Beauty and the Beast
After touring Bulow Plantation State Park ruins just south of Palm Coast, we were returning to the park’s exit on a narrow dirt road. In the middle of the road in front of us was a large snake slithering to the left side. As soon as it was off the road I pulled alongside, and readily identified it as a mammoth diamondback rattlesnake, probably 3-plus inches in diameter. I grabbed my camera, jumped out of the car, and started taking pictures of this rare find. The snake moved about ten feet off the road, then coiled on a slight rise pointing straight back at me with the camera. For several minutes the snake posed for many pictures, as if to dare anybody to come challenge his territory.
This four to five foot snake is shown in a tight coil with his head perched directly over his six or seven rattles, which are visible right below the fangs. What a beautiful and fearsome beast. After taking ten or more pictures I was satisfied and left, while the snake continued to monitor my exit remaining perfectly motionless. Never a rattle did I hear.
One of the most frequently taken pictures at Cabo San Lucas.
While walking along the waterfront in Cabo, we were approached by two native gentlemen who were interested in earning some U.S. dollars. Before I could cry uncle the two men loaded a giant iguana on each shoulder. Then it occurred to me that iguanas are meat eaters, have long, sharp teeth, and it was almost lunchtime. The iguana on the left had already spotted my right ear and was about to strike when this picture was taken. Then they ate me, Kansas University hat and all. Goodbye dog-eat-dog world. Or whatever!
During a short visit in San Jose Los Cabos we were perched on a roof-top watering hole near the central plaza square. We were seated along the north wall of the building not more than five or six feet from a flowering tree that rose almost to eye level. Two magnificent blossoms on this tree are shown on the right.
While the beauty of these blossoms is sufficient for any photographer, as we sat there drinking beer and eating food, a sleek little yellow and black oriole decided to feast on the blossoms, enhancing the yellow trim on the red blossoms in a way that can only be imagined. For a full ten minutes the little bird came and went, and continued feasting on the luscious blossoms, allowing the camera monkey to take a large selection of amazing pictures.
