misplaced snake

E. - the E. who was born in Liberia when both of our families lived there in the 1980s, and somehow we ended up in the same little town in State of Happiness lo these many years later - and I climbed the tiny mountain just outside of town today. 

It was that perfect sort of day that is cool in the trees and hot in the sun, and we lingered at the top, lounging on rocks.

Two girls were walking by on the little path just under our rocks when one of them startled and fluttered. 

I didn't believe E. when she said there was a rattlesnake down there, but I looked down, and there was a rattlesnake.

I was... displeased. I have been reassured over and over that there are no rattlesnakes west of the Cascades, and guess what? THOSE JERKS WERE ALL LYING TO ME.

E. took a picture. I stayed far away.

I really hate snakes. 

But at least I didn't jump up on the nearest high object and scream like a frightened toddler.

So then on the way back down the little mountain, I got to tell the story about how I watched episode after episode of Untold Stories of the ER while I was in South Sudan, and one of them involved a doctor who specialized in rattlesnake bite treatment, and his little son was bitten by one, and the kid's mom knew exactly what to do while getting him to the hospital where his dad was on duty, but the dad still had to make a terribly difficult decision about whether to give the kid so much of what might be the wrong anti-venom that it might permanently damage him, or risk him dying of the snake bite. 

It all turned out okay in the end.

(I went back and looked, and for some reason snakes and these crazy Discovery channel shows seem to go together. Also, I really hate snakes.)