SNAKE!!

OK… OK… OK… I’m finally clearing my schedule to write this trip report. It’s long overdue, and my sincere apologies are in order. These pictures are a combination of a few trips to GMR with MikeDOTB. We met thru this website while planning a trip to PCS and GMR. He’s turned out to be a great guy who has a huge heart for people and a great knowledge of this hobby. I’m honored to call him a friend. Mike, thanks for showing me GMR. Enough of the mushy stuff… onto the trip report. Like I said before this is a combination of a few trips to GMR, but 90% of these teeth came from the past two trips. Mike has done a great job of giving the details to our trips so I will refer you to his trip reports for more information. He did leave out one story, but I think he did that on purpose. I’ll call it the “snake story.” It’s really not a big deal, but it sure was scary at that moment. This is for you, Brad. :) Mike and I had been screening in GMR all day. The sun was on its way down, but we still had plenty of light to work with. We are both wearing waders, but due to a bad back and bad knees (Thanks, Dad, for the great genes!!!) I find it much easier to sit down and sift thru the material after loading up the screen. It’s nice because my body doesn’t soak up all that great GMR water while sitting on a submerged rock. Mike was standing about 30 feet upstream from me going thru his screen. I was sitting down on a rock with the water level flush to my lap (I hope that makes sense). While minding my own business and looking for a huge meg, I feel something move over my lap. At first I didn’t think anything of it because we’ve been dodging sticks and logs floating from upstream all day long. I look down and there is a brown snake slithering over my lap and going down between my legs. All I can do is lean back and kick my legs up (slowly) and yell “SNAKE!” Within a matter of two seconds Mike grabbed his shovel and cleared 30 feet of water. I look up and he is standing right next to me asking “where is it” and “what color was it?” It disappeared as fast as it appeared. We never saw it again. When I think about it I can still feel its little body sliding over my leg. Unlike Mike I HATE snakes with a passion!!! The funny/odd part is that the day before I read the thread about the “local fauna” where everyone was talking about running into snakes and alligators. Happy Hunting, John