Dropped His Rattles

"The danged thang come straight outta Hell if it came outta anywhere, I tell ya what! A green flash like to cause me to drop m'rattles, and some dumb somabitch perched atop, s'pposedly in control'a the durned thang. Eyebis [Ibis, ed.] it was called. Huh, ibis that's one we won't be see'n ridin' 'round here anymore. Hell, once I realized what was a goin' on I whipped aroun' so fast he probly pissed his pants, I tell ya what!"

"Heck, i'm surprised he didn' fall over paralyzed with fright, or heck, dropped dead not another ten feet along the trail. If there were any real justice in the world…"

"I tell ya what."

"But no, i reckon he'll go on home to tell all his friends 'bout how he rode away unscathed from the biggest, baddest rattler he'd ever chanced upon. Maybe he's one o' them blogsters, goin' to write about it, let them folks who don't need t' know 'bout it, all know about it. You know what I mean, son. Hmmmmph."

"Gettin' so a snake cain't cross the trail in peace anymore, without some durned fool a tryin' to imprint his tire tracks across m'backside. How's that for respect? I tell ya what - it ain't in the least bit!"

"Justice, huh? Hows about just a little respect. I cain't get so much as a smidgen of the one, let alone t'other."

You can just make him out in all that buckwheat. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a certain knack for crossing paths with the rattle-tailed creatures. While I believe this dude was smaller than the behemoth that lives atop Telegraph Peak, it isn't by much, and puts him safely in the number two position. 

There I was, just starting the dirt portion of the Cross Town Loop in the evening - I had hopped off the paved Thompson Creek Trail and onto the dirt trail of Powerline when I suddenly happened upon the dude heading across the path. In the second it took for my heart to skip a beat I threw the bike to the right, and narrowly missed crushing those beautiful rattles. In all the instantaneous confusion, I am sure the creature was convinced he was being attacked and swung around faster than you can imagine possible. As I came to a stop and swung around for a photo I glanced down at my leg just to make sure. Trying to look impressive before another rider on the TCT, I was carrying a little extra speed this time; if I had been going just a little slower, he might very well have got me.

It is unlikely he will be at the same spot twice, right?