Mishap in the Mangroves

I came home to a cold, wet winter in January; typical for Chicago. It was quite dismal this time. I sat sulking, looking out my window too often, and wishing my mangled ankle would heal a bit faster, so I could voyage again.

Forgive me, I am getting ahead of myself. That's how it happened too. I was ahead of myself when I injured my left ankle while sloshing through the Florida wetlands. I was in a shallow wet spot in a thick patch of red mangroves while following a bald eagle in the sky. Bald Eagles are majestic creatures and I hoped to interview one on this trip.



Artwork courtesy of Jochabel Reese - Copyright 2015

Instead, I had an eerie feeling that I was being followed by something and turned just in time to see a water moccasin ready to strike.

Adrenaline shot through my limbs and I jumped backward, catching my foot between the twisted roots of a red mangrove. I fell, splashing into the murky water. Pain instantly surged through my leg. Had I been bitten? I could not tell.

The stocky snake looked sharply into my eyes and lunged again. I instantly hit him on the snout with my binoculars.

He coiled back hissing and said, "You nassty sstranger, why did you attack me?"

I shuddered and yelled, "I will not tolerate being poisoned by your bite! I did not threaten you in the first place."

I hoped my warning was clear enough, because all I could do was try to intimidate him at that moment. I was caught in a natural trap and one caused by my own foolishness.

One of the first rules of exploration is to observe your surroundings and then proceed. Instead, I had been proceeding with my eyes fixed on the sky without observing what was right around me.

Suddenly, the bald eagle I was tracking swooped down from the sky and grabbed that water moccasin with her sharp talons and screeched that I should run. Glancing at my trapped foot, I knew I could not run. I could not move my ankle and my flesh was torn and bleeding against the exposed mangrove roots that were drying in sun above the tide.

Now, in case you didn't know, I like pickles. But I prefer to eat pickles rather than be in a pickle. In this case, I was in a pickle and feeling like a pickle as I sat in the briny waters with my throbbing leg. Luckily, I had not been bitten by that horrid snake, but the sting from my injury felt like a snake bite.

My canoe was only a few meters away, but it seemed so far at the moment. I pulled a sharp knife from my soggy back pack and began sawing through the leathery mangrove stilt roots around my trapped foot.

At last I was free and I held my leg above the water against another exposed root as I pulled a handkerchief from my breast pocket, tying it tightly around the wound. I knew I needed to get out of that spot quickly or I would be bait for another, larger predator; the crocodile.

I already sensed that I was being watched again by some hidden creature and knew I needed to move faster.



Indigo C. Beacon - Copyright 2015

While listening and watching more closely to my surroundings, I carefully made my way back to the canoe and climbed in. The sun beat down on my sandy skin and a light breeze tickled my ears as I caught my breath and headed back to civilization.

I caught a taxi and went to the closest emergency room. Fortunately I did not brake my ankle, but it was badly sprained and cut in several places requiring 30 stitches. I was prescribed a strong antibiotic and instructed to keep my wounds clean.

Thus my wetlands voyage was cut short and I abjectly flew back to Chicago, feeling as dismal as the slushy weather here. In spite of my injury I enjoyed winter in the wetlands. You see, wetland winters are dryer, if you can say dry in Florida. It is simply a time when water levels are lower and there is less rain fall.

I know what you are thinking; another rule of exploration is not to go on adventures alone. You are right. If one of my friends or a more skilled Everglades traveler had been with me, the snake might have attacked him instead and left me alone. Then I still would have whacked the snake on the snout, dragged my companion back to the canoe, and heroically brought us to safety.

Fine, that may not have been the outcome either, but I can still imagine can't I? At least I lived another day and had another story to tell. As my trusted readers, I encourage you to enjoy my adventures but definitely learn from my actions and become wiser explorers yourselves.