The Rattler

     It was just past the trees. We had hiked up the hill from the preserve and had just entered the chaparral of the trail. On one side, we saw the wealthy of Orange with their mismatched and luxurious mansions and the other, Tustin desperately trying to look like Irvine. As we marveled at the beauty around us, both natural and man-made, I heard a distinct rattling sound. A sound I had only heard from educational videos in elementary school. I looked at where the sound was coming from, near my right foot, filled with trepidation and there it was, rattle, tongue, eyes, scales, fangs and all. Staring at me, hissing, rattling. Its eyes bore into mine and dared me to stop moving so that it could strike my bony, unprotected ankle. Screaming "Shit fuck fuck fuck fuck shit!" I abandoned my friend who had been just steps ahead of me and ran backwards as fast as I could. He asked me what the matter was.
     "There's a fucking rattlesnake right there!" I cried. He looked at me doubtfully but walked back few steps to the location I had just run from.
    "Whoa, you're right! Shit," he remarked.
     By the time I was convinced that it was safe to pass without pissing the rattlesnake off again, it had moved on. I never saw it again.

It was during this hike that I realized how much semi-useless random knowledge I have in my head. I can identify random animals by their droppings, I know what a rattlesnake sounds like, how to treat the bite old style, what plants to definitely not touch, etc. It would have been nice to be able to solve mechanics problems.