Snakes? No thanks.

There are times when I wonder why I like rural areas. I was not born in a small town, I have never worked on a farm, nor do I want to, but there is an attraction to many of the sites you encounter when you leave the big city.

One of the reasons I don’t like to hang out in rural areas has to do with snakes and other creatures that live amongst the corn, soybeans, and other crops. I was once visiting a horse stable and out of the hay slithered a nice big multi-colored snake. You would have thought the world was coming to an end based upon my response. Not a scream, it wouldn’t come out, but a complete freeze---one that would not have allowed me to run away even if I wanted to.

There was also the time when I was at a sales meeting when it became known of my complete fear of these disgusting reptiles. We had roommates at the meeting, and for some reason my roommate thought it would be funny to place a long rubber black snake on my chair as I sat down to eat. Granted the dropping of my plate did create a lot of well-deserved laughter, but it was his scream when I snuck into the bathroom as he was showering --and let that same rubber snake slither down into the tub--- that gave me the appropriate payback. No one heard it, but I did. I could not have been happier.

The knowledge of this fear has made me the brunt many practical jokes; I have a friend who was kind enough to look for opportunities where snakes would be found and then joke that we would see one. For example, we were on a golf course in the Arizona desert---he made sure we played during the time when rattlesnakes were known to be found on the course. Luckily we didn’t see any, but I had a club in my hand at all times incase we did. I paid him back in a very fun way---if he is reading this blog he will know what the flight attendant calling him is all about.

The photo above is one of the most beautiful pictures I have been fortunate to take of a barn. Off of a highway in Ohio, I pulled off the highway, checked to make sure there were no semi-tractors heading on to the shoulder of the road, and took several pictures. The colors of the season, in combination with the blue roof and tractor, really made this picture a photo. Oh, and not having a snake pop out from brush helped me make sure I didn't drop my camera and run.

Thanks for stopping by.