To close for comfort, it would have been fine if 'it' stayed in the water, but he turned towards land

I have one major fear.
Snakes
The best way for me to see a snake is through a large plate of glass or a lot of distance.

That was not the case for me today, I had about 20 feet between me and this snake I saw. When I first saw his head and thought he was a turtle, but the more I looked through the lens at this 'thing' swimming through the water, the more I thought and then realized it was a snake.

UGH I hate snakes.

So, I watch this thing swimming through the water, and he makes a sudden turn towards land, my 20 feet between me and him suddenly becomes less, and if he made land fall, I wasn't going to find out. I was almost paralyzed, I grabbed my tripod and high tailed it out of there and quickly.

Only when I got home did I really truly realize the size of the snake, and see the markings on him. The slithering tongue sticking out. Oh gads that thing was that close to me? ICK!
My neighbor told me that he thought it was a moccasin, and that just scares the living heck out of me, but in research, I found that it is NOT, thank God, a water moccasin. Its a Northern Watersnake. Doesn't make a difference to me, its a snake. But from everything I read they are mean and very aggressive. Still all the reason for me to run the other way!

I'm sorry but I don't care if I miss the birds, what shot I miss. Seeing a snake head towards shore and my biggest fear of snakes I wasn't sticking around to find out if it was poisonous or not at the time. The osprey and bald eagles will be there another day and hopefully mister snake will have found himself some new hunting grounds!

My neighbor has been around snakes more than I have, and while the 2 that I have had experience with in my lifetime, blue racers and puffers, I still preferred not to face them if I don't have to. Even spending time at a cottage and around water I was never one to overcome this fear of snakes.

And to have gotten that close to one, who is not a very nice one to run into, doesn't sit well with me, even when at home.

I just have one word for my adventure today.

YUCK.

Its a bummer I can't rewind my day and not see the snake.

Until Next time
God Bless