HILLSPEAKING
from The Anglican Digest
LENT A.D. 2002

IN Wintertidings 1999 (the quarterly leaflet of the Episcopal Book Club), I wrote: “In a quarter-century plus of walking the trails at Hillspeak, I have never encountered a poisonous snake on the pathway.”

That statement held true until this year.

In the course of a late Sunday morning walk last September, I came across a rattlesnake curled up in the middle of the path that leads from the cemetery to the footbridge.  He was not coiled to strike, but rather curled around and over himself and appeared to be snoozing soundly.  He took no notice of me.  Either he had just gorged himself or was water-logged from the previous night's downfall.  I took pains not to disturb him and went on my way.  When I came back over that same route the next day he was gone -- having digested his dinner or dried out or perhaps just finished his nap.

Fortunately, Godfrey was off chasing squirrels or moles or such.  He tends to rush in where older, wiser dogs would hesitate.  Insofar as I know, he still has not met up with a snake and, curiously, he simply ignores turtles.  Deer have become so plentiful around Hillspeak that a good part of the time he ignores them.  Squirrels, however, are a different matter.

Walking the Silver Cloud Trail can lead to some interesting encounters.  One summer morning a year or so ago, Godfrey flushed a rabbit that was so confused as to which way to go he jumped right at me and hit me head on in the pit of my stomach.  Rabbits, I found out, have very hard heads!  He caromed off me and before I could catch my breath or Godfrey could figure out what happened, he was gone.  More recently I was hit on the end of my nose by a very large grasshopper that was having some difficulty with its navigation.  And I have ducked more than once when it appeared a bumblebee was about to hit me between the eyes.

Walks at Hillspeak are delightful, good for the body and good for the soul -- but it's best to be alert all the time