Crooked according to the thesaurus could be replaced by “winding, twisting, zigzag, meandering, deviating, sinuous, tortuous, serpentine, irregular; rare anfractuous.” I had thought crooked to mean on an angle such as when a picture is not hanging straight but having already chosen some snake photos to describe squiggeldy (which does not appear in my dictionary but I understand to mean multiple curves) my snake photos seem to be fitting.
I’ve always liked snakes although I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little nervous of them. The secret with snakes (apart from two which I know of) all you have to do is stand still and in twenty seconds they will not remember that you once were moving. Most snakes strike at movement and with those poor memories you are reasonably safe if still. I have had need to try it out and it did work however I have learnt more about snakes since then and know they have good senses of smell via both their noses and their forked tongue and some have great eye sight so my desire to run which I quelled in my one experience would now be more difficult to ignore. I would never attempt to kill one which is lucky because they are a protected species in Australia. Most snakes are more frightened of you and if you leave them alone most will slither off using their strong muscles and scales to do their walking. Snakes have four methods of movement and the one we associate with crooked squiggeldy lines is known as the serpentine method where using a tree or other solid object they will push-off and move in a wavy type of motion known as lateral undulation.
The photos of the cobra and snake charmer was in Calcutta many years ago whilst the photo where I have the snake around my neck and on my finger was in Malyasia. The snake ride was taken at Australia zoo whilst the serpentine pattern made by the geothermal activity was in the Hidden Valley at Orakei Karako
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Would that work for a king cobra too? or a white water snake? I just wonder since they are the absolute most poisonous and viscious of the bunch no? 🙂
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I don’t know whether poisonous and viscious together they are but most of the worlds deadliest snakes are found in Australia with the top two the Inland Taipan living in fairly remote areas but the Eastern Brown shares the eastern seaboard with the majority of the population and it can be quite agressive. 🙂
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Now you got me googling those lol! but boy the knowledge one must have, just to discover that 20 second rule :O
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We have travelling snake men who go round with sacks of deadly snakes and demonstrate characteristics and how you are to react and what to do when encountering them. They are full of all these facts some of which I remember.
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I won’t even wear a snake patterned shirt! But good for you, being so brave and open minded.
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I think its like everything – the more you know about them the less they worry you. Spiders are a different matter all together. I had managed to overcome a fear of huntsman spiders until I read the other day there is a highly poisonous spider that looks just like them. I don’t know that I will be able to go to sleep with one in the room any more. 🙂
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SLEEP?!!! Now I will never sleep again – gah!
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LOL
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Love the picture with the python! I actually like snakes – my son had quite a lot of snakes and one in particular, Anna, was very friendly and docile. She slept in a pillowcase in the bed with us in the winter, when our power was out and the house too cold for her.
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Now that Noelle I don’t think I could come at – a snake in bed even if it is in a pillowcase. Did she have a personality? Do you think that there was any sign of attachment between her and your son?
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I don’t know what it is about snakes that makes the muscles in my throat constrict. I’m not sure I could even watch someone put a snake around their neck *shudder*
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Now that is how I feel when I see you leaning out from the edge of that structure high in the air. I feel you have a chance with a snake. 🙂
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LOL – I KNEW you were going to say that!!!! 😀
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Pingback: Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Crooked and Squiggly lines | decocraftsdigicrafts
Great photos and info. I am glad I live in New Zealand where we don’t have any snakes. I don’t like snakes. 😀
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It’s amazing you don’t have any snakes when you are so close and we have so many. 🙂
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HI Irene, Fabulous entry for this week. Thanks so much for playing 🙂
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Thanks Cee.
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Goodness Irene, my daughter would love you! As you know, she has a corn snake called Charlie which she keeps in a vivarium in her room but brings out frequently so that he can wrap himself around her neck etc. (Full name btw: Charles P Snake!) You are braver than me! I have a mortal fear of cobras (and all snakes) ever since reading Riki Tiki Tavi as a young girl! Of Fascinating and such an interesting read this with fab photos, love it (and that’s not bad for someone who definitely doesn’t like snakes!! ) 😀
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Sherri I don’t know whether I’d want to live with one. For someone who isn’t fond of snakes you are a good woman letting your daughter have one. Is a corn snake yellow?
Wasn’t the Jungle book just marvellous. Rudyard Kiipling introduced us to a world so strange and really made it come alive.
You always bring back some lovely memories for me Sherri. Cheers Irene 🙂
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Haha! Well my daughter had to work on me for many years before I relented but she assured me that she would take care of it, and researched how to take care of it and she has done just as she said she would. She is so good with all animals and so I trust her.
The usual corn snakes are reddish but hers is rather special as it is grey and what is called a ghost. So I’m told…and he is only about 4 feet long with a tiny head the size of the tip of my little finger. He eats dead mice from the pet store and it’s incredible how he dislocates his jaw to make room for ingesting that mouse in one.
You know, I adore the Jungle Book, and the Disney film too!
Still, I’m amazed at you having that snake around your shoulders like that…great pic that 🙂
Glad I brought back some good memories for you Irene, as you do for me! Although maybe not so much with the ‘childhood illness’ discussion we’ve just had…keep thinking about your poor friend, just unbelievable…!
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Do snakes get attached to their owner? I guess it would be fascinating to watch but I think I’ll stick with things I can cuddle.
Moral of the story – get sick at home (if of course the country you are living has a good health service.) Interestingly I have just read an article where health outcomes in the US are the worst out of 11 countrries and yet they are the most expensive. The UK spends less but has the best outcomes so you are in the right place. Australia comes in 4th after the UK, Switzerland and Sweden. For your interest you can read the article (only if you want to) http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror?omnicid=EALERT495214&mid=c.liu%40latrobe.edu.au
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This is fascinating Irene, many thanks for the link, I’ve just read the article. All we read over here is doom and gloom about the terrible state of our medical system over here so to find that we ranked number 1 is a total surprise. Still, I would never knock the NHS. After living in the US for so long and knowing many families who could never afford health care, I learnt to never take our NHS for granted over here. With Obama care in the US now I’m not sure if things are improving or not…
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You’re welcome Sherri.Thought you’d find it interesting. 🙂
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