Holiday Weekend

Maureen and I went camping over the holiday near Trout Run with several couples.  We found this black timber rattlesnake at our friends' nearby property.  (Again, this was not found at Mariton.)  It is about 4 feet long and has 8 rattles.  We took several photos, then drove back to camp to get Frank.  By the time we returned to his property (5 minutes), the snake was gone.  We all looked (carefully) high and low, but could not find it.  At least, Frank and Carol got to see the photos we took.  Another friend thought that it was probably a male hunting for food and females as the breeding season winds down.

Also during the weekend, we saw a large gathering of turkey vultures on the shoulder of one of the many mountains.  I scanned the ridges and located a kettle of 2 dozen broad-winged hawks catching a thermal and thinking about migration.  So, it is that time of year.  Fall will be here soon.