I've taken you here before in the recent past and here we are again, though I probably won't return for a while. Sometimes even I tire of the same gorgeous spots. Besides, I wanted to move my trail camera, which took over an hour to reach, turning the outing into a fairly intensive hike with only the creek bed for a trail. As usual there was no creek, just little pools scattered throughout the bedrock.

The snake is a small Blacktailed rattlesnake, the second one I've seen in four days (the other one was quite large, easily twice the size of this one, but I only have phone pics which I can share if anyone's interested--that snake was a beauty). Though I was a dozen feet away and likely would not have seen it as I passed, it rattled to let me know it was there, setting itself up for a five-minute photo session. This kind of rattler really doesn't care to be confronted and retreats readily. This one couldn't even be bothered to keep rattling for five seconds while I shot some videos, though in these photos the rattle is blurred, proof that it DID warn me. The heat-sensing "pit" which makes it a pit viper is easily seen below and in front of the eye.

For those of you interested in trail cam results, I got 456 videos mostly caused by one pesky moving branch which intruded into the right side of the frame, barely, but enough to trigger the camera. There was also a splendid rainstorm with the sun shining, in true NM style. Animal-wise, the leading role was given to a fox who kept running past, always with some new creature in its jaws. There was also a pair of coyotes; the male was running on three legs, favoring his right rear. He looked like old Ted gimping along.

Anyway, hope these give you a smile.

I had a friend in Texas who arose at dawn and went to the front porch, bare footed, to see the glorious Texas sunrise.
When he looked down there was a huge rattlesnake coiled at his feet. He gasped then retreated to get his snake clamp. He caught the rattler and put him in a double burlap sack. He called the taxidermist who told him not to bring him a live snake for mounting.
So, he put the snake in the freezer, locked the freezer and waited for a week. The snake was mounted in a coiled position, then placed on the floor next to the sofa. I sat on the sofa and nearly had a heart attack when I looked down and saw the rattler, ready to strike.