I headed over to the Shangri-la trailhead for a short hike. It was threatening rain so I knew I could park close to the trailhead and get back before I got wet.
Well, the weather improved and I ended up hiking for about 1 1/2 hours which is ideal for me.
What drew me into the forest were the wildflowers.
The Showy Rattlebox was in full bloom.
There were fields of these bright yellow flowers as far as the eye could see.
I've never seen so many at one place!
Close up of the flower.
One more looking out into the forest!
A bright red Cardinal eating Sumac berries.
(if you look closely you can see that he has lost a berry!)
It wasn't hot and the walking was easy.
So I went a little farther down this trail than I had been before.
I finally had to make myself turn around and head back to the trailhead.
And just when I made my turn, I ran into this danger.
Eastern Coral Snake
This Coral snake has the second strongest venom of any snake (Black Mamba has the most), so it is a bad snake to encounter on the trail. I gave it a wide berth and it turned and slithered off into the forest.
It gave me quite a start when I spotted it and I'm glad it was in the open enough that I could see it from a distance.
So that's some of the Fall color in Florida!
Some good....some not so good!
Do you have pretty Fall colors at your house?
36 comments:
Beautiful wildflowers! Great Cardinal photos!
Scary snake.
Have a blessed day!
...a Coral snake, but where is the alligator?
indeed that is a dangerous snake. i have never seen one but i do know red touches yellow will kill a fellow. i also have not seen the yellow flowers. they are beautiful and i love that pink grass too. no fall colors here but we are in a slight cool down, 60's to 80's, much better than mid 80's to high 90's. dew and humidity low. beautiful walking weather.
I love your red car! And it must be a "like red" day for me because I'm also wild about your cardinal photos, too!
Great pictures today Diane! I've never heard of rattlebox but it's SO PRETTY!-- LOVE it. Looks like a good hike with less HEAT and humidity and I love seeing the cardinals too--- we have alot here. The only color here so far is lots of yellow but we get much more of Fall here than we did in Charleston . Happy weekend!
Glad you were able to avoid that awful snake!
When I was in Florida staying with my husbands family for a summer, one had crawled into someone's mailbox. Ugh, can you imagine that?
I love Cardinals and I love seeing masses of flowers in a field.
Not a good snake to run into but it sure is pretty,
Eastern coral snake looks so scary!
Awesome hike! I've never seen a Coral snake in the wild. I'm glad you spotted it early!
I was starting to worry about you--been missing in action nearly a week!!!
I am glad it wasn't me that ran into that 'snake'--
love the yellow flowers and what pretty photos of the Cardinal and berries!!
hugs, di
Thanks for taking us along on your hike! Great photos and that is a big coral snake! Wow!! You took good photos of it. Glad you were warned of it from afar!! xo
Ugh. I hate those creepy things and scrolled quickly past. Glad you were not harmed. The red cardinal is so pretty!
I've never seen Showy Rattlebox before, nor the coral snake. Nice they are both colorful, so they may be spotted better. Very nice photos of the Cardinal also. I think they nest in our garden, as we always see the youngsters after they are flying.
Those yellow flowers are pretty. It sure makes an impressive view seeing them all. Around here you'll see fields full of goldenrod.
Scary seeing that snake. I'm glad you were able to spot it from a distance.
Is that the first time you've encountered a coral snake in your hikes? It would make me hyper vigilant going forward.
Hello,
Wow, the wildflowers are gorgeous, love the closeups of the actual flower. It is neat to see the fields of flowers, a pretty scene. Great captures of the Cardinal and the lost berry. I am glad you gave that Coral Snake wide berth, I heard they were dangerous snakes. Great photos and post. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
I don't like snakes, and I'm happy that you spotted it so early. I would have died just from the sight of it.
We only have one venomous viper here. Suddenly I'm very happy about the snow and cold weather here :-)
The yellow flowers are very pretty.
Hugs
I can't decide if that Coral Snake looks very beautiful or very scary. For anyone not from Florida, they might be tempted to take a closer look or even pick it up. When I come over to FL I think I need to have a knowledgeable person with me.
Woah and it was all going so well until you spotted that snake, you are mighty calm about it, I'm so impressed! What stunning flowers out your way on this otherwise gorgeous wander!
Wren x
It’s impressive that you were clear-headed enough to take such interesting photos of the highly dangerous snake! The cardinal is tamer — but beautiful.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Glad you are safe!
That is a scary snake even in photographs.
The flowers are gorgeous. They remind me of sweetpeas.
Sad the snake is dangerous, it´s so beautiful. And luckily easy to detect! Nice the weather brightened up for you.
Those flowers look like small orchids to me. I'm so glad that you spotted the snake before you got any closer.
The colour change here is quite odd this year maybe because we have been warmer than normal. Some trees have already dropped their leaves and a lot of the Maples changed suddenly this week to bright red.
Wow! Glad the rain stopped and you got these fantastic series of photos ~ favorite is the cardinal ~ Wow!
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
That's an interesting looking snake but glad you saw and avoided it. The red cardinal really stands out. Enjoy your weekend!
You are one brave lady. Were you hiking alone? I am such a fraidy cat. That snake would have scared me to death.I have seen one coral snake before and that is when we lived in Summerville, SC. We were playing in the yard and turned over an old doghouse and there it was. I love those pink flowers in your header.
Wild is beautiful!
What beautiful photos, especially the snake I find quite scary.
These types of snakes do not occur here in the Netherlands, but the viper does.
The red cardinal is my favorite.
Greetings Irma
I'm captivated by your colorful hike, from the fields of Showy Rattlebox to the vibrant red Cardinal. But encountering the Eastern Coral Snake, that was indeed a thrilling and somewhat nerve-wracking moment! Fall colors in Florida certainly come with surprises.
Pretty flowers, a dangerous snake, but the picture I like the best is the one with the dropped sumac berry. What a great catch! I would be so proud if I ever caught a moment like that.
That is one scary looking snake. So glad you got around it and it turned and went the other way. The cardinal is beautiful. And I've never seen one that bright before. It's a joy seeing them, as we don't see them here in California. What a pretty yellow field of wildflowers.
Have a wonderful week ahead, Diane.
~Sheri
I am still shaking, seeing that Coral snake!! Glad you got away! The Cardinals are so majestic. Lovely photos of them and the Yellow flowers. Be careful on your hikes!! Love, Aunt Helen
Looks like a great place for a walk, and I just adore the Cardinals.
Red in a sea of yellow and green!
Terrific color combinations.
I am SO jealous you found a Coral Snake! Simply gorgeous creatures.
Beautiful weather, scenery, birds, animals - Florida in the Fall.
Enjoy the rest of the week, Diane!
Todo se ve precioso, la serpiente también aunque da un poquito de miedo. Gracias y besos.
Lovely photographs of the Cardinal - not so keen on the snake!
Enjoy the rest of your week.
All the best Jan
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