Two meat Tuesday I’m continually amused at the objective journalism that is practiced in my own, home state. I read two headlines, one from the Houston Chronicle and one from some other local paper. The Houston paper’s headline, ran across the whole page, and it suggested that “DeLay EXPECTED TO STEP ASIDE” whereas the other paper’s headline was more like, “DeLay is outta there.” Same data, different wording. Means something. Or, as I suspect, “Houston, we have a problem.” (Which, I might add, for my half-dollar? The Houston paper is better.) The Discovery Nature: I was on a shaded portion of the trail, and there was a gentle incline, more like a 45-degree bank, covered with green plants and dead live oak leafs. I heard a rustling and upon inspection, I noted that there was the snake with a toad wedged in its mouth. Just common sense, unless your name really is “Bubba,” don’t try to eat something bigger than your head. The snake was close to two feet long, and while it’s not the largest one I’ve seen here, it was a good size for that species, which, if I recall tends to be about 18 inches. Several lines running down its back, one bright read, and it would tend to blend perfectly with the ground cover. Unless that snake was struggling with prey. The snake did something that really amazed me, it held that toad, one toad eye still blinking at me, in its wee garter snake jaws. I’m sure the snake was thinking “leave me alone, I’m busy,” but I persisted, trying to catch just one good shot of the scene. I was scampering up the hill, trying to mess with the camera’s controls, and aiming for the snake. The snake had its jaws wide open, locked around a toad, and it wasn’t exactly a small toad, either. The little snake, little to me, was working its way up the hill, holding that toad aloft, too. That’s what was so amazing, the toad, in the snake’s grip, a full six inches above the ground. I can imagine what that snake was telling its little friends, too, “It was this big, and I had it, until some pesky guy came along. Wouldn’t leave me alone. Damn journalists!” I don’t recall, but I don’t think that a garter snake can unhinge its jaw like a constrictor, and swallow that toad. I really do figure the toad was too much. But to see the snake carrying that critter up hill? I”m reminded of impossible battles, and here was another example, in nature, about trying to fight the good fight. Ultimately, the snake let it go, but not after carrying that frog up the hill. I’ll try to rescue the images this weekend, but I’m not holding out high hopes. Musical notes: Southern California:
I was going to save this for a horoscope, and at some point, I might still use it. I’m crushed because the little card that holds the images isn’t letting go of the images, and I think this is another broken camera, but I’m not too surprised – I’m hard on equipment. The deal was, I had a couple of pictures of a Garter Snake – a respectable size snake – trying to eat a toad.
Then the Dead Kennedy’s cycled up on the musical interchange. I really shold be listening to something a little more mature. Then again, maybe not.
Boom – boom (out go the lights)
Laeti edimus qui nos subigant!
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