We get up early to photograph and release the Canebrake. There doesn't seem to be any place in town that still serves breakfast, so getting out early is easy - a bag full of oats and granola, a banana, and a breakfast bar will do the trick. There isn't a fast food joint for miles around here - lucky for our hearts.

We drive down a dirt road to a pond with cane thickets around it, far from any paved roads. We photograph the Canebreak and eventually let it make its way into the forest to seek out shelter from the inevitable, hot, midday sun. Though releasing an animal in unfamiliar territory is generally a bad thing, we figure letting it go near the road is the worse of two evils. Hopefully it will live long enough to reproduce so we can continue to find them here when we are in our sixties.

Our plan today is to visit a farmer who allows us to search the edges of his fields for pygmy rattlesnakes. Each time we stop by his home to let him know we are here and to spend some time chewing the fat with him, and each time we walk away a little more knowledgeable on a variety of subjects. Today we are discussing what has been on every farmer's mind - the drought.

I've always thought an extensive drought like this is as bad as it gets - little rain for the past two years. But it is actually better than early rain and drought later. Here's the explanation: if it rains when the seeds are first planted, the roots do not go deep because they don't need to find water. Then, if a drought hits in early summer, the roots are too shallow to find what water is available. But if the spring planting season is dry, then the roots go deep right away in search of water. Then the drought the remainder of the year doesn't hit the plants as hard. A simple explanation, but something I never thought about.

However, it's been really bad for the economy of the region. A good part of people's incomes around here relies on sport fishing on Lake Mattamuskeet. It is an extremely shallow lake to begin with, only three to four feet at its deepest. Now, because of the extended drought, it is only a little over a foot deep in most areas. Because of this many fishing tournaments have been cancelled and the hotels have been empty. We discovered that this is the reason why many places aren't serving breakfast now - there simply aren't enough people to make it worthwhile.

We thank our friend for his hospitality and drive over to one of our favorite places in Mattamuskeet to hunt for the Red Pygmy Rattlesnake.

Hunting the forest edges is just as slim as everywhere else, but Jim saves the day by turning up one pretty adult rattlesnake. This red phase is found only in eastern North Carolina, though the Pygmy Rattlesnake's range is much larger. You would think a red snake with satiny black ovals down its back would stand out, but it can be quite difficult to see in the dried grasses and pine needles on the forest edge. However, if you are lucky enough to see one out in the open, they are easy to spot.

Jim also finds a Water Moccasin, which gives us four of the five venomous snakes in North Carolina. There's no hope for getting them all now because the Diamondback doesn't come this far north. We'll have to try for a complete set some other time.

Today is my last on this herpin' trip to North Carolina. I will take my Nissan Sentra to the Outer Banks where my brothers and other friends are relaxing on the beach. Mark and Jim will stay in Mattamuskeet for a couple more days and then head north to Baltimore. It's been a slow-going trip, but as usual, it's been a great time. I will remember it through my notes, photos, memories, and friends. And the next time we're here, we'll have more stories to reminisce about, more tales to tell.