Yikes!

I went for a six mile run this morning and am pretty sure that my heart rate jumped quite a bit at just under two miles when I (almost literally) ran into this guy lying in the middle of the road.....

SSsssssssssstart runing!

Yes, a BIG copperhead!   Just as a disclaimer, this isn't the actual snake I came across - the picture is downloaded from the internet - but it's a pretty good representation of the size.   I've seen quite a few smaller copperheads since I have lived here in central NC, but this is the first time I have come across a big one.  I would guess that it was pushing three feet and pretty wide.

Gave me quite a start!   I gave it a wide berth and kept running - it was a bit disconcerting when it turned its head to watch me go by!  When I looked back it was still lying in the road - I hope no one ran it over - a magnificent animal!