Eyes to See

SNAKE!!!
I was canoeing down the Buffalo River in north Arkansas with my two roommates, Jim and Reid.  It was peaceful and quiet and protected from seeing farms and homes by woods along each side.  At first, we notice the little turtles on branches taking a break from the current in the river.  We actually caught three of them and out them in the bottom of the canoe.  But then, DAMN!  SNAKE!  Reid saw the first one but the coloring of the snake made it blend in with the tree branches.  Reid pointed and I couldn't see it, but then SNAKE! there it was.

Two times we saw snakes curled up in the sand along the bank.  Once you see them, you feel safe.  The snake is over there and I am over here.  But with the bends in the river there were spots where the canoe would drift toward the bank.  If there was a bush or tree branches there, you would drift against them.  You knew the snake could be in the tree.  Once the current moved us rapidly to the left side.  As we looked up an open bank we had caught a snake off guard.  Startled, the snake thought we were coming for it; we were cutting off his path to the water.  But Jim had not seen the snake until it was almost ready to dive into the canoe.  I was in the back and knew the snake just wanted to get into the water.  Jim thought the snake wanted to get into his pants.  Jim screamed.  Reid was in the front and turned in time to see the snakes tail as it dove into the water.  We had escaped.

But we started counting, three snakes, now eight, now 12, now 17, DAMN, now 22.  SNAKES EVERYWHERE!!  There was a log coming up on the right.  And there is a big snake laying full length in the sun.  The snake is about 5 five long and thick in the middle.  Reid says, "I am going to kill it."  Jim and I are saying, "No, don't touch it.  Reid, don't you dare."  But Reid is raising his paddle over his head.  He is going to whack the snake.  At the exact cresendo of the terrifying moment, a turtle in the canoe puts its little claws on one of Reid's toes.  As the paddle is coming down, Reid jumps and rocks the canoe.  Reid, Jim and I are all headed into the water with the snake.  Before I hit the water, I can see the paddle hit the snake right in the middle of its back.  Its mouth flys open!! COTTONMOUTH!!

No one said it but everyone did it -- "Out of the pool, there is a snake in there."