Warming a Friend
I was hiking today in Eno River Park. Trying to drop a few pounds due to my doctor being insistent on that point. And lo and behold, I came across a friend I associate a lot more with summer hiking than winter.
At first I wasn't sure if the lovely snake was alive or not. There was a bad flood here two weeks ago and plenty of dead critters can be found on the banks of the stream. But when I touched him there was a very slight shiver evident. So I picked him up.
Once I'd held him for 30 seconds or so he started to warm up enough to show interest in his surroundings, namely me. Before he decided to make a snack of me---a little unlikely due to our relative sizes, but still---I figured I'd put him back down in a sunny spot where he'd stay warm for a little while longer.
And so there he is, making his way amongst some roots. But given the chilly temperatures---at least for a cold blooded critter like a snake---I doubt it'll be long before he's all curled up and dormant again.
It was a short relationship, maybe 4 minutes in length, but at least I have some pictures to remember him by. :-)
At first I wasn't sure if the lovely snake was alive or not. There was a bad flood here two weeks ago and plenty of dead critters can be found on the banks of the stream. But when I touched him there was a very slight shiver evident. So I picked him up.
Once I'd held him for 30 seconds or so he started to warm up enough to show interest in his surroundings, namely me. Before he decided to make a snack of me---a little unlikely due to our relative sizes, but still---I figured I'd put him back down in a sunny spot where he'd stay warm for a little while longer.
And so there he is, making his way amongst some roots. But given the chilly temperatures---at least for a cold blooded critter like a snake---I doubt it'll be long before he's all curled up and dormant again.
It was a short relationship, maybe 4 minutes in length, but at least I have some pictures to remember him by. :-)
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