I found a dead patch-nosed snake last fall while hiking near Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, and created an art piece with it. I know snakes are creepy to some people, but I love them; I always have. Here is an excerpt about snakes from my memoir titled, Solitude in Wild Nature: My Journey to Wholeness Through Wilderness Questing, which will be published in September 2023.

“I got down on my belly and looked closely at their lifeless eyes, studied their physical structure. Imagine being in a body that can move over rocks, grass, and water without any legs, scaled skin gliding you forward, smelling the air with your tongue. On land your belly stays in touch with the earth, so close you feel it as part of yourself. You go where your instincts take you without self-consciousness, your only mission to survive. Read more…