So much for the afternoon walk...

In the pursuit of Truth, Justice, and a Waistline, I took the outgoing mail and the dog and headed into town. Only got about halfway there, because I ran into a neighbor coming the opposite direction who said he'd just chased a 2 1/2 foot rattlesnake off the road. OOOkay, no walkies for us.

I've had close encounters with rattlers before, usually of the "see it and quietly back up" kind. The last was on this very same road. Several summers ago, also hot and dry -- they come down from the mountains looking for water, and Boulder Creek (yep, the town's namesake) runs parallel to the road. This one was not sleepily stretched across the sun-warmed asphalt. It had pulled itself upright, as if standing on the last 1/3 of its body, which was rippling at awesome speed, rattling for all it was worth, and heading toward my walking companion and myself. Fast. Very fast. I think they can do 35 mph in short bursts. We skedaddled with equally awesome speed, but noticed in our retreat that it was moving diagonally across the road. Within instants, it had plunged into the grass and poison oak on the side of the road. We kept skedaddling.

A week later, we saw a road-killed rattlesnake in that same area. Someone though there had been two, but no more were sighted.

I think I'll find another way into town for the next oh, few months. Until it cools down.