pre

I was walking my son home from the bus stop, down the dirt double-track
along the pasture, when I saw the cutest little baby snake.  He was
black and skinny and I just had to pick him up.  And I almost did when
my son said, "What kind of snake is that?" So I stuck my boot out to
see.  And the little sucker struck me six or eight times before doing
the frightened-rattlesnake-in-a-ball thing.  Turns out it was a baby
rattler, too young for even its first rattle button. Oops. So we watched
him until he got over his conniptions and wandered off into the weeds.
