On the same day I photographed the eagle from my kayak on the Brandywine, I spotted a fair-sized snake hanging on a branch of a nearby tree that had fallen over into the water. Never one to pass up a photo op, I retrieved my camera from the dry bag at my feet, but by then the current had carried me about ten yards past it. I paddled backward upstream as fast as I could (Although, from hindsight, there was no hurry. The drowsy snake was not going anywhere.) when I realized I was heading right into it, so I put down my paddle, grabbed my camera, and just as the kayak hit the branch, I swung around to see the snake, now wide awake and not too happy, right at my shoulder. This is the photo I got, out-of-focus and not up to my usual standards, but it does capture the panic for both of us. I did not want an upset snake as a passenger with me in my kayak.
RWalck@Verizon.net
