A Friend, A Walk, and A Rattlesnake!

I have had the wonderful pleasure of spending the day with my dear friend from Cairo. Karen and her husband, Fred, have retreaded from teaching at the American University in Cairo to another chapter in thier lives serving the Lord from Laveen, AZ. They spent over 20 years teaching and ministering in Cairo! She and I just clicked from the moment we met; she was leading a tour of Road 9 and I was  new to Maadi.  Over the months that followed we attended Bible Study together, went out often for coffee, prayed for our children, and explored Cairo. 

I drove the highway to Laveen--about an hour from where I live. It was a nice drive on the beautifully landscaped Arizona highways to Laveen-a city with a rural, small town feel nestled at the feet of the rock strewn South Mountains. We ate lunch at a quaint farm restaurant that serves soups, salads and sandwiches. It was an unusual day because it was overcast. There are about 3 days without sun per year in Phoenix! As we sat down at a table outside, the clouds dropped a few well placed raindrops on our lunch. Fortunately, sun umbrellas were available and we rolled it open, covering our table, and us and our food! The rain lasted about as long as it took to raise the umbrellas!

After lunch, Karen took me to South Mountain Park.  It is stark in its beauty, and of course very desert-y.  The rain and sun previously in the week helped to produce the beautiful blooms just opening and painting the normally brown and tan desert in beautiful shades of yellow, with splashes of pink, purple, orange, and white cactus flowers.  I saw several cacti with pretty blooms so I stepped off the path to capture them on film.

 Karen kept reminding me that I should keep my eyes open as I was off the path in the sand and rocks ... because this is the time snakes appear. I told her several times that I was keeping my eyes open wide because I really wanted  to get a photo of a snake in its natural habitat!  I knew I was making her nervous so I came back to the path and we walked some more.  

Her husband, Fred, likes to ride his bike and his motorcylce off road in the mountains.  As the path curved a set of mountains came into view. She pointed, saying that those mountains were known as the Four Peaks and that was where Fred liked to ride.  

What happened next was crazy! She was pointing; I was looking, and we both heard the unmistakable ‘Whirrrrrr’ of a snakes rattle!  For a nano second, we froze like rabbits in a Red Hawk’s shadow.  Fear propelled us forward, but curiosity had us looking around to see where it was coming from. Incredilbly, we apparently had stepped OVER the snake as we were looking up at the mountains! 

The snake lay across the PATH, not out in the rocks and sand!  I took a few steps toward the snake, holding my breath that he would not turn and chase me.  I wanted that photo!  Accommodating snake that he was, he just lay there and let me take his photo! He was about 3 feet long and he had 12 rattles on his tail!  

I learned a valuable lesson this day, and  gained a new respect for the danger of the desert!   I am  very fortunate that this turned out the way it did.  I am thankful the Lord was looking out for me!   I thought it was ironic that Karen  warned me about snakes in the rocks and brush and our encounter was on the PATH~