Shade? There's no shade!

Bunnyface
Originally uploaded by danuv.

We went to the Summer Shade Festival in Grant Park today. Though it was cooler today than it has been in previous weeks it was still hawt-as-hell.

Right before we left I read the local news and learned that a rattlesnake escaped from the zoo yesterday. The zoo in the same park I was about to take my family into. Now I realize that logically my absolute terror of snakes is ridiculous and that we were highly unlikely to encounter this particular snake at the festival (and we did not) but I've actually had nightmares since moving here that one of the snakes would get loose so this was not what I wanted to hear. Ugh.

Oooo from the news article about the escaped snake:

Tiger Rattlesnake Facts

* Species name: Crotalus tigris So I can call it by its actual name when I flee screaming.

* Pitviper species Not helping.

* Color can range from gray to bluish gray to beige or orange; named for striped pattern So basically it can look like almost anything and be anywhere.

* Adults are just over two feet long, roughly comparable to a cheerleading baton Comparable to a cheerleading baton?! Cheerleading batons are not the bringers of death and terror!! (usually)

* Native to Arizona and northwest Mexico This is the kind of illegal immigration that pisses me off. Go back to Arizona and snuggle up to some politicians there.

* Venomous ARRRRGH!

* Conservation status stable/not endangered So if I weren't consumed with snake phobia it would be ethically ok to chop the muthafucka to bits?

* Habits: generally calm and sedentary and nocturnal, staying close to thick cover or rocks, avoiding open BRB...Tossing all of my furniture outside.

* They do not climb. Thank fucking gawd.