Snake!!!

rattler
Originally uploaded by texasrobo

So while doing a reconnaissance survey (meaning no shovel tests) today, I stopped for some shade under a big oak tree. I was standing there cooling off and wondering if I was hidden from the road well enough to pee. All of a sudden, I notice this little bugger out of the corner of my eye. Of course, I exclaimed "Oh Shit" and ran about 10 feet away, heart pounding. He didn't move a muscle. I don't know how I finally noticed him, as he's pretty well camoflauged. For a few seconds, I thought about killing it (there were some big rocks nearby). Every time someone tells me they saw a rattler in the field, I ask them if they killed it. But it didn't seem right, since it wasn't aggressive to me. So I took a picture (using the full zoom lens) and went on my way. I paid a lot more attention to my feet while under tree from that point on!