Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A Rattle you DON'T want to Hear!

The other night I was getting ready to head out for a run, when I decided to give the ladies (our hens) some fresh hay in their nesting boxes.
I headed into the barn.
I didn't want to spend a lot of time with it, and since the hens don't need our best hay (which is reserved for the horses to eat) I decided to just grab a busted bale towards the front.
Right as I grabbed the bale, I heard a rattle.  A rattle I hadn't heard since my days of riding horses in the gravel pits of Texas.  Yes, it was THAT kind of rattle.

Now you may or may not know, but Virginia has timber rattlers in the mountains.
Timber rattlers are shy snakes.  We've lived here for years and I haven't encountered one yet, but I know they are out there, and certainly have friends who have crossed their paths while hiking.
Here is a google image of a timber rattler.
Note how nicely they blend in.

Now as soon as I heard the rattle, my eyes started scanning, I dropped the hay in my arms, and I slowly started backing away from the hay.
The hair on my arms stood up.  Just a little bit.
And as I walked backwards, the rattle got LOUDER.
Why was it getting louder?
Quickly I looked to my sides, and twisted to look behind me, as I continued moving AWAY.
I couldn't spot the rattler anywhere.
And then as the volume increased yet again I had a realization.
The reason it kept getting louder?
Because it was on my Ipod.
That's right.
I was listening to some tribal music for my run, that had rain sticks incorporated in.
Lucky me, the rain sticks just happened to pick up right as I scooped up that hay.
Go figure.
Well, that was one way to get my adrenalin pumping for my evening run!

I'm linking up today with Tuesday's Show and Tail at WV Treasures.  Click HERE to go read more great animal stories!

16 comments:

  1. Oh my word, that is too funny! I read this out loud to my husband and we both got a chuckle out of it :-)

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  2. I have never seen one a Timber snake & don't want to. I also do not want to listen to your ipod!...:)JP

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  3. LOL!! I'm sorry for laughing but that sounds like something that would happen to me. I bet so read y to take off once you heard him rattle!!
    So happy it was just your iPod though and not the actual thing.

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  4. Yikes! I would have been terrified...I do the same thing when I'm in the car and a song comes on the radio featuring police sirens..freaks me out every time.

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  5. You tell that story wonderfully! How funny! It sounds like something that would happen to ME!!! Have a great day!!!

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  6. LMBO I m glad it was just your music and not the real thing..

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  7. I was ready to read "Then the snake struck me on the arm" That was a good story and glad it was only your ipod...lol!
    JP says "Be brave and Be strong' in her blog today.. I think that will be my motto for everyday to say to Ben...I ususally say Be Careful..But I like this one better..Be brave and Be strong... Have a great day~!~!

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  8. Wow! I was nervous, reading that story! Good thing it was just the music and not the real thing! And now I think I've changed my topic for this week's Memory Lane Friday. ;)

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  9. That is funny. I so thought there was a snake in a bale.
    :>)

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  10. You had me shaking in my boots girl! Whew! I was thinking the snake was on you and going to get you too! Years ago we had an old barn. I peeked into one of the old stalls and a black snake came out on me! It was only 2 or 3 feet away. My collie dog was barking at it which I had just tied him to the barn. The snake was between us so I couldn't help the dog. I turned around to run. My 1 yr old daughter was behind me so I picked her up running and I tripped and fell over with my daughter! I was just 4 steps away from where I was when I first seen the snake. lol My knee instantly was swollen and I could hardly walk. Made it to the house and my husband was cutting grass. He couldn't hear me and I couldn't walk so I jumped in my truck and drove in the yard to where he was to tell him to rescue our dog!

    *´¨)
    ¸.*´¸.**´¨) ¸.**´¨)
    (¸.*´ (¸.*´* TUESDAYS' SHOW & TAIL*
    ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY *´¨)

    ANGELA

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  11. I hung on every word,just expecting a rattlesnake killn' any minute.Glad it was your Ipod.Hey from southest Georgia,I am new follower via West Virginia Treasures.
    -Jo
    -LazyonLoblolly

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  12. Thanks for the laugh. This is something that would happen to me. Better an ipod than a disturbed snake!

    Deborah

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  13. I was so worried for you - whew - I am so glad it turned out to be your Ipod. You tell a darn good story. Thanks for visiting my blog too.

    Do you live near Angela? She is a dear friend. And Monica too.

    Love,
    sandie

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  14. OMG, that's crazy... perfect way to get that heart rate up, no speed work necessary... what are you doing picking hay up while running anyway?

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  15. Lisa you had me scared on that one!!
    ~Cameron

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  16. Holy smokes I would have freaked out BIG TIME! So glad it wasn't the real thing!!!

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I love hearing from my readers!