A few years ago I was observing my wife while she was working in the garden. She introduced me to something I call the "Spider Dance". Although she studied ballet when she was young I don't think there are any dance prerequisites to learning the "Spider Dance". The Spider Dance involves wild disorganized girations and contortions, crazy uncoordinated jumping and arm flapping. Apparently she had walked into a large spider web that was attached to the side of the garden shed in our back yard. Her frantic attempt to make the spider (that might or might not have been on her body) fall off was a real hoot and the subject of much mirth since then.
Well, yesterday evening I experienced what one might call a "Snake Dance". I was on the farm walking back toward the jeep so that I could go home. I had checked on the bees, strawberries and fruit trees and I had watered the recently planted wildflower plots. As I was passing in front of the machine shed I noticed movement beneath my feet and thought "I'm about to step on a snake". I am sure it looked like I was practicing a modified Irish jig in my attempt to not step on the snake. The snake was extremely angry at me, it hissed, it coiled, and it vigorously shook its skinny little tail as it assumed a very aggressive posture. But there was no buzzing sound, which made me think twice about dispatching it, no questions asked. Even the little massasauga rattlesnake that my mom and I crossed paths with one day made an audible buzzing sound with its tiny little buttons. I took some pictures and did a quick Internet search and determined that it was a yellow spotted king snake. It was a beautiful specimen about 3 to 4 feet long that I left in peace. Too bad no one was around to observe my little dance.
