumed the position I was looking for. A few moments later she quietly made her escape into the creek a few yards below, never understanding that she was in absolutely no danger and that her reaction was exactly what I was looking for,

Another

“Country Capture”