I am silly scared of snakes, probably as a result of my first encounter, at an impressionable age with a Massassauga Rattle Snake. As a young kid I went to a Y camp located just outside of Parry Sound, Ontario. The first day of camp as part of our orientation we were told about snakes and to leave them alone. There was no fear put into the orientation but it was made clear that we could get hurt and that if anyone was bitten to make sure to report it, no questions asked. Now remember this is a girls camp, so there really wasn't any danger of most of us willingly picking one up. The warning was because we were visiting in the land of the Massasauga Rattle Snake a snake with a bad rap. Anyway that was my intro to snakes and being a girl with other girls, when one screamed you all screamed at the sight of a snake!I am a very observant walker. I worked as a research assistant in the bush for many years not because of my knowledge but because I do not miss much. I see things most people don't and I can orient myself and I have this memory that knows how to get from here to there along the exact same route from year to year.
A week ago as we were walking in the Park I was surprised by a garter snake on our path. Ziggy and the dogs had walked right over him but I saw him and did my little panic dance. Once I know he's there I am fine. Today I looked for our snake cause we were on the same path and the frogs are singing in the swamp. Sure enough on our trip back from the lake the dogs walk past and Ziggy steps on the snake in the path which I see. It is early and cool still so he is slow and because I know he was stepped on I am not sure he is alive. I bend down to look, not touch , no way and this beautiful red tongue starts to flick around. The dogs are oblivous and as a result are stressing out the snake because they are getting to close and then Ziggy decides to pick him up and he is wriggling all over. That's when I notice he is hurt, probably from getting stepped on. I ask that the snake be put down and then demand it. The poor fella is hurt and stressed out and here we are man-handling him.
Ziggy tosses him in the bush (I would have placed him on the ground if I had picked him up at all). All the way back to the car Ziggy's going on about, what was he doing on the trail and why is he out this early etc, etc. Three hours later I am still thinking about that poor fella....me, Carolyn worrying about a garter snake. My how things have changed.
