by Donna Lewis
Yes, all kinds of native grasses, flowers, and animals are up and getting ready for the new year. Love is in the air. So, you need to be alert and watch where you put your hands and feet.
Animals do not understand boundaries. If you live in the country or the city, the entire earth is in their hood.
Yesterday, I was putting my truck up under the carport. I stepped out and put my foot down to see a snake about two inches from my foot. I know to be still and look at the head to first ascertain if it is a poisonous snake. But even so, the alarm button went off in my head as soon as my mind said SNAKE! I think that is natural.
Luckily, during a talk for our Master Naturalist group, I knew this snake to be a non-poisonous Eastern Hognose snake. A short but stocky very nonaggressive snake that eats mostly frogs. Since I like frogs, I hate that part.
This snake has a neat way of self-preservation. If it senses danger, it rolls over in a tight coil, hangs its tongue out and throws up.
The other thing it will do is hiss and spread its head up like a tiny Cobra. A very interesting small snake common in Central Texas.
I asked Dr. Paul Crump to correctly identify this snake for me.
The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with nature. –
Joseph Campbell
Nature Along the El Camino Real 