What a Kind Rattlesnake

Knowing that taking a walk helps me if I have a tummy ache I head off for a short walk.  It is one of the more pleasant of the recent evenings weather-wise. The sun is quickly setting but it isn't yet dusk.  I start off in my usual direction, exiting our back door and start heading toward the creek, then decide I am bored with that and take a quick right which leads to the forest (at least that's what I call it).  I stop instinctively as I hear a rattle ... look down and there is a rattler curled up about a foot and a half away from me ... as if in slow motion I look at the head and recall saying to myself, YUP square head ... tail YUP rattle ... and backing away calmly and thank my lucky stars that it didn't strike.