The nature of things

Of course, as usual, we had plenty of contact with nature.

We saw this rattlesnake on the road just outside the Ruger Ranch entrance. It looked darker than rattlesnakes we had seen before, but we could clearly see a rattle and the diamond shaped head. When we stopped to look, it began to move toward the truck, flicking it's tongue. When we pulled away, it did a U-turn and moved back in the direction from which it came.

We saw this snake on a different road. We didn't know what type it was. This one looked to us like a rattler, but it didn't have rattles or the diamond shaped head.

I had read somewhere that the snakes were getting ready to go into hibernation and were more active this time of year, which probably explains why we have been seeing so many.

I also spotted these unusual flowers in our meadow. They almost look like orchids, though with our weather that seems quite unlikely.

As always, the sky was a source of beauty. We enjoyed a full moon.

And all the clouds in the sky made for nice sunsets.