You Can't See Me!

  Down by the pier, there is one spot in the marsh that was wallowed out by the folks that came to pound in the posts when we built the pier. These folks were doing a fine job of getting the long poles down in the mud until the driver of their machine got careless.  The huge trackhoe that he was driving slid off the skidder and into the marsh.  Instead of using his brain to figure out how to get the tractor out of the mire, he simply made matters worse by sloshing about the marsh.  Needless to say, by the time a wrecker came to haul the machine out of the mud, a gigantic hole was wallowed.  This was ten years or so ago but the hole still exists.  While, at first, it aggravated me, I soon came to realize that this hole was to our advantage.  It gives us a relatively safe place to secure the small skiff during storms. 

  This spot also gives critters an ideally protected place to rear young. The tide-pool fills with clean water with each rising tide and also is home to a number of different minnows. These minnows become food for many shore birds, otters, turtles and even snakes.  One snake, in particular, finds this area a perfect haven!  A small garter snake has called the wallowed out hole home for quite some time.  Dozens of baby snakes have been born here to let the saga continue.  The one snake, however, had become quite the steadfast friend.  We see this little one almost daily and its fear of us has diminished greatly.  Usually, it will just slither to one side or, as in the case yesterday, the snake will sink under water.  All that can be seen is its little head.  While it thought we could not see it, the snake kept a watchful eye on us.  

  It surprises me just how many folks are scared of snakes.  Yep, some are venomous and can inflict nasty wounds but most are harmless.  We are more threat to them than they are to us.  I can't say there is any snake around the Bayou that would go out of its way to "attack".  They are just not that way.  Most bites are caused by a defensive snake that is being attacked by someone trying to kill it.  Leave the snake alone and it almost assuredly will treat you the same way.  Unless a venomous snake happens to be trying to come inside the Little Bayou House, I am good.  If the snakes stay in the marsh or any place that is deemed "snaky", I am good.  If the snakes are doing what comes natural, I am good.  The little garter snake, while not venomous, was doing all the right things so it is more than welcome to stay in the wallowed out spot of the marsh.  I rather like the little critter.