More snakes!

Here’s another big cottonmouth in my “backyard”. I’m amazed; I never before saw so many snakes in the hills. This fellow was headed up the creek bank yesterday morning. I guess he had warmed his engines and was off for a frolic in the woods. The blue runner was sunning in the mowed grass of the field. He watched, flicked his tongue, and tolerated me for a while, but he left in a hurry, once he decided to. I have always seen lots of snakes along the bayous, where they leave the water to sun in “public view” on logs and limbs, so their presence doesn’t surprise me. But I am unaccustomed to seeing so many snakes in the hills. Perhaps I am simply out more often, now.

The days of melted GORP

Summer is coming to the hills and bayous; it becomes obvious when chocolate chips in your pack begin fusing the peanuts and raisins into amorphous globs. Such was the case yesterday. I ate my ramen and, wanting something more, pulled out my GORP jar. It was a total melt- down! First time I ever ate my GORP with a spoon; haven’t changed over to a summer formulation, yet. It was a hot session of grass- mowing and I went through a lot more water than I would have expected. When darkness came it was still too hot in the cabin, so I strung up my hammock to sleep outside. I have never camped much in a hammock, but have carried one many times on summer day trips and work sessions. Hammocks are great to rest and cool off during the midday heat. They are light weight, pack small, and are easy to set up. Hammock- camping has become quite popular among backpackers; there are some benefits and some trade- offs to weigh against tent- camping. Among those comparisons, hammocks are cool: much more comfortable than that hot, stuffy cabin. But during the night, the temperature dropped and the humidity increased, and I kicked and scratched for cover the rest of the night… the small- sized foam pad was convenient for packing and my little blanket was lightweight, but I just did not have enough insulation… I guess it’s not really summer, yet.

Cottonback rattlemouth?

This old moccasin was lying in an area I had mowed last week and didn’t seem intimidated by my presence. He just rose up and watched me; didn’t run away and didn’t charge me. He seemed friendly enough; every time I would throw a stick at him, he would wag his tail rapidly. He held his ground, but I wanted him to move so I could better identify him. When I went to look for the proverbial 10- foot- pole, he sneaked away. You can bet I watched where I was stepping when I crossed that area again! I had close visits with three snakes, and I don’t go looking for them; that’s more than I usually see in a whole weekend. I saw a black runner in the camp yard and a large rat snake near the creek.

It was a windy day and, in the woods, it was raining bugs. Inchworms and tent caterpillars were everywhere and were often crawling on me. Something I found strange was that there were no spider webs. Usually, there would be sticky yellow webs stretched across every trail and throughout the woods.

I’m still watching the mayapples

The mayapples are growing, but are still a long way from mature. I continue threatening to put a cage over some, to keep the critters off until I can taste a ripe one. However, I’m not sure how to exclude critters without interfering with the plants.

Meet Toby!

I had a visit from one of my pets in the camp- yard(click the pic for a close- up). This king snake was rather large… must have been 5 feet long. I felt safe getting up close for a picture, since he continued smiling as I crept in on him. He was a beautiful animal, sleek and shiny, with brilliant coloring; he must have recently shed… another evidence of the renewal of life in the springtime. I don’t know where that “Toby” name came from or what significance the name has, if any. My Dad used that name for snakes or snake skins around habitations: “there’s ol’ Toby.”

Bluebonnet swamp

Now that I am working only part- time, I am trying to take advantage of this opportunity to play. The Bluebonnet Swamp area is adjacent to my workplace and, lately, I have been making time to visit. It’s a pretty area, a little patch of wetland, tucked into Baton Rouge’s urban sprawl. I could see it out the window, but their hours always clashed with my work schedule. I’ve been trying to spend some time there, for a long while. The trails are easy to walk, so one can meander though the varied habitats without getting dirty, scratched, or bug- bitten (I suspect that there can be mosquito problems at times, though). Boardwalks keep you out of the water and Gumbo- mud. The Bluebonnet Swamp is somewhat civilized for my tastes, and highway noise is always present. On the other hand, it provides a convenient getaway, and can serve up a quick outdoors “fix” to tide me over until I can get a better reprieve from the city. I’m glad someone managed to preserve this small wilderness before the construction boom gobbled it up, too. Voters renewed the tax last week, to continue development of the local parks and there are other ones I want to visit. Descriptions of this nature preserve and the other facilities are given on the BREC website. They have lots of interesting ambitions, to improve recreational opportunities in the Baton Rouge area. An improvement I have been particularly interested in is rejuvenation of the lakes around LSU and City Park. That project could yield a wonderful sport- fishery, smack dab in the heart of the city.

April fool!

I had a rainy weekend, but it’s mighty pretty in the woods. Everything is greening up rapidly. Unfortunately, part of this flush of spring growth involves crawling ticks and buzzing mosquitoes. That orange fungus was a bright beacon against the green backdrop. As usual, I couldn’t find any springtime turkeys; they walk all around me in the fall, when the season is closed. Then, to make matters worse, there was a hen strolling near the highway as I drove back to town. Perhaps that was another part of the April- fools joke on me.