Actually, the idea of imagined copperheads starts the whole Endless Times series, but I digress. I live in a snaky part of the

world in Southwestern Missouri; like it or not, copperheads and water moccasins are part of life, so my eyes stay open, and my mind conjures up those varmints constantly.

“I turned, took one step forward, then the rotted old floor gave away. Suddenly, from the knees down, both legs stood under that nasty old wood. My first thought was copperheads. They usually don’t attack a person, but you can rile them up…. It is a fact those snakes will come after you when they get mad. Once long before on river, I whacked at Mr. Copperhead with a hoe and missed. Ever see one of those pictures where a cobra comes off the ground sitting up a foot in the air with his mouth open? Me too; this was one of those scenes. He didn’t try to get away, oh no! Mr. Copperhead reared up and charged! I ran."

Enter the opening action scenes of The Path of Kokopelli, and this scene, although true, is not the only time Mr. Wiggly and I had run-ins. Here are a few more to pique your imagination. Oh yes, they are not really that tasty either. I’ve eaten rattlesnake and beans, so I thought copperhead would be good; consequently, a three-footer joined my pork steak on the grill. This one had been fishing, he tasted like used fish, and my pork steak put him to shame, but the raccoon ate good.

I stepped on one’s head in the dark, shined my light down, saw him, shot straight up and out three or four feet; clean getaway. My brother-in-law had a house under which was a copperhead nest; they kept coming out of the vents, so he and my sister moved. Try that one with kids! Two of my friends made a sport out of the rascals. Sam tied an armadillo by one foot in the bed of his truck, threw in the copperhead, and they went to town. I think the copperhead got an inferiority complex trying to bite an armored animal, and the armadillo was too dumb to know he was safe. Both wore down to just eyeballing each other, so finally, Sam cut them loose.

Dozer Dale, on the other hand, tried to make one his drinking buddy, which came to a bad end. He had that snake by the neck, and he’d take a swig of whiskey, then pour some into that snake. Mr. Copperhead got ten feet tall and bulletproof; he turned around and bit Dozer, who waited till he almost died before dragging into emergency. Hey, I never said my friends were peaches; next time, maybe I’ll go into water- moccasins. Now those guys have an attitude!