We had some info on a nearby lake that might produce a Western Massasauga or two, so after a late gas station lunch we headed on over to the area.  The day had started out sunny and warm, but now the sky was overcast with low clouds that promised rain at some point.  A big junk pile on a hillside close by beckoned - soon we were lifting boards and tin and other debris.  A large bit of barn door concealed a Great Plains Rat Snake, not as pretty as the first two we found.  A short time later Dav pulled an adult Speckled King from under a piece of tin - a very nice looking snake that reminded me a lot of the 'Shawnee Kings' we find back home in southern Illinois.

I don't recall who found the small Northern Prairie Lizard, but this was another first for me, a small male as evidenced by the blue patches on either side of the belly.  'Blue-bellies' was what we'd call the neighborhood sceloporids when I was a kid, and I was reminded of that name again.

Beyond the now played-out junk pile loomed a very large hill, quickly dubbed Weathertop by Tracey.  The whole gang hiked up the side of the hill, save for the two old geezers in the bunch, Steve and I.  My out-of-whack back was giving me no end of trouble. The Young Goats were rewarded for their vertical efforts with Racerunners, Great Plains Skinks and more Prairie Lizards, and Jeff found a nice GPR.  Jim also found a DOW (Dead on Weathertop) milk snake lying between some rocks, unmarked and leaving no clue as to its demise.

Not to worry - the Geezers Down Below were being rewarded for their sedentary behavior.  We were doing a bit of birdwatching at the base of the hill..  A pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers entertained us for a while, followed by a few Western Kingbirds, but the icing on the cake was a half dozen Scissortailed Flycatchers, having a loud discussion in the branches of a nearby dead tree.  I've always been partial to Scissortails, but this was my first opportunity to observe a number of them up close and for nearly fifteen minutes to boot.

The wind picked up a bit and a light drizzle was starting as we bid farewell to Weathertop.  The temperature was falling as well, which put an end to our plans to road-cruise for Massasaugas.  We decided to make hay while the sun was not shining, and start heading back east, since we had a rendezvous the next day with some Kansas herpers.  Jeff took advantage of a gas stop to turn Rick and Steve on to the heady pleasures of Hiland Orange Creme Milk Drink, a rather nasty-looking concoction, if you ask me.

Somewhere near Kansas City that evening we stopped at a nice steakhouse to make up for last night's miserable dinner.  Like breakfast, it was great fun to sit down, compare notes, swap lies and poke fun at each other.  Much meat was munched and several of the choicest products of the brewer's art to wash it all down...

Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata)
Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis)
Great Plains Skink (Eumeces obsoletus)
Northern Prairie Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus garmani)
Prairie Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi)
Central Plains Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis)
Western Chain King (Lampropeltis getula holbrooki X splendida)
Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)
Great Plains Rat Snake (Elaphe emoryi)