Saturday, August 2, 2008

Another rainy weekend


I don't know how much rain we have had over the last month but my luscious vegetable garden has not needed supplemental water at all this summer and our grass is growing so fast you can almost hear it.

We had hoped to get a 4000 footer hike in today before the rain, but instead decided on a short hike up Sabattus Mountain in Lovell, Maine.

The hike was less than a mile to a nice summit with views of the storm approaching quickly from the west. As we were retreating from the top, something caught my eye and I crouched to the ground with shouts of "Charlie! Quick, the camera!" I'm not sure what kind of snake it was and I've looked at enough images on the internet in the last 15 minutes to give me nightmares for a week. So, if anyone knows the brand, please comment.

After our hike, we headed into New Hampshire and down to Lake Ossipee and Camp Calumet where Charlie was to perform a concert under the big top tent.

As the folks were arriving and the concert was about to begin, thunder started to roll and so we all moved into the conference center. He did a great job as always with his familiar songs, stories and sing alongs.

Altogether another nice Saturday that I didn't have to spend watering the garden.

13 comments:

Ruth said...

I don't know "snake brands" and cannot even hold a snake book. Pretty snake, as much as they can be pretty.
We were to have a sunny, dry weekend, but we had several downpours today out of nowhere. But then there was a gorgeous rainbow this evening.

Pappy said...

Hi Cuz, Looks like a fun weekend even with the rain. I need to be hiking, but the mosquitoes are terrible right now. The photo of the snake looks like an Eastern Milk Snake (non venomous). Now you can learn to handle them so we can get some really exciting photos. I need to work on some songs so C and I can jam when I get to come that way. Pappy

Beth said...

Ruth, I hope you took pictures of the rainbow.

Texican, I think you are right on the corn snake. He was kind of cute. We'll enjoy some music when you head this way--I hope it's soon.

Jayne said...

We're getting at least some rain this summer but it's too spread out and so we have too many days of 90+ degree weather which has been hard on newly planted things. Wish I could have been at that concert. :c)

beckie said...

Beth-good eye to have seen him. As I have said before, I am not overly fond of snakes. I usually give them a wide berth and don't think I would even take a picture of one. But glad you did so I can see it from afar. Isn't it funny how we think 'camera!' now Glad the rain didn't dampen the concert.

Unknown said...

Ummm...I think you might have seen an Eastern Diamondback. Yes, there ARE rattlesnakes in Maine, regardless of what you might have heard. Here's a picture: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/eastern-diamondback-rattler.jpg&imgrefurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake.html&h=450&w=300&sz=30&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=ls1PW9pbiDGK_M:&tbnh=127&tbnw=85&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deastern%2Bdiamondback%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG

Dave

Unknown said...

Never mind...just do a Google search on Eastern Diamondback and see whether it looks like what you saw.

Beth said...

Jayne, it's hard to imagine that anywhere needs rain when we have had so much--it's raining again here last night and into today.

Beckie, this one was cute--I'm not a big snake fan but it was tiny and cute.

Weaherboy, he didn't have a rattle and was very slim, I don't think it was an eastern rattler but it was a very nicely adorned snake.

Lavinia said...

There would have been absolutely no time to grab the camera had I been there...the stampede away from the snake would have seen to that!

You are a brave soul....

What spectacular vistas where you live.

Kathie Brown said...

Beth, your hike sounds like fun, your snake is gorgeous, and you can keep all that rain! We've had quite a bit down here also and everything is so green! Gus and I got chased out of the Huachuca mountains by a thunder storm on Sunday and as soon as Blogger decides it will let me upload photos again I will post both story and pics!

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

I've never seen a snake but I'm always on the watch when I go hiking.
I actually love the fact that this summer we've had a balance of sunshine and rain unlike last year which I recall being dry and horrible for months. I like winter because I can be cosy- thunderstorms in summer allow me that too :)

Mary said...

"Snake brands"? That's so cute.

Nan said...

Sounds like it might be a milk snake:

"The milk snake, patterned with reddish-brown blotches, can vibrate its tail to produce a buzzing sound, but this snake is quite harmless. Milk snakes are commonly found in the forests and fields of southern New Hampshire. Their name comes from the fact that they are often found around barns, leading to a fable that they stole milk from cows."

Picture here:

http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/03/16/favourite-moments-7-eastern-milk-snake/