What happens when you poke a rattlesnake with a stick? Watch!

Not camping with a Timber Rattlesnake on Lake Jocassee!

Timber Rattlesnake!

          What a beautiful day to paddle north - on the wonderful Lake Jocassee. Nathan, my fourteen year old great-nephew and I have all afternoon and evening to do just that, so we do! The weather is mild and a light breeze is flowing across the water, excellent canoeing conditions. We are headed to the small camp site on the right side of the lake.This is a few hundred yards before the lake ends and the Toxaway River roars into the lake rushing around and over the rocky barrier which prevents canoes, kayaks, and boats from going any further upstream. A  suspension bridge crosses over the river and  allows the Foothills trail traffic to safely pass over. A smaller suspension bridge crosses over Toxaway Creek, both bridges bounce and sway when fourteen year old boys cross, as only they can! There is an official camp ground established next to Toxaway Creek and the lake, it hides under a shelter of tall trees. Tables have been set up and fire rings are provided. We hoped to sleep under the safety of the extremely thin rainfly and mesh covering of our individual tents on down the trail to the previously mentioned site, but someone else was setting up camp as we glided by.

First choice view!

          There is no place to tie off your canoe and easily unload all the "STUFF" needed to rough it in the wilds on the shore of Lake Jocassee, but somehow we managed. I had my sweet little heart all set on camping by the lake with a finished view of the day. With that thought in mind Nathan and I hiked over to our first choice just to see what was what, and we found the camp site all set up but no one home. So, we headed back and on the way back checked out another site near the lake but the view is not so good. I walked through this site and standing looking through the trees toward the lake ----- HOLD THAT THOUGHT ---


             


          So there I stand, staring at snake and snake is staring at me. Neither Nathan nor I have a camera with us, he runs to the stuff and gets both our cameras. I'm staying with snake so he doesn't crawl away - really what would I do if snake started crawling away? reach out and touch it! shivers just thinking about touching it! Nathan is back! He hands me my camera, but the snake has already turned his head away from us, what should I do?

Timber Rattlesnake

           Hey! Nathan get me a long stick and I'll poke it, when it turns around I'll get it's picture. If there is a hornet's nest close by I'll hit it too!   SO THAT'S WHAT I DO !!!


                                    Give me a few seconds to get the camera pointed correctly then

                                                                           ENJOY

          https://plus.google.com/105973128876222587821/posts/dursruo2HbJ

       

          In order to see my video of this beautiful snake you will need to highlight the above address and right click, then go down to Open URL and click on it. The video will show up and you can click on it to see what happens!  If that doesn't work for you just type in the address and hopefully that will work.


          So two things definitely not on my bucket list, getting snake bit and getting shot. I think either one would really hurt and cause confusion in my life. I missed a good opportunity to get bit and I am so thankful! God was good to me!

          Because of the snake being at the camp site we quickly decided to set up at the main camping area and enjoy our evening. Built a small fire and roasted some hot dogs, best hot dogs ever! Been a long time since I had had hot dogs cooked over an open fire. Rain started about eight-thirty and we scampered into the tents and stayed until morning light. Slowly paddled back to the boat ramp, no hurry, Nathan fished, no bites, relaxing day spent on a clam lake.

BEST DAY EVER!

          A couple loons were on the lake, some fish jumped, we saw huge fish swimming under us, but nothing was more exciting than the rattlesnake. In the past I have seen bear on two different occasions and seen a few deer, a couple of otter followed me a short ways one day and a family of wood ducks scurried ahead of the canoe early one spring morning. Always good to be on the lake!

          More pictures of Mr. Timber Rattlesnake and then I close.
       

Pretty coloring.

Thirteen rattles?

                 In the woods or on the water,


                 Turtle

     

                     As you can I was able to post just the snake video, will be easier for all to see!

                      This computer stuff hurts my brain!!

Ellicott Wilderness

WE ARE AWESOME!!

          It was a nice day and we had to get out of the house and into the woods! The boy needs to learn to love the great outdoors and there is no better way to do it then to take a hike. We use a three wheeled stroller which moves us along, up and over rocks and roots, across creeks and streams and allows us to either walk or ride on the trail. It is great fun, even though we don't go far. My back pack is filled with diapers and little boxed drinks, small snacks and changes of clothes, wet wipes and toilet paper, knives and fire starter, a survival kit and Nalgene bottles, love and some toys. We don't hurry or gaze at landscapes, we stop and look at sticks, stones, rocks, leaves! We bump, splash, bounce, roll, turn, go we-e-e-e-e! Scream, laugh, talk, sing, stare, smile!  We're together in the woods - What's another mile?


          In the woods,

          Turtle and Hatch

Foggy Mountain

          Seven o'clock in the PM and the sun is shining, I've just finished my supper and am driving toward the foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. My goal is to go to the top of Sassafras Mt. and watch the sun set. I have plenty of time as I head that way. I always enjoy the drive and meander along thinking of nothing original or creative. Today was no different, just today!

