Today's main event: my second annual Easter weekend hike at McKinney Roughs. The weatherman said overcast in early afternoon, thunderstorms afterward. I set out at high noon, figuring I had a window of a couple hours. It's a good park for hiking - the Pine Ridge Trail is just breathtaking, offering vistas you have to stop and admire practically every ten feet at some points. It passes through all types of terrain - jungle-like vegetation, lush piney woods, scrubby pastures, muddy riverbanks, you name it. I stuck to the same trails as last time until I got to the river, then decided to forego the roundabout ridge that nearly did me in last year and head straight back on the Riverside Trail.

Well, this turned out to be a brutal scramble up a steep, loose gravel trail, and just as I started up, the sun decided to come out. This wasn't on the program. It just about wiped me out, but eventually leveled off. I'm in the home stretch, but now, about 20 feet ahead of me, there a big-ass black snake stretched across the trail. I'm not 100% sure it's a snake yet, so I take a few more steps. Yep, it's a snake, but now the question is, is it alive or dead? I dunno what to do. Can't turn back. Should I throw a rock at it? I stand there like an idiot for another minute, then take a step forward. The snake lifts its head. Okay, alive. Now what?

The snakes relieves me of making a decision by turning around and slithering back into the grass. I don't waste any time getting back to the parking lot.

Dark clouds are gathering as I drive back into town. Stop at the Dog and Duck to quench my thirst with a pint. By the time I'm done, the rain has begun.