AUGUST HEAT

 The high temp at the farm yesterday (Sunday, Aug. 19) was 98.4. When I was growing up, a high of 90 at the farm was unusual.

I guess our geocaching event on Thursday whetted Mike’s appetite for more of the same. Leaving Nellie and me at the house, he returned to the same wilderness area east of Orofino, this time on his dirt bike and armed with GPS, maps, and a few snacks. Before he left, we agreed to return to town early Monday morning.

Nellie doesn’t like to see Mike leave, and especially not on a motorcycle. Sometimes he doesn’t immediately return, and she hates that. She watched him until he was out of sight. Then we dealt with his absence in the usual way – by going for a walk. This time I decided to deviate from the usual route and hike to the canyon rim behind the house. The only reason I could think of for not going that direction would be rattlesnakes. In hot weather the snakes come up out of the canyon. In thinking about it, I decided that I can see a rattlesnake anywhere – even in the yard, even where we live in town. Not to be deterred, I put on jeans and my ankle-hugging hiking boots and reminded myself of the rules: stay out of tall grass, listen, and watch where you walk. I left a note on the kitchen counter as to where we were going and when we had left. I had my cell phone and the camera. It was a great opportunity to get some morning pictures, though the sky remains hazy with smoke.

The first thing I noticed was that the elderberry bushes at the edge of the field were hit with spray and have died back. That’s one of the hazards of living in agricultural country. I don’t think people from Seattle will be too disappointed, though, because we know where other more prolific bushes are located, and I believe we can find enough elderberries for our purposes when the time comes. Not much competition for the elderberries.

 

So Nellie and I continued our walk out to the canyon rim and then to the edge of the field in a southerly direction. It was already hot, so I cut across the south field to return to the house, walking in the truck/machine tracks and staying clear of dense stubble.

Then I heard it – rattle rattle bzzzz. Fortunately Nellie had moved on across the field toward the pond. She, too, was hot and ready for a dip in the water. But I paused a moment to see exactly where the snake was. I took this picture with the telephoto lens. As you can see, you really can’t see the snake. It was good that I stayed to the open track. I tiptoed on by and returned to the house.

 

In my circumstances, my dad would have generated considerable excitement by calling to whoever was at the house to bring him a hoe posthaste while he kept watch of the snake. He would not have let it live. He then would have spent some effort to find a second snake because he believed they traveled in pairs. And he would have been especially watchful for several days.  

 

Back at the house, Nellie took up her watch of the road from a spot outside the kitchen door. She declined food except for my lunch scraps. I decided to begin cleaning and packing up as preparation to leave. It occurred to me that Mike just might want to leave after supper, so I began to put boxes on the porch. And sure enough! That’s exactly what we did.

It was 91 at 8:40 when we arrived at the town house. That’s why we call them “Hot August Nights.”  This morning at 6:30 it was 71. I watered Nellie down and took her for her morning constitutional. We both walked right along and were glad to get back to the house. This afternoon we’ll take a dip in the Snake River. KW