That’s right.  Today I was pulling into our condo complex I saw a small slithering object.  Most would not have even seen it, but since I am constantly on the look out for Jake I immediately noticed the movement.

I slammed on my brakes, hung up the phone (I was talking to my sister), and ran toward the snake.  There was no doubt that this was not Jake.  Because snakes hear the vibrations in the ground, he sped up immediately as I began toward him.  This snake was crazy fast.  I tried to maneuver in front of him to block him from jumping up on the curb and into the heavy bush.  I was unsuccessful.  However, I was able to snap this picture with my camera phone.  I know you can’t see him great.  He is pretty small, but fast mind you.  That is why I have named him Speedy.  Speedy the Snake.

For those of you who have been avid jordanrippy.com followers, you know that Kristin and I can’t seem to get away from reptiles and amphibians.  To get the proper back story I strongly recommend that you read the Frog Blog, Leapin’ Lizards, and Our Frog Has a Friend.  After a thorough review of those posts you will find that since Kristin and I have been married we have lived in a duplex, a house, and condo.  No mater what kind of dwelling we inhabit or where it is geographically located we seem to encounter frogs, lizards, and snakes.

Our last snake encounter was on May 29, 2007 (more on that here).  Kristin and I currently live in a gated condo communtiy.  I generally take advantage of our community pool daily.  On a recent trip to the pool I encountered a large black snake.  By encountered I mean that I saw about the last four inches of his tail slip into the bushes next to the walkway as I passed.  I was so excited.  I told Kristin about it for weeks.  Each time we would pas those bushes I would search for the snake, hoping that it had made it’s home there.

Several days later I was walking in a completely different part of our complex when I spotted the very same black snake coiled next to the walkway.  I slowly backed away (as I did not want to scare him off).  Once I felt I was a safe distance from the beast, I ran home as fast as I could.  I grabbed my camer and snapped several shots of the snake.  I was so excited that I had captured the snake in it’s natural habitat that I skipped the pool trip, hopped in my car and took the camera to Starbucks to show Kristin the pictures.

What should I name the snake?      

***UPDATE – On the very day that I posted this I saw the snake again.  I was at the pool and so was he! He was slithering down the handicapped ramp.  I hope it wasn’t a reflection of his health, but I digress.  In other news, the snake’s name is Jake.

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