parks & snakes dont mix

Clay took Asher, Esther & Levi to the park today while I took the 3 oldest kids to their Monday night karate classes. I had fixed them a picnic supper to enjoy while they had a fun time at the park with Clay. (the park & picnic was actually Clay's idea...i just helped make it happen easier by having the picnic prepared ahead of time. less stress for Clay means less stress for the kids that are left to spend the evening with him.)
anyway, while they were walking he said that Esther & Levi stepped over a snake & then Esther said pointing & looking back......"a snake!" Clay looked back, saw the snake they had just stepped over, snapped a picture & then kicked it away from them.
on further examination & enlarging of the picture...it definitely looks poisonous. The park they went to...Northwest River Park....which is only 5 minutes top from our house...does have poisonous snakes over friendly snakes....rattlers, cotton mouths, water moccasins.....this one looks like a rattler if you blow the picture up enough.

***edited 08/28/2012 - the snake was a copperhead.

We never know how often we escape or just miss danger but thank God, they escaped one of them getting bitten. Clay & I just had a conversation about that .... them escaping being bitten. He said he cant give it too much thought or he could be sick...He said "what would i have done if she had of gotten bitten?" He also said he did look for a park ranger...but there wasnt one to be found after the fact. but again, THANK GOD FOR PROTECTING THEM!!