Consider it a friendly gesture...

Day hike gone bad!!

About a week ago I had an afternoon off and debated what I wanted to do with my day. I've been wanting to hike this little mountain near our home for a while, but never do because I am too afraid to do it alone. You see I have this intense fear of snakes. I think my mom passed it on to me, but even seeing them at the zoo makes me cringe. The thought of running into one horrifies me. After much contemplation including phone calls to other friends who hike alone and my husband's reassurance that I will be fine, I decide to go. I am going to conquer my fear at last. As I am driving to the site of where my destiny awaits me I am feeling a bit uneasy. Thoughts are rapidly flooding my head with worst-case scenarios. As I arrive I notice there are not mnay hikers out, granted it is Thursday about noon. I say a little prayer that I will be safe and not have any snake encounters and head up the mountain. I decide to listen to my IPOD, quietly so I can still hear any rattlesnakes within a ten-foot radius. About fifteen minutes into my hike, low and behold, there is a sprawled out rattler across my path. I came about six inches from stepping on it. Just as I stepped close to it I heard the rattle and the tale kind of did a little swivel thing. From what I saw, the snake was about twoa nd half feet and two inched apart, but that was only part of the body. I din't see the head, darn!
I remember Zac telling me, "If you do see a snake, which you won't, just back up slowly and go the other way." Luckily I remember this wise counsel and I start to creep back a few steps before I book it down the hill as fast as I can. I wet my pants and rolled both ankles a couple of times, but I made it down alive. I was praying out loud that I would not run into another predator and that the one I just interrupted would forgive me.
When I called Zac to tell him the news, he didn't believe me. I've cried wolf so many times in our marriage that he thought I was just kidding with him. After much convincing and nearly yelling to get him to believe me, what does he do? He laughs, and laughs, and laughs. He thought it was hilarious and said, "Well consider it a friendly gesture of the snake to warn you that he was there."
What did I learn that day? Don't listen to your husband when it comes to overcoming fears. I should listen to my gut feelings and they were telling me the whole time not to go.

Oh yeah, since this experience I swear I've seen a hundred snakes in the road while driving, walking and I even thought I heard one under my bed.

Unfortunately the news on TV is a little too late because in the past couple of days I have seen three reports of people getting bit by rattlesnakes here in Arizona. They say it is snake season. That would have been nice to know a week ago.