Reply to Copperhead Encounter

On Tuesday June 6 my wife Becky and I were riding at the back of a pack on a Road Scholar bike tour. We were accompanied by Steve, the dedicated "Sweeper" for the group and the owner of bike shops in Sedalia and Boonville.
Around Mile 174 I swerved slightly to avoid running over what I thought to be a sizable branch across the trail. The "branch" turned out to be a Copperhead snake which reared and struck at my front tire. The snake's hiss was immediately accompanied by the sound of air escaping the punctured tire.
I dropped the bike and ran. Steve, whose valor may have been partially fueled by a proprietary interest in the rented bike, moved forward to shoo the viper from the path.
About that time a lady from California rode up and cried: "What are you doing to that poor snake. Don't you know they're protected!"
Chastened, Steve put the chain back in his bag and advanced on the Copperhead armed with only an air pump, a water bottle & a determined look. Splashing and puffing furiously Steve approached and the snake slithered away.
Apparently unfazed by the encounter, Steve proceeded to fix the tire, but only after sucking the venom out of the tube...

Note: It has been suggested by certain observers that the above account suffers from just a bit of embellishment. But we did see a Copperhead which was the first Steve has seen in many years of riding the trail.

"sucking the venom out of the tube" -- LOL!!! Thanks for your great story,Tod, embellished or not! Glad everyone was okay.