          Nearing the mountain top I entered the bottom of a cloud, pretty much took care of  any viewing of tonight's sunset - gray is gray! Not wanting to waste an opportunity to enter the woods, I slipped my sockless feet out of my comfy shoes and hopped my way into socks and hiking shoes. Dark is dark! so I retrieved both my headlamp and flashlight from the day pack and pocketed them in my fleece. I'm guessing the sun was shining above the cloud, I could see well enough to follow the trail with no artificial light and walked from the parking area toward Pinnacle Mt. My desire was not to go far, just far enough to become cocooned by the forest. Mission accomplished! That section of trail is down hill and I would obviously climb up hill to return to the trailhead, did not want to go far. Those who are comfortable in the night woods can feel with me the stop and listen. I stopped in the trail and gazed at the still, dark trees pointing up like tombstones marking leaf covered graves and bones of ancient wildlife. No sound stirred from the ground nor surged around lifeless trees. The night shift had not clocked in, and the day shift were waiting for time to go, all animals - silent! The bugs had no hum nor rub. My ears flexed trying to hear a sound, but there was none. My heart beat and my lungs breathed. I turned back, rustling leaves, then quiet. I returned to the car in the near darkness and in the deadly quiet, taking a splinter of the forest with me.


          In the woods or on the water,

          Turtle



         





         

Lake Jocassee

The Lake

She is quiet this morning.  

No breeze sighing through the trees

No breeze moving the leaves

No breeze stirring the shore

The water lays flat

 The water stands still

The water stays motionless

The sky is cloudy, overcast

The sky hangs low, close

The sky encourages rest, peace

She is relaxing to the soul. 

                                                                         



           toby perry

            3 - 11 - 15                                                                        


                                                                                   

                                                                 

Bald Knob

Huge open rock outcrop on side of Pinnacle Mt. 

           This was my long weekend off from work and I spent it well! Thursday was overcast and  dreary so I stayed home and did pretty much nothing useful. - Don't even have guilt feelings about it! - Friday had been predicted to be a spectacular beautiful day and it was every bit of that. I grabbed Friday by the belt loops, it jumped and jerked, twisted and turned, but I owned it and claimed it as my personal "Happy Happy Happy"! My plan was to hike to the bald rock on Pinnacle Mt. and enjoy the impressive view. Did that, but didn't do it! You're confused? Me too! Got to bald rock and see this sign - Bald Knob! I say, OK, bald knob it is. Don't remember seeing this sign during previous visits to this side of the mountain, but who knows?  Pinnacle Mt. is the highest mountain in SC at 3415 feet, well the highest mountain that is completely within the boundaries of the state of South Carolina. Sassafras Mt. is higher at 3553 feet, but part of this mountain is located in North Carolina. I know this is also confusing, so to simplify things - Sassafras Mt. is the highest point in SC! I hiked up Pinnacle Mt., but did not go to the top, I stopped at Bald Knob!! It would have been a very steep elevation of 566 more feet to peak out.


       

Views from Bald Knob!

          These views are facing southward, the Pinnacle Mt. peak is at my back. A beautiful view from any direction!
           
          This was done the middle of January. OK, now I have so-so caught up and my next blog can be fresh. Have taken many hikes this year, just haven't recorded them.


          Turtle

Cades Cove

Taken from the Cades Cove scenic loop!

          Pictures from a trip my wife and I took the first of October. I have had these waiting to blog about and post, but I have just decided to post these four and move on!


          Turtle

First visit to Lake Keowee and quick stop at Lake Jocassee!

Turtle and Hatch

            We made it to the water! I have been trying to make a trip to the lake with my grandson and slowly acclimate him to the great outdoors, but something has always stopped us. For two whole days he was in my care and I took advantage of both days and we did things. The first day we drove an hour south and visited my Father, he bought us lunch at Mama Penn's in Anderson, SC. My Dad had not seen Wyatt but one time way back when he was a small infant. We had a good visit and one stinky messy diaper, which after the changing and cleaning of Wyatt, Great-grandpa made me take both Wyatt and the diaper with me when I left! So we made it back home in one piece and let Grandmama have the boy the rest of the day.

          Day two started with sunshine and breakfast. We played a while then took that all important morning nap, yes, important to me also! I let him wake on his own time and be ready to go where ever I might lead him! First stop was the local Hardees for hamburger and fries. Gracie and I used to stop here for steak biscuits early in the morning, we would share a couple as we made the familiar drive to Lake Jocassee and a day of canoeing.      Many good memories of Gracie!!    Wyatt didn't complain about lunch so we moved on to the rest of the day. Another hours drive but headed north this time toward the foothills of SC. No canoe strapped on the top of the car and no hiking shoes or trekking poles laying in the back, a diaper bag and day pack held all the necessary gear for a successful walk down to the shore of Lake Keowee.

Cove near Fall Creek Landing

          This is a nice quite spot, a couple of years ago a parking lot was built and the path to the lake was widened and steps were added. The summer months, this place is  full of people enjoying the mountain lake. I discovered this cove many years ago while paddling the illuminated lake on a full moon night. Gracie and I would put in after ten o'clock anticipating the quiet paddle and load up to return home as the sun warmed  us to start a new day. We glided the still waters from Keowee Town Landing toward Fall Creek Landing and would stop here to snack and nap in the cold night hours. When Hatch was born I said this will be one of the first places I show him, after he starts walking. Here we are! You can see the shallow water and nice big sandy beach. Another anticipation of mine is to see this great outdoors through the new eyes of a child, Hatch is my set of new eyes. We just stand looking out over the lake when I spot a mussel opened up and laying in the sand. I pick it up and give it to him, I had no idea that you could study one little mussel so intently.

What is it?

          There ya go! We found one that was still closed and brought it home.  He wasn't real sure about walking in the lake water!

You see the water line right at his toes!

The mud was OK!

           We went ahead and played in the dirt for a little while, new things to see and do!

           You can see by the pictures that they were taken away back in October, I might need to post this blog before it begins to grow green mold!


          On the lake or in the woods,

          Turtle and Hatch